From a small Silicon Valley meetup to a global stage where the world’s top founders and investors connect.

The Founder Showcase began in 2009 with a simple mission: to democratize access to Silicon Valley.

What started as a 150-person gathering has evolved into a global online event, featuring hundreds of founders, investors, and startup leaders every quarter.

Over the years, 16 in-person events and dozens of online editions have helped early-stage startups raise biin funding.

Our stage has hosted icons like Elon Musk, Naval Ravikant, and Rebecca Enonchong, along with breakout startups such as Udemy, Turo, and Thumbtack.

Join the Event

Founder Showcase Milestones: 16 years of Innovation and Growth

2009

First event held in Silicon Valley, focused on pre-seed startups. Over 100 participants attended the inaugural edition.

Launch

2010 - 2019

Explosive Growth

16 in-person editions featuring pitches from breakout successes like Udemy and Thumbtack. Expanded globally through the Founder Institute’s 200+ chapters.

2020

Adapting to COVID

Transitioned to a virtual format while maintaining impact, attracting 500+ online attendees per event.

2021 - 2025

Go Global

Formed partnerships with HubSpot and Expa VC. Monthly editions now highlight diversity and AI innovation. Key stat: startups pitching at the event raise 3x more funding.

Hall of Fame - Winner Companies

Hall of Fame - Runner Ups

  • Yumvy
  • Kindara
  • SortBox
  • Embarke
  • Friend Truster
  • Vibease

Past Keynote Speakers

Elon Musk is the Chairman, CEO, and Product Architect of Tesla, CEO and CTO of SpaceX, and founder of xAI, Neuralink, and The Boring Company, driving humanity toward sustainable energy and a multi-planetary future. Co-founding PayPal (sold to eBay for $1.3 billion) and SolarCity, he co-led the Tesla Roadster's design, earning Global Green awards, and has amassed a net worth exceeding $500 billion as the world's richest person per Forbes in 2025. Elon's relentless curiosity fuels his mission to solve existential challenges through bold engineering, inspiring a generation to dream beyond Earth's limits.

Elon Musk

Naval Ravikant is the Co-Founder and Chairman of AngelList, the premier platform streamlining fundraising for startups and investors, with a net worth over $500 million from stakes in Uber and Twitter. A serial builder of Epinions (IPO), Vast.com, and Genoa Corp (acquired by Finisar), he's co-authored Venture Hacks and angels in Foursquare, Stripe, and Notion while philosophizing on wealth and happiness via his acclaimed podcast. Born in India and raised in the US, Naval's ethos centers on leverage and timeless principles, empowering creators to build leverage that compounds freedom and impact.

Naval Ravikant

Aaron Patzer is the Founder and CEO of Vital (Vital.io), an AI-powered platform revolutionizing patient experiences in over 100 hospitals by predicting wait times and guiding ER and hospital stays. As the visionary behind Mint.com, the pioneering free personal finance tool he launched in 2006 and sold to Intuit for $170 million in 2009, Aaron holds 10 patents and draws from his Princeton master's degrees in computer science and business to innovate at the tech-healthcare nexus. Among Aaron's greatest drives is empowering individuals with simple, immediate tools that reclaim their time and financial freedom, much like he did for millions through Mint.

Aaron Patzer

Munjal Shah is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hippocratic AI, a generative AI startup developing foundation models to transform healthcare delivery. Named one of BusinessWeek's Top 10 up-and-coming CEOs in 2001, he founded Like.com, the visual search engine acquired by Google in 2010, and has advised early-stage ventures like YouSendIt and Pubmatic while earning a Demo God award for Riya's launch. With degrees from UC San Diego and a Stanford master's in AI, Munjal's passion lies in predictive technologies that bridge consumer tech and health, fostering innovations that make complex systems accessible and life-saving.

Munjal Shah

Philip Kaplan is the Founder and CEO of DistroKid, the leading music distribution platform that has empowered millions of independent artists by simplifying uploads to streaming services worldwide since 2013. A prolific entrepreneur, he previously founded Blippy and PK Interactive, building web apps for Fortune 500 clients like Toyota, while his personal sites earned Yahoo's Site of the Year and TIME's Best of 2000; he's also the bestselling author of F’d Companies and serves on Syracuse University's School of Information Studies board. Philip thrives on demystifying tech for creators, turning chaotic ideas into tools that amplify voices and disrupt industries with humor and ingenuity.

