New firm helping startups get off the ground
Got an idea for a new company but don’t have the first clue where to start? A new startup, Founder’s Compass, is designed for those who want to launch their own business but have no idea how to begin.
Co-founder Brittany Barreto said the idea was born from the concerns of tech accelerators that were approached by people who wanted to get into the startup game but weren’t yet savvy enough to enter their programs.
“They are the bane of every accelerator director’s existence,” Barreto said. “These people have an idea, but they don’t even know what questions they should be asking. They just aren’t ready.”
Barreto and her co-founders will provide the early handholding that more advanced programs can’t, teaching classes in their fields of expertise. Steve Jennis, who came up with the idea for Founder’s Compass, will teach business development; Catherine Brown will
teach sales and marketing; and attorney Leela Madan will talk about the legal aspects of starting a business.
Founder’s Compass will accept referrals from accelerators such as Station Houston, the Cannon and others, provide the newcomers with the skills they need to advance, then feed them back into an appropriate accelerator program to help launch their startups.
Barreto, the former co-founder of Pheramor — a dating app that used its clients’ DNA to find matches — said she and her three partners have never met in person, creating and developing Founder’s Compass remotely. And, given the coronavirus pandemic, that’s how the company’s sessions will take place as well, via Zoom teleconferencing.
Classes will be limited to 10 people each month who will pay $1,000. Classes will be held on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, or over three nights during the week. Classes begin in September.
A virtual town hall to launch the program will be held at 4 p.m. July 23 at founderscompass.com; it’s free.