Founder Institute, the global business incubator and pre-seed startup accelerator, is relaunching its Seattle operations with renewed focus on in-person programming.
Tech veteran Aniket Naravanekar, co-founder and CEO of Skillsheet, is among the program directors working to restart the effort. Naravanekar previously led product at Seattle startups avante and CHEQ, and spent more than 11 years at Microsoft.
He’s joined by Nicole Doyle, founder and CEO of Aspir; Jewel Atuel, a technical program manager at Averro; and Angie Parker, executive director of the Alliance of Angels.
“I think the Seattle ecosystem has such a large amount of talent that it deserves more opportunities for aspiring founders to turn their ideas into a real business,” Naravanekar said. “I’ve been going through this process as a founder myself and I want to provide more options to those that are still on the fence or want to build but not sure how.”
Founded in Palo Alto, California, in 2009, Founder Institute operates across six continents and more than 200 cities, and has graduated more than 8,100 participants, according to its website.
Naravanekar believes a lack of community and leadership derailed Founder Institute’s in-person efforts in Seattle, with applicants directed to remote or virtual cohorts starting around 2021.
“We’re now bringing back the local community, local mentors, local partners, sponsors, investors and in-person meetups and events,” he said.
Naravanekar said Founder Institute is using a new approach in which the Seattle leadership team is empowered to run operations instead of being treated as a “satellite” location.
“We’re still using the same FI tooling and branding but have a lot more leeway in decision making to suit the unique needs of the Seattle ecosystem,” he explained.
The first cohort in Seattle begins in March. An open house on December 12 at AI House in Seattle will serve as an official launch event and will feature two panels: “Building in Seattle” and “Scaling & Leverage.”
Panelists include Evan Poncelot of Venture Black; Loti founder Luke Arrigoni; AI2 Incubator’s Jacob Colker; Nick Hughes of Founders Live; Taylor Black of Microsoft AI Ventures; Brooks Lindsay of Light Legal; Sarah Studer of the University of Washington’s Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship; and moderator Louis Newkirk of Venture Black and Founders Live.
Levi Reed, a former managing director at Seattle Founder Institute, is now an entrepreneur-in-residence at Startup425, a non-profit funded by six Seattle-area city governments, which announced a new accelerator last year. The 15-week program is modeled after the Founder Institute curriculum.
The relaunch addresses a gap in Seattle’s startup ecosystem that emerged during the pandemic years when many programs shifted entirely online. While virtual programming offered convenience and broader access, it lacked the relationship-building and spontaneous connections that often prove crucial for early-stage founders.
The emphasis on local mentors and partners reflects lessons learned during the remote period. Founders building businesses in Seattle face unique market conditions, regulatory environments, and talent pools that require locally experienced guidance.
The empowerment of local leadership represents a significant operational shift. Previously, Seattle operated more like a franchise location following centralized directives from headquarters. The new structure allows directors to adapt programming to regional needs.
The March cohort timeline gives organizers several months to recruit participants and build momentum through networking events and community engagement. The December launch event serves as both introduction and recruitment opportunity.
The panel topics, “Building in Seattle” and “Scaling & Leverage,” address distinct stages of startup development. The building panel likely covers early challenges like product-market fit, initial customers, and team formation. The scaling panel probably focuses on growth strategies, funding, and operational efficiency.
The panelist lineup brings diverse perspectives from venture capital, successful startups, corporate innovation, legal services, and academic entrepreneurship programs. This breadth exposes attendees to multiple aspects of building companies.
The connection to Startup425 demonstrates how Founder Institute’s curriculum has influenced other regional programs. The 15-week format and educational approach have proven effective enough to inspire adaptation by publicly funded initiatives.
The six city government funding for Startup425 indicates municipal recognition of economic development benefits from supporting startups. Cities increasingly view entrepreneurship programs as investments in local job creation and economic diversification.