Philip Kaplan

Jay Jamison is the President of Product & Technology at LogicGate, a governance, risk, and compliance software platform, and a Trustee at Eaglebrook School, blending his tech expertise with educational leadership. With nearly a decade at Microsoft, including turning around the Windows Client business in Japan and earning gold star awards plus a spot in Steve Ballmer's inaugural Bench Class, he co-founded Moonshoot and mentors at the Founder's Institute. Holding an MBA from Wharton and a B.A. from Duke, Jay finds fulfillment in mentoring future leaders, much like the high-growth teams he built, fostering resilience and innovation in both boardrooms and classrooms.

Jay Jamison

Jason Calacanis is an angel investor in over 250 startups— including unicorns like Uber, Robinhood, and Thumbtack—host of the podcasts This Week in Startups and All-In, and Founder & CEO of LAUNCH Incubator and Inside.com. From co-founding Weblogs, Inc. (sold to AOL) and leading Mahalo.com as an Entrepreneur in Action at Sequoia Capital, to authoring Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups, he's dubbed the world's greatest angel by The Twenty Minute VC. Jason's joy stems from spotting undervalued founders early, turning their visions into empires while building communities that democratize access to Silicon Valley wisdom.

Jason Calacanis

Sarah Lacy is the Co-Founder and Co-Owner of The Best Bookstore in Palm Springs, a vibrant independent hub for ideas, alongside her roles as a three-time author and serial entrepreneur. An award-winning journalist and former TechCrunch Editor-at-Large, she founded PandoMedia (acquired by Yahoo in 2015) and Chairman Mom, chronicling Silicon Valley's rebirth in her bestseller Once You’re Lucky, Twice You’re Good while advocating for working mothers. As a mother of two lecturing at universities and featured in Forbes, Sarah delights in curating spaces—physical and digital—where stories ignite innovation and balance in a fast-paced world.

Sarah Lacy

Mike Maples Jr. is the Co-Founding Partner at Floodgate, where he's backed thunder lizard founders behind Twitter, Twitch, Okta, and Lyft, earning spots on the Forbes Midas List and as the #14 Top Tech Investor globally. Before VC, he co-founded Motive, Inc., scaling it through the dot-com bust to a 2004 IPO, and held senior roles in high-growth tech across consumer, enterprise, and small business sectors. Mike's greatest thrill is partnering with visionaries who rewrite rules, authoring insights on pattern-breaking innovation that turn overlooked ideas into category-defining successes.

Mike Maples Jr.

George Zachary is a General Partner at CRV (formerly Charles River Ventures), leading investments in transformative software and consumer tech like Twitter, Yammer, and Scribd over his 20+ years of operating and investing experience. Based in Woodside, California, and featured on the 2017 Midas List, he brings a personal lens shaped by family and a past health scare to his focus on early-stage builders in health tech and biotech. George's passion is nurturing services that connect people meaningfully, drawing from his own journey to champion founders who build enduring, human-centered technologies.

George Zachary

Mark Suster is the Managing Partner at Upfront Ventures, LA's largest VC firm, where he invests in early-stage tech and hosts the influential Upfront Summit after two entrepreneurial exits: Koral to Salesforce and BuildOnline to SWORD Group. A Wharton MBA and prolific blogger at Both Sides of the Table, he bridges founder-investor worlds with candid advice from his Salesforce VP days. At 56, Mark revels in LA's vibrant ecosystem, mentoring operators to scale sustainably while celebrating the grit that turns two-time founders into ecosystem shapers.

Mark Suster

Michael Arrington is a General Partner at CrunchFund and Founder of TechCrunch, the startup news powerhouse he sold to AOL in 2010 for over $30 million, marking its 20th anniversary in 2025 as a Stanford Law alum and Time's 100 Most Influential. A serial entrepreneur behind Achex, Zip.ca, and Pool.com, he's now an Inaugural Binance for Children Ambassador, blogging at UNCRUNCHED and advising on crypto and tech trends. Michael's drive is unearthing the next big disruption, channeling his contrarian edge to spotlight underdogs who redefine industries.

Michael Arrington

Dave McClure is the Founder of Practical Venture Capital, investing in revenue-stage startups after scaling 500 Global to back 2,500+ companies like Lyft, Twilio, and Canva over three decades in Silicon Valley. A Johns Hopkins engineering alum who's geeked out at PayPal, Mint, Facebook, and Founders Fund, he champions chaotic, high-velocity growth with 10+ IPOs and 50+ acquisitions under his belt. At 58 in Mountain View, Dave's ethos is empowering scrappy founders worldwide, turning bold experiments into global empires through relentless iteration.

