Founder Newsletter #36
In today's newsletter:
LA Tech Week: Happening tomorrow! Join us for a Female Founders & Funders Happy Hour.
Free founder resources, accelerators, pitch competitions and more!
ICYMI: Watch the replay of our last virtual forum From Idea to Customers
We are on Slack: If you haven't already, join our exclusive G&W Slack channel here!
LA TECH WEEK: G&W Founders & Funders Happy Hour
Calling all women founders and investors! Join us tomorrow for the Women Founders & Funders Happy Hour at LA Tech Week! 🎉
Thanks to our awesome sponsors, AWS and Cooley, we’re bringing you an evening of fun, networking, and powerful connections with incredible women across the tech ecosystem. Let’s make some funding magic happen! 💫
Don't miss out—save your spot and get ready for a night to remember!
👉 Register Here
Founder Resources
Accelerators, Programs & Conferences
NBA Launchpad is the league’s initiative to source, evaluate, and pilot emerging technologies that advance the NBA’s top basketball and business priorities. The goal of the program is to attract talented entrepreneurs and companies that can innovate the NBA ecosystem. Apply here. Deadline 10/18.
Joyful Impact Accelerator exists to help social impact leaders reach their next level of impact, joy, and wellbeing. This is a powerful year-long experience that offers a cohort of social impact founders/EDs/CEOs the chance to build relationships with peers, reflect, learn, and rejuvenate. Learn more and apply here. Deadline 10/20.
LA based Founders check out Community Business Accelerator, by FOUND/LA & Grid110, a 16-week intensive program designed to empower and elevate Los Angeles-based businesses serving the local community. Deadline 10/21.
Beauty Founders, the 10th House Beauty + Personal Care cohort is now open for enrollment. For founders who are committed to clean beauty, ingestible beauty, beauty wellness, sustainable practices, and inclusivity. Deadline 10/23.
Mass-Based Founders check out The MassRobotics Accelerator, Powered by MassTech empowers the next generation of robotics startups through non-dilutive funding, custom tailored curriculum, and personalized mentorship. Deadline 10/25.
Wellness Startups check out the Panasonic Well Family Wellness Innovation Challenge. If your company working on technology that improves the lives of families you could win a cash prize, plus space to exhibit within the Panasonic experience at CES 2025. Deadline 10/25.
Underrepresented Founders seeking Seed Funding, The m+a Accelerator Program is delivered by a team with deep operating experience as senior corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, and investment professionals and with a broad network of leading angel groups and individual seed investors. Deadline 11/1.
Early Stage Founders, Slauson & Co 2025 Friends & Family Accelerator is accepting applications for its next cohort. For innovative founders building the next generation of category-defining businesses to access capital & community at the earliest stage. Deadline 11/3.
NY Based Founders, The David Prize is currently accepting applications to give $200K to 5 founders. Open to any individual working in the five boroughs, the Prize welcomes those with the vision and conviction to change our communities, our culture, and our future for good. Deadline 11/11.
Another NY based Accelerator: Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) NY is accepting applications for its next cohort. Deadline 11/4.
HR-Tech Startups, check out SHRM Labs’ 4th annual WorkplaceTech Accelerator. The WorkplaceTech Accelerator is the premier accelerator crafted specifically for growth-stage HR tech startups ready to tackle the biggest workplace challenges of our time. Deadline 11/11
Underrepresented Founders: The Workshop at Macy’s is the retail industry’s longest running vendor accelerator program, designed to drive underrepresented brands to the next level by providing retail industry knowledge, resources and mentorship. Deadline 11/30.
Pitch Contests, Grants & Resources
Her Culture Micro Grant aims to empower African and Caribbean women around the world who are entrepreneurs, nonprofit founders and creatives via their $500K micro grants. Rolling deadline.
SXSW Pitch showcases innovative new technology to a panel of industry experts, high-profile media professionals, venture capital investors, and angel investors. Apply here. Deadline 11/3.
Black Girl Ventures (BGV) is organizing an LA edition of its pitch competition. Founders can apply to BGV's 2024 Pitch Program. Deadline 11/6.
EforAll Social Impact Pitch Contest. Rolling contests across the country. Learn more here.
Resources
WA based Founders: Our friends at WTIA offer competitive, cost-effective health plans that grow with your business. With access to 27 plan options, and a wide range of wellness programs, you can provide your employees with comprehensive coverage while simplifying your admin. Join over 400 companies leveraging WTIA's purchasing power to offer benefits that make a difference—like $0 cost virtual visits and wellness incentives like a free Apple Watch. Reach out to get a quote.
More Cloud Credits! Founders in our community are now eligible for even more Cloud credits thanks to our partnership with AWS Activate program. Build, experiment, and scale with up to $25k in AWS Activate cloud credits. Apply here and use our unique and org id 8ipK4. Only FFA founders are eligible for these benefits.
G&W Benefits
Find our latest and greatest G&W Founder Benefits here to get your hands on the exclusive partner perks available to our founder community!
What you missed:
Catch up on a workshop by Sam Chandler, Director of Customer Success at Startups, Zendesk where she dived into what differentiates a good idea from a viable business.
THIS NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Cooley is committed to the success of women and minority-founded businesses. Cooley’s startup lawyers work with companies of all stages and sizes, from first-time founders to the most recognizable unicorns in the market.
Cooley GO offers a wide range of free legal resources to entrepreneurs of all sizes – from formation to M&A and IPO. Check out their free resources here.
Graham & Walker does two things: we support founders & we invest in founders. Wherever you are, we are here for you.
We invest in deeply human problems, especially in the areas of health, work and caretaking. If you’re an early stage woman-founded tech company in North America ready to change the world, we want to meet you.
Join our Slack to share resources and connect with other female and nonbinary founders!