You'll find two years of recordings of mentor sessions, classes and events from our community. Get the ball rolling with our 'Starter Kit' or browse session by topic below.
Lesson Library
Featured Session
Founders Fund Live Pitch Competition Finale
Investing in the growth and success of women entrepreneurs is the
cornerstone of Founders Fund. You’re invited to experience our mission,
spirit and impact!
On Wednesday, June 23rd at 1:00pm EST our top 10 pitch finalists
competed for a chance to receive non-repayable funding & resources
exclusive to women entrepreneurs!
The Starter Kit
Not sure where to start? Here's our top sessions for the foundation of every business
Business Canvas with Stephen Daze
The Business Model Canvas (BMC) is a strategic management tool to quickly and easily define and communicate a business idea or concept. It is a one-page document that works through the fundamental elements of a business or product, structuring an idea in a coherent way.
Marketing Foundations with Jose Martins
Get to know the market basics from SEO, what to do with web traffic and how to nurture leads.
Funding Prep: Getting Your Finances in Order with Alice Bazdikian
Learn the difference between a P&L, balance sheet and a cash flow statement (and which is most important, what a good (sexy) operating margin looks like and the metrics investors are looking for
Mastering Digital Marketing with Ezra Firestone
We go over why Ezra thinks this is the best climate for getting your business in front of new customers, how Ezra made hundreds of millions (not a typo) in revenue with smart digital marketing techniques and why people buy promises before products
Archived Sessions
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Marketing & Branding
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Finance & Legal
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HR & Operations
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Social Purpose
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Leadership
Marketing & Branding
Growing your Business and Attracting Clients with Organic Marketing, hosted by Anisa Stoli [June 2021]
Anisa discusses the content creation process and the importance of a marketing funnel
Watch session for Startups / High Growth Stage
Marketing Analytics, hosted by Boris Jovic [May 2021]
Boris discusses how to use marketing analytics to optimize sales and the growth of your business
Watch session for Start-Ups / High Growth Stage
Content Strategies, hosted by Mallory Rowan [April 2021]
Mallory discusses creating a bulletproof content strategy that feels like you, and works.
Watch session for Start-Ups / High Growth Stage
Developing an Authentic Brand Story, hosted by Brandi Leifso [March 2021]
Brandi Leifso walks us through how to develop an authentic brand story.
Watch session for Start-Ups / High Growth Stage
Leveraging Your Personal Brand, hosted by Vivian Kaye [March 8, 2021]
Vivian Kaye joins us to discuss how you can leverage your personal brand to establish your business.
Branding , hosted by Christine Yu [March 2021]
Christine Yu walks us through Building your Brand, Refining your brand, and Refreshing your brand.
Watch session for Start-Ups /Growth / High Growth Stage
Marketing Open Feedback , hosted by Amanda Baker [February 2021]
Amanda provides her marketing expertise while also providing feedback to attendees on their marketing strategies.
Watch session for Start-Ups /Growth & High Growth Stage
Tik Tok & Influencer Marketing , hosted by Kayley Reed [January 2021]
Kayley Walks us through the fundamentals, scaling and accelerating your business through Tik Tok & influencer marketing.
Watch session for Start-Ups/Growth Stage/High Growth Stage
HubSpot Presents: Marketing Foundations, hosted by Jose Martins [January.23, 2020]
Learn about: inbound marketing, SEO basics, converting website traffic into leads, how to nurture leads with automation and how to close sales easily
Get the slides here
Business Canvas, hosted by Stephen Daze [January.28, 2020]
The Business Model Canvas (BMC) is a strategic management tool to quickly and easily define and communicate a business idea or concept. It is a one-page document that works through the fundamental elements of a business or product, structuring an idea in a coherent way.
Strategic Brand Storytelling, hosted by Jasmine Williams [February.5, 2020]
Jasmine takes us through how to tell your brand story in an engaging, impactful way that builds your business.
HubSpot Presents: How to SEO in 2020, hosted by Jose Martins [February.7, 2020]
Learn why keywords are dead, how to think about relevance and authority how to define a content topic and measure success.
Get the slides here.
HubSpot Presents: Web Analytics for Start Up Growth, hosted by Jose Martins [March.26, 2020]
Learn how to match your "free" content to the correct stage your customer journey, what a normal conversion rate looks like (and how that can change depending on your business) and how to make a compelling Call to Action
Get the slides here.
Influencer Marketing, hosted by Kayley Reed [April.7, 2020]
Kayley teaches us why a long term (6 months +) investment in your influencer relationship brings the best results, the different kinds of influencers and when to use them and how to compensate influencers fairly (while getting what you need for your business)
HubSpot Presents:Growth Marketing Methodology, hosted by Jose Martins [April.9, 2020]
Jose tells us what pirate' metrics are and how they can guide your growth strategy, how to get curious before dismissing what's not working and why you may (or may not) need to be in the top three Google search to optimize organic growth
Get the slides here.