Dave McClure

Kevin Hartz is a General Partner at A* Capital (formerly Antler), focusing on early-stage bets including 20% in teen-founded companies, alongside his legacy as Co-Founder and former CEO of Eventbrite (IPO 2018). A Stanford and Oxford alum, he co-founded Xoom (IPO) and ConnectGroup (acquired 1998), advising PayPal, Pinterest, Airbnb, and more in fintech and creator economies with wife Julia Hartz now leading Eventbrite. Kevin's fulfillment comes from spotting global disruptors early, building platforms that connect communities and unlock entrepreneurial potential across borders.

Kevin Hartz

Dan Shapiro is a serial entrepreneur and advisor in stealth mode, following rapid exits like selling Sparkbuy to Google in six months and leading Ontela to merge with Photobucket, where he was named MobileBeat's CEO of the Year. With a track record in e-commerce and mobile imaging, he thrives on turning nascent ideas into market leaders through lean, high-speed execution. Dan's joy is in the thrill of quick pivots, mentoring founders to navigate acquisitions and scale innovations that redefine consumer experiences.

Dan Shapiro

Kevin Rose is a Partner at True Ventures, investing over $4 billion in 400+ consumer tech and wellness founders since joining in 2017, while chairing Digg's 2025 reboot. Founder of Digg, Revision3, and Milk (acquired by Dropbox), he's earned spots on Bloomberg's Top 25 Angels, TIME's Most Influential on the Web, and MIT's Innovators Under 35. Born in 1977, Kevin shares reinvention wisdom at TechCrunch Disrupt, driven by a passion for tools that enhance human connection and well-being in a digital age.

Kevin Rose

Aaron Levie is the Co-Founder, CEO, and Chairman of Box (NYSE: BOX), the AI-powered cloud content platform serving 100 million+ users since its 2015 IPO, born from a 2005 college dorm project with $160 million raised. A Boulder native with a knack for accessible information tools, he reflects on public company grit at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Aaron's mission is seamless collaboration anywhere, empowering teams to focus on creation over chaos in an increasingly hybrid world.

Aaron Levie

Hiten Shah is a serial SaaS founder of FYI and Crazy Egg, mentor at Mucker Capital, and investor in early-stage startups, following the 2021 acquisition of KISSmetrics, his data-driven analytics powerhouse. Starting with consultancy ACS, he's visualized user experiences and guided online businesses for 20+ years, dodging pitfalls like his $1 million analytics lesson. Hiten's delight is in product-led growth, advising founders to build empathetically and scale sustainably amid endless disruption.

Hiten Shah

David Sacks is the Co-Founder of Craft Ventures and U.S. AI & Crypto Czar under President Trump since December 2024, shaping policy on tech regulation with a net worth over $1.5 billion from PayPal and Yammer exits. As PayPal's COO and product leader through its $1.5 billion eBay sale, he founded Geni.com and produced Thank You for Smoking, later selling Yammer to Microsoft for $1.2 billion. Born in South Africa, David's ethos is operational excellence, backing builders who fortify free enterprise in emerging frontiers like AI.

David Sacks

Justin Moore is a multi-time entrepreneur and cloud computing authority advising on SMB strategies post-Axcient's 2022 acquisition by Kaseya, where he grew the data backup firm 2,462% in three years to Inc.'s #7 fastest in Silicon Valley. A recognized leader in ending IT downtime, he transforms industries with resilient tech solutions. Justin's passion is empowering businesses against data loss, turning vulnerabilities into unbreakable continuity for thriving operations.

Justin Moore

Chris Dixon is a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), leading the $7 billion+ crypto fund with early bets on Coinbase, Stripe, and Kickstarter since joining in 2012, boasting a net worth over $500 million at age 54. Co-founder of SiteAdvisor (acquired by McAfee) and Hunch (to eBay), he co-founded Founder Collective and authors on blockchain's future. Chris's vision is decentralized systems that empower creators, fostering web3 innovations that challenge centralized power structures.

Chris Dixon

Keith Rabois is a Managing Director at Khosla Ventures, on the 2025 Midas List for deals like Ramp, with a net worth nearing $1 billion from PayPal Mafia roots, LinkedIn, Square COO, and early YouTube investment. A Harvard Law alum born in 1969, he boards Yelp and Xoom, specializing in fintech transformations and government affairs. Keith's fulfillment is scaling startups into juggernauts, blending operational rigor with policy savvy to navigate complex markets.

