This spring, the 2026 Foundations Series Cohort completed a 12-week founder development program designed specifically for tech startups from the idea stage to the MVP stage. For entrepreneurs testing assumptions, refining business models, and working toward their first meaningful traction, the program combines expert-led education, tactical workshops, office hours, and peer collaboration to help founders build stronger businesses from the ground up. As Tampa Bay’s startup ecosystem continues to grow, programs like Foundations play an important role in helping entrepreneurs move from ideas to execution while creating a stronger pipeline of venture-scalable companies throughout the region.

Over the course of the program, founders worked alongside a curated cohort of peers while exploring the critical building blocks that transform early validation into sustainable momentum.

Developing the Founder Mindset

Every startup begins with a founder’s willingness to navigate uncertainty. Participants explored goal setting, accountability, resilience, and the mindset required to continuously test assumptions, incorporate feedback, and make progress despite ambiguity.

Understanding Customers and Validating Demand

Before building products, founders focused on understanding the problems worth solving. Through customer discovery exercises and market validation frameworks, participants learned how to gather meaningful insights and avoid building solutions in search of a problem.

Building a Strong Business Foundation

Founders strengthened their understanding of business model development, mission, vision, and values while learning how to create companies that are both strategically focused and positioned for long-term growth.

Creating Products That Solve Real Problems

From evaluating MVPs to prioritizing product roadmaps, participants learned how to make thoughtful product decisions that align customer needs with company resources and growth objectives.

Designing Effective Go-to-Market Strategies

A great product requires a clear path to market. Founders explored growth strategies, sales fundamentals, pricing and packaging decisions, and the practical realities of acquiring and retaining customers.

Preparing to Scale

As companies grow, new challenges emerge around talent, team building, financial planning, networking, and fundraising readiness. The Foundations Series helped participants understand how to build the systems, relationships, and capital strategies necessary to support future growth.

Celebrating the Founders

Most importantly, we celebrate the founders who dedicated twelve weeks to strengthening their businesses, challenging assumptions, and investing in their growth:

• HealX (Samuel Peillon, PT, DPT, CSCS)
• TASKOD (Henry Castillo)
• DayOnes Live (Eric Bush)
• AIroraSense (Jeffrey Sullivan)
• OutTheDoor.Autos (Frank Nunez)
• Blue Zone Therapeutics (Aurélie Joly-Amado, PhD)
• AI Construction Project Intelligence Platform (Marie-Ella Hendricks)
• SortIQ™ by Smart Edge Technologies (Christina Dills)
• DAGR Group LLC (Boris Levin & Hlib Samsoniuk)
• Perimeter Health (Suzanne Rae)

Completing Foundations is more than finishing a curriculum. It represents a commitment to building thoughtfully, learning continuously, and embracing the discipline required to turn promising ideas into scalable companies. We are excited to follow the journeys of these founders as they continue building throughout Tampa Bay and beyond.

Thank You to Our Subject-Matter Experts

The Foundations Series was made possible by Embarc Collective’s esteemed subject-matter experts, who generously shared their expertise and guided founders through each stage of the startup journey:

• Kate Heath, Brand & Marketing Strategist
• Jason Putorti, Product Strategist
• Ryan Schneider, Strategy Coach
• Kailah Matyas, Talent Strategist
• Tim Holcomb, CEO, Embarc Collective
• Dan Holahan, Goal Setting & Accountability Coach
• Rissa Reddan, GTM & Growth Stage Strategist

Their experience, mentorship, and practical guidance helped transform concepts into actionable strategies and gave founders tools they can continue leveraging long after the program concludes.

Thank You to the Member Experience Team

A special thank you goes to the Embarc Collective Member Experience Team, whose vision, planning, and execution brought the Foundations Series to life:

• Bo Breuklander, Member Operations Associate
• Courtney McGeachy, Senior Membership Associate
• Anna Warnke, Programming and Coaching Associate

Their work in designing the curriculum, facilitating the experience, and supporting founders throughout the program created a meaningful foundation for the cohort’s success.

As we celebrate the completion of the first Foundations Series, we’re excited to continue investing in the next generation of startup founders and strengthening the future of Tampa Bay’s innovation economy.

Want to be a part of the community? Explore membership today!