Fireside Chat with Ezra Firestone on Mastering Digital Marketing, hosted by Vivian Kaye [April.14, 2020]
We go over why Ezra thinks this is the best climate for getting your business in front of new customers, how Ezra made hundreds of millions (not a typo) in revenue with smart digital marketing techniques and why people buy promises before products
Shifting Your Business from B2B to B2C, hosted by Nikki Thibodeau from Shopify [April. 30, 2020]
Nikki tells us why B2C is a whole other ballgame that requires different approaches than B2C, why tapping into emotional responses to your product or service is the most valuable thing you can do and how your 'About Us' page is your most underestimated opportunity to close sales
Funding Prep: How to Pitch in 2 Minutes or Less, hosted by Sheena Brady and Vivian Kaye [May.6, 2020]
Sheena and Vivian share their tips for pitching quickly and effectively on your 2020 funding application (and in person).
Personal Branding Masterclass, hosted by Reagan Bradley [May.14, 2020]
Reagan shares about how you already have a personal brand (you just might not be intentional about it), how to use your personal brand to provide understanding of your business brand and if you should invest in professional visuals
How to Start a Podcast, hosted by Makini Smith [May.19, 2020]
Makini shares what you equipment you actually need to start a podcast (hint: it's not a lot), why podcasts are incredible tools for engaging audiences for your main business (even more so than Instagram!) and how editing audio really isn't as complicated as you think
FINANCE & LEGAL
Getting Your Finances in Order, hosted by Alice Bazdikian [June 1, 2021]
Alice Bazdikian provides tips on how to get your finances in order in this unique Lunch and Learn Session!
Business Law Practices, hosted by Michael Marcogliese [May 27, 2021]
Lawyer Michael Marcogliese discusses everything you need to know about Incorporating, shareholder agreements and licensing.
Funding Preparation: Pitch Masterclass, hosted Founders Fund Team [April 22, 2021]
Join the Founders Fund team in a session that will go in depth on this years pitch competition style fundin
WATCH: here
Tax Preparation, hosted by Kevin Sterling [March 2021]
Join us as Kevin Sterling prepares you to get through tax season with ease.
WATCH: Start Up Tax Prep/Growth & High Growth Tax Prep
Intellectual Property Strategies for Growing Businesses, hosted by Deborah Meltzer [February 2021]
Deborah Meltzer joins us to discuss intellectual property strategies to help you grow your businesses at the start-up, growth and high growth stages in this three part series.
WATCH: Start Up Intellectual Property Strategies/Growth Intellectual Property Strategies//High Growth Intellectual Property Strategies/
Money Mindset, hosted by Lisa Zamparo [February 8, 2021]
Lisa shares her fundamentals for how to develop a money mindset to help you succeed in business.
Financial and Tax Management, hosted by Alice Bazdikian of Cult Organics [February 2021]
Alice shares her fundamentals for how to manage finances and taxes for businesses at the start-up, growth and high growth stages in this three part series.
WATCH: Start Up Financial & Tax Management/Growth Financial & Tax Management//High Growth Financial & Tax Management/
RESOURCE: Finance Spreadsheet
Budget Forecasting, hosted by Kevin Sterling of Sterling Spaces [January 2021]
Kevin shares his fundamentals for how to forecast budgets for businesses at the start-up, growth and high growth stages in this three part series.
WATCH: Start Up Budget Forecasting/Growth Budget Forecasting/High Growth Budget Forecasting
RESOURCE: Cashflow Forecast Template
RESOURCE: Budget Template
Financial Planning Foundations, hosted by Conor Gfroerer of Perfect Timing [February.25, 2020]
Conor walks us through the key elements of a healthy financial foundation and what you can do to prepare for the unexpected.
Get the slides here.
Investing and Allocating Revenue, hosted by Conor Gfroerer of Perfect Timing [March.12, 2020]
Conor tells us why COVID-19 might be a great opportunity to invest, the importance of a 'slush' fund and what the heck dividends are.
Get the slides here.