Keith Rabois

Phil Libin is the Co-Founder and CEO of mmhmm and Airtime Tools (Sora Union), pioneering AI-enhanced video collaboration as his fifth startup, following a decade as Evernote CEO. A Russian refugee who arrived in the US at age 8, he founded CoreStreet for identity tech and Engine 5 (acquired by Vignette), leading three firms to commercial success. Born in 1972, Phil's drive is intuitive tools that amplify human connection, turning everyday interactions into seamless, creative flows.

Phil Libin

Nir Eyal is a Stanford GSB Marketing Lecturer, bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractable (over 1 million copies sold), and advisor to Bay Area startups on behavioral design. Founding two tech companies since 2003—one acquired in 2011 with Kleiner Perkins funding—he consults at psychology-tech intersections for Forbes and TechCrunch. An Emory and Stanford alum born in Israel, Nir's mission is habit-forming products that serve, helping leaders combat distraction and build meaningful engagement.

Nir Eyal

Joe Abraham is the Founder of BOSI Global, powering bosiDNA.com's startup assessment tech featured in the Wall Street Journal and BOSIFast50's high-growth portfolio, with three exits and 20+ investments under his belt. Author of Entrepreneurial DNA (McGraw Hill 2011) and featured on CNN, Fox, and ABC, he's a two-decade entrepreneur in tech and lead gen, now an "Angel Dad" advocating immigration reform after personal loss. Joe's greatest joy is aligning strengths to launch ventures, watching mentees forge paths that echo his own innovative legacy.

Joe Abraham

Mitch Kapor is a Partner at Kapor Capital, investing in seed-stage tech for economic and social impact, and Co-Chair of the Kapor Center closing racial wealth gaps through education and diversity initiatives. A 30-year PC pioneer who founded Lotus Development and designed 1-2-3, he co-founded the EFF, backed UUNET and Mozilla, and chaired Linden Research. Born in 1950 in Brooklyn and a Yale psych alum, Mitch's legacy is equitable tech, championing founders who build inclusive futures amid AI ethics debates.

Mitch Kapor

Thomas Korte is the Founder and General Partner of AngelPad, the #3 U.S. accelerator per MIT 2014 with 170+ investments and exits like MoPub ($350M to Twitter), emphasizing European founders for global scale. A Freie Universität Berlin and UC Berkeley alum, he spent seven years at Google as its first International Product Manager, co-authoring search patents. Thomas's thrill is disproportionate returns from overlooked talent, turning accelerator cohorts into venture successes that redefine search and beyond.

Thomas Korte

Rebecca Enonchong is the Founder and CEO of AppsTech, a global enterprise solutions provider, and Board Chair of AfriLabs, uniting 200+ African innovation hubs supporting 1 million+ entrepreneurs. Co-founder of I/O Spaces and ActivSpaces, she boards VC4Africa, Digital Africa, and UNECA's Digital Excellence Center, earning Forbes Africa's 50 Most Powerful Women nod in 2020 and Jeune Afrique's influential lists through 2020. Born in 1967 in Cameroon and a teen entrepreneur, Rebecca's passion is Francophone mentoring, igniting tech ecosystems where African founders build world-class brands.

Rebecca Enonchong

Tim Chang is a Partner at Mayfield Fund, twice Midas List honoree focusing on consumer internet, e-commerce, and wellness with leads like Grove Collaborative, HealthTap, and Moat (acquired by Oracle). Ex-Partner at Norwest leading Playdom (to Disney) and ngmoco (to DeNA), he built Gabriel Venture's wireless practice and launched Gateway products in Japan as a GM engineer across Asia. A musician and biohacker on non-profit boards like Reimagine Death, Tim's ethos is holistic bets that nurture health and marketplaces for enduring human progress.

Tim Chang

Patrick Riley is the CEO of GAN, a curated global community linking accelerators, corporates, and investors to fuel startup-city synergies, and Managing Partner of GAN Ventures. Starting at the American Red Cross as COO Chief of Staff, he scaled a healthcare tech exit's sales ops before growing Techstars and birthing GAN, now enjoying family bike rides and Colorado skis with his wife and two girls. Patrick's heart is in holistic ecosystem building, connecting resources so founders and communities thrive together in resilient networks.

Patrick Riley

Brant Cooper was the New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of Moves the Needle, advising Fortune 500s and startups on agile, human-centered innovation for 25+ years. Co-author of Disruption Proof, he blended lean methodologies to spark entrepreneurial action from front lines to C-suites, keynoting globally on digital transformation amid complexity. Tragically passing on July 18, 2024, Brant's enduring legacy is reimagining organizations for customer value, inspiring leaders to embrace uncertainty with bold, value-creating agility.

