Fifty Founders — a series of monthly conversations where business leaders and entrepreneurs share their challenges, failures, and success stories — is re-launching its Detroit chapter next week, with the intention to expand statewide by September.
The revamped Fifty Founders, which went through a trial run last year, will kick off Thursday at Bamboo Detroit, with Joe Joachim, founder and CEO of Hello Innovation, an event production company in Detroit. The program includes networking, 30 minutes of startup pitches, a fireside chat, and a question-and-answer session.
“We go in detail about some of the things that (startup) founders are currently facing,” says Delane Parnell, creator of Fifty Founders and co-founder of the event’s parent company, Established. “We ask, ‘How was your first board meeting? How many investors did it take you before you received a term sheet? Where did find talent to hire?’
“(The audience) gets practical tips that they can implement to overcome the barriers and challenges they’re currently facing. The content is relevant.”
Past guests include Brian Wong of Kiip, a contest rewards company in San Francisco, Ryan Blair, CEO of ViSalus, a nutritional firm in Troy, and former Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda.
“Most of the time, people come to the events where the guest is relatable to what their business is,” Parnell says. “So they could say, ‘You know, that person did that — maybe I should look at an alternative route.’ This type of gathering helps facilitate idea exchange and spur motivation and inspiration.”
Parnell says Fifty Founders will soon host events in Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Grand Rapids as well as “different one-off things in hubs across the country.”
Admission is $10. For more information, or to register, click here.
