Sunday 4 June 2017

We are Founders




When it comes to creativity, innovation, trade and business PORTO is the right spot to visit! So, on April 27 Portuguese Erasmus+ students left Lisbon Oriente train station very early in the morning and got ready for a two day field trip in this amazing city located in Northern Portugal. Students visited Founders Founders – an entrepreneurial community of inspiring companies, biz1 experts and journalists that work together, learn from each other and share difficulties, challenges and solutions.  
How it all started

As almost everything in entrepreneurship, it all started with a need. The 5 founding startups started their path at UPTEC (Science and Technology Park of University of Porto) and, sooner or later, they would have to leave as part of the natural startup cycle. To avoid leaving each one at a time, and eventually end up spread across the city, they decided to find a way to stay together. Being together, working together, sharing difficulties, challenges or solutions and learning from each other, were some of the things they didn’t want to lose by leaving UPTEC.  Although the companies joining Founders Founders are in different evolution stages2, they have all passed the startup phase, they have a solid business validation and are growing.  Their values:  GROW BY LEARNING… from founders with diverse business experiences and life stories; LEARN BY SHARING… challenges, solutions and network3; SHARE BY LIVING… with a like-minded community at your company’s doorstep. 
Founders is not an incubator4 nor an accelarator5. It’s a community of over 250 people across the globe where each member is eager to grow its business and to grow as an individual. Founders Founders creates an environment that amplifies collaboration, knowledge sharing, problem solving and achievements at a global scale. “We were born from the community to be a community. A community is built from people, not from companies. Everyone is here not only to receive from the community, but also to give back.”


1biz – business
2stage – phase; position
3network – meeting people who might be useful to know in your job; association of individuals having a common interest, formed to provide mutual assistance, helpful information
4incubator – organizations setup to nurture startup companies at an early stage
5accelerator – business organizations that offer professional services to help accelerate startups (consulting, management coaching, mentoring, financing)
Adapted from:

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