We help founders
raise money.
Founder Gym is the leading online program training underrepresented founders on how to raise money to scale their tech startups.
In Partnership With
As Featured In
The Million Dollar Club
Founder Gym alumni all over the world are successfully raising money. Here’s a snapshot of those who have raised $1 million or more!
Shani Dowell
CEO, Possip
FG Cohort 1 Graduate
Joshua Aviv
CEO, Spark Charge
FG Cohort 7 Graduate
Amy Nelson
CEO, The Riveter
FG Cohort 1 Graduate
Olamide Olowe
CEO, Topicals
FG Cohort 4 Graduate
Jasmine Shells
CEO, Five to Nine
FG Cohort 2 Graduate
Pierre Laguerre
CEO, Fleeting
FG Cohort 4 Graduate
Sharmi Albrechtsen
CEO, SmartGurlz
FG Cohort 3 Graduate
Sevetri Wilson
CEO, Resilia
FG Cohort 1 Graduate
Kati Radziwon
CEO, iFlipd
FG Cohort 2 Graduate
Kishau Rogers
CEO, Time Study
FG Cohort 2 Graduate
Susan Sierota
CEO, Waggit
FG Cohort 2 Graduate
Yemi Adewunmi
Co-Founder, Civic Eagle
FG Cohort 3 Graduate
We Do ThingsDifferently.
Via 6-week online cohorts, founders complete structured exercises and receive expert training from seasoned investors and funded-founders. Upon completion of the rigorous training program, FG Graduates are equipped with the knowledge, network, and know-how to successfully raise capital to scale their tech startups.
Founder Gym | Other Programs |
|---|---|
100% Virtual |
Focused on Fundraising |
Trainers from Silicon Valley |
Global Network of Founders |
Supportive Community |
Does Not Take Equity |
We Train Better
We Train Faster
You Go Farther
Our Numbers
Speak For Themselves
Learn FromExperts
Over 80 accelerator directors, angel investors, venture capitalists, startup lawyers, and funded-founders in Silicon Valley and beyond have joined Founder Gym to train the next generation of successful tech startup founders. The FG Fundraising Cohort curriculum and structure has been influenced by these world-class trainers.
Now Accepting Applications for FG Fundraising Cohort 15
Founder Gym is the first online training program specifically designed to help underrepresented tech startup founders raise money to scale their startups. Over the span of 6 weeks, we provide founders with the information, structure, and accountability needed to level up their fundraising skills and close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. For our next FG Fundraising Cohort, we have updated our curriculum to cover topics that specifically train founders on how to thrive as business owners during a crisis, such as the one we are currently experiencing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we have added a bonus training that will train founders on equity crowdfunding.
| FG Fundraising Cohort 15 | |
|---|---|
| Founder Identity | Any underrepresented founder |
| Founder Location | Anywhere in world |
| Application Launch Date | September 17, 2020 |
| Application Deadline | December 11, 2020 |
| Start Date | January 11, 2021 |
| End Date | February 19, 2021 |
| Training Days | Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday |
| Training Times | 12:00 - 2:00 pm PST |
Cohort Tuition
Founder Gym does not take equity in startups; we are an application and fee-based training program. Just like college, you must apply to be admitted, and if accepted, a tuition fee is required. The FG Fundraising Cohort is a professional development opportunity for tech startup founders who are ready to make an investment in their growth.
Pay In Full
Pay in full and receive a BONUS training from Founder Gym's CEO, Mandela SH DixonWhat Founders Are Saying
Kristina Williams, CEO of ZiM
FG Cohort 6 Graduate
"It's wild to think this time last year I first decided to become a tech entrepreneur and had just applied to Founder Gym! Now just 1 year later, Prototype ✅, Team ✅, Advisory Board ✅, 200+ pre-registered brands ✅, press seeking us ✅. We would not be here without you!"
Lauren Powers, CEO of GullyBurst
FG Cohort 11 Graduate
"BY FAR, the network. It's worth TWICE the amount of money, seriously. We are connected to some heavy hitters both in the cohort and outside of the cohort. So I must say, I'm honored to be attached to such bad asses."
John Doan, CEO of Mobility for All
FG Cohort 11 Graduate
"It is inspiring to see and hear from successful founders who are coming from communities that are under represented in the startup world. This includes the expert FG trainers, FG alums and especially my fellow cohort 11 members. This experience gave me the push to leave the safe harbor of my day job and embrace my role as the full-time founder and CEO of Mobility 4 All."
Steven Leach, CEO of Linqrs
FG Cohort 13 Graduate
"There is no question that I am a better founder now than I was six weeks ago. I have learned how to be more direct and more concise. Six weeks ago, I could not clearly articulate the problem we are solving. Today, I can."
