Boston Founders Forum

Featuring expert speakers, engaging sessions, and unparalleled networking opportunities, Boston Founders Forum is the perfect place to learn, grow, and connect with fellow executives.
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About Boston
Founders Forum

Boston Founders Forum aims to foster impactful collaborations by forging a united startup community in Boston through unique meetups that mix networking, learning, and evolving — all with a touch of fun!

Each event is special and brings a new perspective to the table for founders to learn from, along practical insights. With speakers ranging from Harvard Business School professors and lecturers, founders and C-Level executives who have participated in multiple successful exits, and high-profile special guest influencers.

Adam Clay speaking at Boston Founders Forum eventSnapshot from Previous eventThree Boston Founders Forum guests having a conversation

5:30 PM - 6:15 PM
Check-In & Networking
6:15 PM - 7:00 PM
Fireside chat
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Networking and wrap-up
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Q&A session
8:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Networking and wrap-up

John Harthorne is the Founder & Managing Director of Two Lanterns Venture Partners, an industry-agnostic, $25M seed fund focused on US and Israeli software startups.

Prior to launching Two Lanterns in 2020, John was the Founder and 10-year-long CEO of MassChallenge, the most startup-friendly accelerator on the planet. While John was CEO, ~3,000 MassChallenge alumni raised well over $8.5 billion of funding, generated over $3.5 billion of revenue, and created over 180,000 jobs.

The World Economic Forum elected John as one of the 2013 Young Global Leaders, and Ernst & Young selected John as Social Entrepreneur of the Year in New England for 2013.

John earned his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2007. While at school, John won Grand Prize in the 2007 MIT $100K Business Plan Competition and received the 2007 Patrick J. McGovern Award for impact on quality and visibility of entrepreneurship at MIT.

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Webinar Series

GTM & Founder Sales Mastery

with Chris Harris @ 12 PM EST

As a founder, you are your company’s first salesperson. Drawing from my experience as a mentor in Harvard Business School’s Entrepreneurial Sales (ES101) course, I’ll share practical, real-world techniques to help you sell your product effectively and lay the groundwork for building a high-performing sales team. In this series, we’ll cover everything from structuring your sales process to scaling your efforts as you grow.

Here’s what we’ll cover:
- How to build effective email campaigns & LinkedIn strategies
- Creating content that builds trust and drives results
- Leveraging partnerships and compelling events to scale
- Using AI and offshore resources to streamline your operations
- Founder selling techniques to help you lead early sales and position your startup for growth

This first webinar is free for everyone! It’s a perfect chance to get a taste of what we’re building at Boston Founders Forum (BFF)—a community of founders and startup teams supporting one another as they grow and scale.

BFF members will get exclusive access to the entire series, along with valuable resources, insights, and opportunities for deeper engagement to help accelerate your growth. Join us to learn, connect, and collaborate!

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Day 3

Effective Leadership

To give and receive constructive criticism effectively, focus on being specific and objective, using the "sandwich" approach, and showing appreciation for the other person's efforts.

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Networking and arrival
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Community interactive session
7:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Speaker lecture & presentation
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Motivating and inspiring your team to achieve their goals by Steve Fleps
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Developing and mentoring future leaders within your organization by Jasmine Cook
Day 4

Effective Business Strategy

To give and receive constructive criticism effectively, focus on being specific and objective, using the "sandwich" approach, and showing appreciation for the other person's efforts.

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Networking and arrival
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Defining your target market and creating a customer-centric strategy by Simon Fred
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Tea break | Meet & Greet
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Leveraging technology to improve business processes and drive growth by Steve Fleps
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Implementing effective marketing and branding strategies by Jasmine Cook

Hosts & Speakers

Lou Shipley
Advisor / Speaker
Lou Shipley

Past Speakers

Founder - Two Lanterns VC
John Harthorne
Co-founder - NOBULL
Marcus Wilson
Co-founder - Ginkgo Bioworks
Reshma Shetty
Founder - Boston Venture Studio
Paul English
CEO & Co-Founder of LeapWork
Christian Brink Frederiksen
Co-Founder - Topline Pro
Shanon Kay
Co-Founder - Logz.io
Tomer Levy
COO - Wasabi
Marty Falaro
Founder & CEO - The Elizabeth Elting Foundation
Liz Elting
Bobbie Carlton
Founder - Innovation Women
Bobbie Carlton
Lou Shipley
Lect - Harvard University
Lou Shipley

Event FAQs

What is the Boston Founders Forum?

The Boston Founders Forum is an exclusive gathering of Boston’s most innovative executives, investors, and founders. It's a platform to engage, network, and share strategies among Boston's leading startup professionals.

What are the objectives of the Boston Founders Forum?

The forum aims to: Forge a united startup community in Boston. Host meetups that foster impactful collaborations. Dive into Boston’s unique venues. Offer a mix of networking, learning, and evolving, all with a touch of fun.

Who should attend the Boston Founders Forum?

Executives, investors, founders, and anyone interested in the Boston startup community are encouraged to attend.

What are the highlights of the forum's agenda?

The agenda includes: Introductions and Networking, opening remarks by one of the founders, exclusive Keynote by a guest speaker, refreshments & breakout Sessions, and interactive Q&A.