Founders Live is a global ecosystem for early-stage founders, startups, and entrepreneurs. They are on a mission to elevate entrepreneurship around the world, connecting entrepreneurs to the people, resources, capital, and exposure they need to truly become successful.
The vast (and quickly growing) global platform, spanning 120 cities across more than 46 countries on every continent, was created by Nick Hughes to inspire, educate, and entertain entrepreneurs around the world. This is achieved through fun live pitch events—held in-person in many cities and globally streamed online—and by building and fostering community through thoughtful and inspiring content and shared experiences every day via the Founders Live community.
Their events are best known for the unique 99-second pitch competition format, where up to five chosen founders take the stage in front of possibly hundreds of people. They have only 1 minute and 39 seconds to deliver a pitch on how they are changing the world, followed by 4 minutes of audience questions about various aspects of their business. After all the pitches, the crowd votes for their favorite pitch of the event. Founders Live events are inspiring, must-attend networking opportunities where you can discover new creative startups and potentially meet your next cofounder.
More importantly, Founders Live believes anyone who wants to be an entrepreneur deserves equal opportunity to become one, with proper education, support, and guidance. However, do all people—no matter where they live or how they identify—enjoy the privilege of that opportunity? Unfortunately, most do not or struggle with access to adequate support mechanisms to help them move forward.
Seeing an opportunity to bring change to all corners of the world, Founders Live identified four significant pillars to build out globally:
- Inspiration: Inspiring people to join the creative entrepreneurial community so all feel included in the pursuit of problem-solving, business success, and wealth creation.
- Knowledge and Education: Equipping entrepreneurs with the knowledge and education to continually develop as leaders and build viable companies.
- Resources and Funding: Aggregating resources—such as technologies, tools, services, advisors, products, and investment funding—so startups everywhere can grow and succeed.
- Exposure: Offering early-stage founders, including first-time entrepreneurs, professional athletes, celebrities turned entrepreneurs, and underrepresented founders, opportunities for exposure and discoverability. Founders Live events, whether at the city level or on the global stage, connect entrepreneurs to investors, customers, and potential employees.
Through these mechanisms and its vast global ecosystem, Founders Live powers the pulse of entrepreneurship around the world.