Brant Cooper

Lisa Besserman is the Managing Director at Expa VC, Garrett Camp's early-stage fund and studio investing pre-seed to Series A, after heading Indeed's Austin incubator and founding Startup Buenos Aires (acquired). A Google Mentor judging global competitions, U.S. State Department spotlight entrepreneur, and Forbes-recognized builder, she's lectured at MIT, NYU, and Berkeley, featured on CNBC and CNN. From SUNY Plattsburgh, Lisa's drive is necessity-fueled innovation in emerging markets, empowering underrepresented voices to scale tech that bridges divides.

Lisa Besserman

David Brown is a Co-Founder and Board Member of Techstars, the global accelerator he helped build with David Cohen, Brad Feld, and Jared Polis after serving as CEO from 2013-2021 and authoring No Vision All Drive. A serial founder who scaled Pinpoint Technologies to $50M revenue and 250 employees (now ZOLL Medical), he invests and advises on sustainable growth via ZINTINUS. With 30+ years in resilient companies, David's passion is founder endurance, turning visionless drives into ecosystems that launch thousands of ventures annually.

David Brown

Andrew Filev is the Founder and former CEO of Wrike, the collaborative work platform bootstrapped to $10M ARR over 17 years before its $2.25 billion acquisition by Citrix in 2021. Starting his first software firm at 17 with 20+ years in tech, he's an EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist and Bay Area 40 Under 40 nominee, now advising and investing. Critiquing hustle culture in 2025 Fortune op-eds, Andrew champions marathon building, sharing sustainable scaling lessons for founders prioritizing depth over speed.

Andrew Filev

Jenny Fielding is the Co-Founder and General Partner at Everywhere Ventures (formerly TheFund.VC), a first-check fund with 400+ operators across eight funds and 300+ pre-seed investments championing underrepresented founders. Ex-MD of Techstars NY for eight years, Kauffman Fellow, and BBC Digital Ventures Head, she's a Columbia and Cornell Tech adjunct professor and 2x founder. A lawyer by training, Jenny's joy is ecosystem authorship, amplifying diverse voices to reshape tech's inclusive future.

Jenny Fielding

Patrick Lee is the Co-Founder of Rotten Tomatoes and Managing Partner at PKO Investments, a syndicate targeting tech-entertainment intersections after six startups and three exits across three countries. Featured at the 2025 Milken Institute Asia Summit, he shares founder reflections via "Rotten Doubt" on Instagram, mentoring on media innovation. Patrick's thrill is narrative-tech fusion, guiding creators to build platforms that entertain and endure in a content-saturated world.

Patrick Lee

Bade Aluko is the Managing Partner at White Hibiscus Capital, a pre-seed fund enabling commerce technologies for talented West African founders, and an award-winning global Mentor at Founder Institute with a storied entrepreneurial track record. Among Bade’s greatest joys in life is seeing the people who pass through his various companies continue on to become successful in launching their own startups and forging innovation in their chosen industries.

Bade Aluko

Gary Amaral is the Co-Founder and CMO at Breadcrumbs.io, a Y Combinator-backed enterprise lead scoring platform, bringing 15+ years in SaaS, fintech, and retail marketing to integrated strategies. An advisor and angel in 30+ startups, he keynotes at SaaStock on growth hacking, sharing first-time founder pitfalls from his own journey. Gary's passion is authentic execution, turning data into decisions that propel teams from scrappy origins to scalable triumphs.

Gary Amaral

Jilliene Helman is the Founder and CEO of RealtyMogul, the premier online real estate investing platform with 280,000+ members who've deployed over $1 billion into $5.9 billion assets as of 2022. A Georgetown McDonough alum with Series 7, 24, 63 licenses and Certified Wealth Strategist creds from Union Bank, she's featured on CNBC, NYT, and Entrepreneur for crowdfunding expertise. Jilliene's mission is democratizing wealth-building, empowering everyday investors to own slices of real estate empires with transparency and ease.

Jilliene Helman

Emilia Chagas is the Head of Business Strategy at Growth Software and CSO at GrowthHackers, having co-founded Growth Boulevard and led Contentools as CEO through its merger into GrowthHackers Workflow, now powering 3,000+ teams at IBM and Spotify. With 8+ years scaling content platforms for 500,000+ professionals, she's a sought-after speaker on digital marketing innovation via Medium. Emilia's entrepreneurial fire is purpose-driven growth, inspiring global teams to craft platforms that amplify voices and navigate marketing's evolving landscapes.

Emilia Chagas