Legalities of the Cannabis Industry, hosted by Trina Fraser [March.19, 2020]
Trina tells us all about the jungle that is the Cannabis Act, why underestimating the compliance aspect of cannabis (even if you're not selling it directly) can be a huge mistake and how Alterna might be the best bet for financing in a sea of banks that won't go near cannabis-related businesses
Best Bookkeeping Practices, hosted by Kevin Sterling [April.2, 2020]
Kevin teaches us why to consider having two bank accounts for business (one for taxes only, the only for expenses), why good bookkeeping Is your lifeline to loans, investors and more, and how outsourcing your bookkeeping as soon as you sense it becoming a hassle is one of the best decisions you can make
Intellectual Property 101: Trademarking, hosted by Deborah Meltzer [April.23, 2020]
Deborah teaches us the difference between a patent and a trademark, why your logo should be filed in greyscale and what elements of your business can be trademarked
Funding Prep: Getting Your Finances in Order, hosted by Alice Bazdikian [May.5, 2020]
Alice shows us how to do a P&L statement (a requirement of 2020 funding) and some tips that make keeping on top of your finances easy (and maybe kinda fun)
Get the slides here.
Finance 101: Balance Sheets, hosted by Lisa Zamparo [May.6, 2020]
Lisa breaks down what a balance sheet is (and why it's what investors look for), and how to keep finances low stress and high reward
HR & OPERATIONS
When and How to Hire, hosted by Heidi Hauver [April 20, 2021]
Heidi Hauver joins us for a unique fireside Q&A chat where she answers the most commonly asked questions about when and how to hire for your business.
When and How to Hire, hosted by Amanda Baker [April 20, 2021]
Amanda Baker provides her expertise to discuss when and how to hire for your business.
HubSpot Presents: Maximizing Revenue Through Prospecting, hosted by Jose Martins [April 15, 2021]
Jose explains how to develop a repeatable and scalable process for prospecting net new business for your startup
Superb Costumer Service hosted by Heather Harrison [February 2021]
Heather shares her fundamentals on how to establish, build and maintain superb costumer services at the start-up, growth and high growth stages in this three part series.
WATCH: Start Up Super Costumer Service /Growth Superb Costumer Service/High Growth Superb Costumer Service
Supplier Relations, hosted by Greg MacDonald & Sheena Brady [January 2021]
Greg and Sheena share their fundamentals for how to establish, build and maintain supplier relations at the start-up, growth and high growth stages in this three part series.
WATCH: Start Up Supplier Relations/Growth Supplier Relations/High Growth Supplier Relations
HR 101, hosted by Heidi Hauver [April.15, 2020]
Heidi explains If and how to hire your friends and family, how HR is a different game once you start scaling and how to be clear with staff and contractors on expectations and communication preferences
HubSpot Presents: How to Scale Customer Service, hosted by Jose Martins [May.8, 2020]
Jose explains why content marketing is becoming as expensive as paid ads, how investing in customers improves and simplifies revenue mechanics and how to scale support staff as your client base grows
SOCIAL PURPOSE
Benefit Corporations, hosted by Amanda Baker [June 22, 2021 ]
Amanda Baker brings her expertise and experience working with and in social purpose businesses to deliver this highly information session on B Corps.
B Corp 101, hosted by Carla Heim [May 13, 2021 ]
Carla Heim shares her strategies on how to become B Corp Certified and the importance of it for sustainable businesses.
Inclusive Design, hosted by Tania Villalobos [April 19, 2021 ]
Tania Villalobos discusses how to incorporate Inclusive Designs in your business.
Communicating Sustainability & Social Impact, hosted by Jessica Marati Radparvar [February.20, 2020 ]
Jessica tells why there's no such thing as a truly sustainable company and what she's learned from helping big brands like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger build purpose into their businesses.
Creating a Social Impact Strategy , hosted by Olga Mugyenyi [April.22, 2020 ]
Olga explains the difference between a social impact strategy and traditional CSR, how to narrow down your impact focus and what planning your impact goals have in common with your other business goals (hint: everything).
Everything You Need to Know About B Corp , hosted by Amanda Baker [May.26, 2020 ]
Amanda explains everything about B Corp from what it is, why it's important, the certifying process and if you should become a b corp
LEADERSHIP
Founders Fund Live Pitch Competition Finale, hosted by the Founders Fund Team [June. 23, 2021]
10 pitch finalists compete for a chance to receive non-repayable funding & resources exclusive to women entrepreneurs!
How To Evolve Your Business, hosted by Gingie McLeod [June. 14, 2021]
Gingie shares her personal story and tips on how to evolve your business to stay thriving despite all of the ups and downs that entrepreneurship throws at you.
Meditation and Mindfulness Practices, hosted by Alex Ure [June. 7, 2021]
Alex Ure walks us through a guided mediation practice.
BDC 101, hosted by Brooke Gordon [June. 3, 2021]
Brooke Gordon joins us to discuss everything that you need to know about BDC and the positive impact they are making in the lives of entrepreneurs like yourself.
Creating Communities, hosted by Marsha Druker [May. 31, 2021]
Marsha Druker Joins us to discuss how to create authentic, inclusive and strong communities.
