How Start-up Grind Is Building A Community Of Entrepreneurs
How Start-up Grind Is Building A Community Of Entrepreneurs. Start-up Grind was founded in 2010 when its founder, Derek Andersen got some friends and fellow entrepreneurs together to crack the same problem they were all facing: the growing challenges of launching a company. What became clear was these obstacles were extensive and stretched far beyond their group. Their gatherings soon spurred a local start-up movement that attracted founders and experts from every industry, all coming together to share their advice and inspirations for early entrepreneurs. Eventually, vibrant Start-up Grind communities (“chapters”) began developing in Los Angeles, Tel Aviv, London, New York, Beijing, and many more.
It strives to help founders, entrepreneurs, and start-ups succeed, regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic circumstance. It believes a better tomorrow is possible by supporting the innovators and risk-takers of today. 50% of its team are founders themselves, so they know from experience how difficult it can be. It cannot be done alone, and the COVID-19 pandemic has created an even greater sense of urgency. This is why the company built a safe haven for emerging start-ups that share its belief that a better future is on the horizon.
Its mission is to give start-ups everywhere the education and opportunities they need to build, grow, and scale their companies. It is passionate about the forces that strengthen its community and its chapters worldwide. It believes its investment in community-building is what drives start-ups toward continued success. What makes Start-up Grind different is its commitment to global citizenship, and its goal to lead by example in this space. As Global Citizens, it takes pride in knowing its global presence in every community has a direct impact on the livelihoods of the people living there.
The company values making friends, not contacts. It believes in giving first, not taking. It also believes in helping others before helping yourself. It hosts a lot of events, but more than that, Start-up Grind is a community. It brings like-minded yet diverse individuals together to connect, learn, teach, help, build, and belong. It does this daily through its local events, flagship conferences, start-up membership, partner membership, student and investor programs, and online media content – collectively reaching over 3.5 million individuals worldwide.
