- This event has passed.
April 16, 2020 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm CDT
FreefnSilicon Valley: Building a Powerful Silicon Valley Network
Founders Network is invite only. If you are a full time tech founder interested in membership, you are welcome to join this event as a guest. Please RSVP below. Once we verify your qualifications, we will confirm your registration and provide login credentials.
Networking can make or break your company. Whether it’s getting customers, advisors, investors and teammates, who you know will be a determining factor of your company’s success.
Join three SV master networkers: Josh Krammes, Melissa Kargiannakis and Donna Jensen-Madier as they give concrete, replicable tips to making your network ease your path to revenue and growth.
Key Takeaways
- Understanding the Silicon Valley Culture
- How to build a network from scratch
- Keeping your network up to date
- THE ASK – how to ask for help, connections and more
But first, we will break into peer advisory roundtables where you get the help you need with what you’re needing . . . now.
Agenda
- 4:00pm – 4:15pm || Settle in, Opening Remarks
- 4:15pm – 5:00pm || Peer Advisory Roundtable(s)*
- 5:00pm – 6:00pm || Panel Discussion & Q&A
*Our members-only Peer Advisory Roundtables and are designed to go deep on your real-life challenges. Let our diverse community of founders be your resource and support system.
About the Speakers
Josh Krammes
As a community builder, Josh Krammes serves as an advisor, mentor, investor, and friend for early-stage startups to the broader startup community, where his network extends pretty far.
In his current role, he serves as a liaison to business markets for StackPath, so that early & growth-stage tech startups understand who they are, and enterprise partners understand what they can do.
Previously, Josh held an executive position with MergerTech, a boutique M&A firm that represents tech companies going through the acquisition process. He was also an executive with SoftLayer (acquired by IBM in 2013; now the foundation for IBM Cloud).
Melissa Kargiannakis
Melissa Kargiannakis is the award-winning Founder and CEO of skritswap – a start-up that swaps complex jargon into plain, easy-to-understand language. Melissa won the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada. She’s also won awards from the Queen of England and the Women of Influence RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards.
She led skritswap to win the Top 20 Most Innovative Companies in Canada. Melissa exemplifies tenacity, grit, and impressive intellectual horsepower. She gracefully balances both approachable vulnerability with never-ending strength. Melissa has a history of radical leadership. She brings the zest and charm to any conversation. She has been leading teams for the last decade from her university dorm room to Silicon Valley today. Melissa has published Master’s research.
Donna Jensen-Madier
Donna Jensen-Madier is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for all things related to the startup journey. Donna is currently launching a new business, PintheLook.com, a crowdsourced image-based recommendation platform, while running her 12-year old e-commerce business BelleEscape.com.
Previously, Donna was the founder & CEO of startups.com, a venture-backed startup accelerator that provided business infrastructure setup services, vendor referrals, and networking events. She has also served as a director of marketing at VentureOne (acquired by Dow Jones), Autodesk, and IMS France.
fnSilicon Valley Regional Leadership Team
– Chapter Director: Marjan Panic
– Membership Chair: Donna Madier
– Growth Chair: Joanna Medin
– Ecosystem Advisor: Nitin Paschisia
Confidentiality Reminder
All information shared within Founders Network is strictly confidential. We are built on a foundation of trust, and the community takes confidentiality seriously. Investors, members, and staff all share experiences and opinions off the record. In this roundtable forum, we continue to model our fnValues of Reciprocity, Humility, Authenticity and Inclusivity.
Testimonials
"If you don't have a cohort group in something like Founders Network that you can develop long-term relationships with and discuss the same topics that come up with people that you already know, you're probably missing out on something very important."David Plonsky
"The number one advantage is the law of compound interest. The longer you stay in a very high-quality network the strong and more authentic relationships you build."Chaitanya Vaidya
"We know each other's business and we know each other's struggles. Having a personal relationship with other founders that is completely confidential and completely authentic gives you a lot of great advice."Doug Lessing
"FN manages my network for me by connecting me with other founders in my specific industry sector. I've been able to explore business development opportunities, partnerships, etc."Becky Splitt
"We just saw the first Mexican unicorn come to life this same week which is a fantastic idea. Being part of the Founders Network makes a lot of sense. We see that the Mexico City chapter is growing substantially."Max Linares
"There's a lot of great stuff going on even now in San Francisco. I've found Founders Network has been a great resource for me and for all of the founders I know during these tough times."Jarie Bolander
"It allowed me to meet people who had done this before that had the experience. I was able to explain an issue very briefly and they were able to give me a very detailed response on how they addressed it."Terence Finn
"I've used the platform to discover advice, connections, resources, discounts, on important services, connections to investors, and practice on how to pitch. The kind of conversations you can't get anywhere else on youtube or google searches."Alexandra Greenhill
"I see Founders Network as one of those necessary resources in the Chicagoland area."Jason Jacobsohn
"The Black Founders initiative allows me to shape this program where we can inspire, engage, and support Black Founders."Khiry Kemp