Supplier Diversity, hosted by Maude Pariseau and Alysha Mohammed [May. 25, 2021]
Maude Pariseau and Alysha Mohammed discuss how to and the importance of establishing diverse supplier relations.
7 Tips When Borrowing Money for Your Business, hosted by Brooke Gordon [May. 20, 2021]
Brooke Gordon shares 7 tips, based on evidence from BDC, to remember when borrowing money for your business.
Open Networking Session, hosted by The Founders Fund Team [May. 19, 2021]
Join the Founders Fund team and members for this unique networking session where you get the opportunity to connect with like minded members and chat!
Business Open Feedback, hosted by Vivian Kaye [May. 10, 2021]
The Founders Fund members come together to solve their business problems in this live chat with Vivian Kaye.
Meditation and Mindfulness Practices, hosted by Alex Ure [May. 3, 2021]
Alex Ure walks us through a guided mediation practice.
Time Management, hosted by Makini Smith [April 12th, 2021]
Makini Smith shares her strategies on managing time as an entrepreneur.
Dreamer to Doer: Goal Getting Workshop, hosted by Rachel Kelly [March. 29, 2021]
Rachel Kelly joins us to host an interactive goal getting workshop
Meditation and Mindfulness Practices, hosted by Alex Ure [March. 1, 2021]
Alex Ure walks us through a guided mediation practice.
Stress Management, hosted by Bailey Parnell [February. 22, 2021]
Bailey Parnell shares her Stress Management strategies to help you navigate your business.
Meditation and Mindfulness Practices, hosted by Alex Ure [February. 1, 2021]
Alex Ure walks us through a guided mediation practice.
Defining your Brand's Purpose, hosted by Amanda Baker [January. 25, 2021]
Amanda Baker discusses how to define your brand's purpose at any stage of your business.
Leading an Inclusive Business, hosted by Manpreet Dhillon [January.18, 2021]
Manpreet shows us how to lead inclusive businesses at every stage of growth. An essential session for all leaders.
Stress Management, hosted by Bailey Parnell [February.13, 2020]
Bailey walks us through the science of stress, how to tame it and why 'Karen' is the new giant stress bear in your life.
Get the slides here.
Fireside Chat with Rachel Kelly of Make Lemonade on Building Community, hosted by Vivian Kaye [February.18, 2020]
Bailey walks us through the science of stress, how to tame it and why 'Karen' is the new giant stress bear in your life.
Mastering Public Speaking, hosted by Chanèle McFarlane and Vivian Kaye [February.26, 2020]
Chanèle shares her formula for success as a public speaker, along with some tips on how to engage with your audience (bonus: Vivian Kaye joins the conversation and shares her expertise in the public speaking area as well!)
Business Without the Burnout: How to Work Less and Make More, hosted by Mallory Rowan [March.10, 2020]
Learn how work/life balance can become just life, why creating business goals based on how you want to feel is better for long term success (even if that sounds terrifying) and how saying 'no' more often will make you money .
Get the slides here.
Motherhood and Business, hosted by Vivian Kaye [March.13, 2020]
Learn why routine is the foundation on success (and sanity), Vivian's experience having a newborn baby and a brand new company at the same time and how Vivian hopes her work impacts her son's worldview
Fireside Chat with Karla Briones on the Experience of Immigrant Entrepreneurs, hosted by Vivian Kaye [March.24, 2020]
Learn how Karla's first business (candy selling) got so big, the school lunch lady had to shut her down for fear of competition (Karla was 7 years old), why starting a business as an immigrant is so unique and how Karla has started and currently runs multiple successful businesses (pet food, food service, consulting) and what it all looks like in a time of economic uncertainty
How to Fail (and Survive!) with Gingie McLeod, hosted by Vivian Kaye [April.24, 2020]
Gingie tells us how she went from an overnight success to nearly having to close her business and how she pivoted to get back her success, her '12 hour rule' is on wallowing has helped her get back on her feet and how to deal with bad PR and angry customers
Fireside Chat with Michael Perry on Building Connection in the Digital World, hosted by Vivian Kaye [April.28, 2020]
In this intimate interview learn how Michael went from selling cars to selling his business, Kit to Shopify, what Michael has learned about 'working from a place of influence vs. effort' and how to match engaging content with your product or service
Bonus content: We start the Michael Perry Fan Club, Michael moves Vivian Kaye to tears and Michael's all-star EA, Alex gives us insider scoops in the chatbox
Strategies for Adapting to the New Normal, hosted by Emily Foucault [May.15, 2020]
Emily shares what a 'crisis communications plan' is and why you still need one, why stripping back to the essentials of your business is the most valuable thing you can do and how to A.D.A.P.T (instead of "pivot")