Mandy Major, CEO of That's Major
FG Cohort 12 Graduate
"Being in Founder Gym was a completely transformative experience. After the first week, I said to my partner, 'You could spend 36 hours Googling something or listen to a FG session and get everything you need in one hour.' I feel like I went to VC grad school. I have an intimate understanding of fundraising inside-out: the terminology, the culture, pitching, and my story. I’ve honed my strengths for where my company is now, and have a deep understanding of the traction I need to seek in order to build my company in meaningful, investable ways."
Laura Aiken Tett, CEO of Tusk
FG Cohort 10 Graduate
"Before Founder Gym I felt overwhelmed by all the material available about fundraising. All the different opinions made it difficult to apply. Founder Gym provided me the confidence and motivation I needed to create a clear path for myself."
Theola DeBose, CEO of JSkills
FG Cohort 12 Graduate
"Before Founder Gym, I was determined to start my company and raise money. But I see now, as a Founder Gym graduate, that I was on a founder journey without a map. I was trying to open locked doors when I didn't have a key. Founder Gym has transformed me from someone who was aspiring to be a founder and raise money, to someone who is out there actually doing it – and with the right tools and resources to be successful."
Heber Miguel, CEO of Eber Health
FG Cohort 10 Graduate
"Prior to FG, I didn't understand fundraising. I would present my company in hopes of funding, but through the FG experience realized I was doing it all wrong. I learned how to best position my company as a valuable investment vehicle for investors and how to articulate that."
Vivien Koh CEO of VK Transformation
FG Cohort 12 Graduate
"After undergoing this 6-week journey with FG Cohort, I have learned what it takes to design a winning investor pitch deck. In the past, I have always assumed that the approach taken to design both sales and investor pitch decks are the same. They are not! Having to learn by doing, I had to adapt my thought process by asking myself tough questions about my story, product and competitive advantage."
Donna Sanders, CEO of Social Solar
FG Cohort 10 Graduate
"If you'd like to LEARN from the best trainers in the startup ecosystem, CREATE great fundraising documents, and JOIN a community of excellent founders, Founder's Gym is the way to go!"
Saad Soroya, CEO of Vityly Health
FG Cohort 12 Graduate
"I have gone from not knowing anything about the startup ecosystem to understanding how to present an idea to an investor. I have learned to shift my clinical research project into an effective commercially viable product for use."
DuMarkus Davis, CEO of Musicbuk
FG Cohort 11 Graduate
"The best part of the FG experience was the camaraderie among the cohort. As a founder, I have often felt alone and coming into a digital accelerator, I wasn't sure what to expect of getting to know my colleagues, but the design of the FG experience eliminates all of the apprehension and allows us as founders to shine and revel in our uniqueness."
Sherlyn Chen, CEO of Carer
FG Cohort 12 Graduate
"FG has helped me immensely in fine-tuning my pitch with feedback from the team and my Gymmates. More importantly, I'm glad that I now have a global community of founders whom I can turn to when I need support and inspiration, and whom I can help with my expertise."
Nicole Jarbo, CEO of Boost
FG Cohort 13 Graduate
"I'm much more confident in my ability to raise funds. I had fundraising experience prior to this, but the rigor and depth of knowledge that the program provided helped me level up significantly."
Heli Prilliman, CEO of Lacquerbar
Founder Gym Cohort 3 Graduate
"After Founder Gym, I successfully raised $50K right out of the gate and my company’s momentum totally changed. Today , we’re so excited to be wrapping up our $1M seed round! None of this would have happened without Founder Gym - I’m forever grateful and will be stanning them for life!”
Isaiah Johnson, CEO of Project Beanstalk
"During the cohort, I gained such a positively stimulating amount of information about fundraising, investors, legal prep, pitching, networking, nationwide communities, and more!"
Susan Sierota, CEO of Waggit
FG Cohort 1 Graduate
"I love the Founder Gym mission and they back that up with true industry expertise, amazing VC resources who tell it like it is, and a structure of peer support that will last well beyond the month’s cohort. Highly recommend it for a founder looking to expand their reach."
Irving Chin, CEO of Tassel Software
FG Cohort 1 Graduate
"Founder Gym gave me the confidence to start speaking about a bigger vision, which I a bit apprehensive to do because it seemed ambitious. But thanks to some lightbulb moments listening to FG’s Expert Trainers, I started going with the bigger vision and now know how to capture investors attention."
Sevetri Wilson, CEO of Resilia
FG Cohort 1 Graduate
"Because of Founder Gym, I was able to craft a more concise pitch that now speaks to what investors care most about. I was also able to compare my deck to other founders, which helped me make significant improvements. I started FG at the same time I began raising our seed round, and because of the program, I am so much better prepared for my upcoming pitches."
Kristen Gallagher, CEO of Edify
FG Cohort 12 Graduate
"Founder Gym took me from someone who was confident as a 5-year business owner but anxious as a startup founder to someone who knows exactly what my startup needs and how to get it. I feel like I've been pushed off the diving board - in the best way possible - into a sea of resources, amazing connections, and supportive teammates."
