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There is something we don’t talk about enough in founder development. A founder can complete every requirement of a program and still not be ready for what comes next. They can attend the workshops. Meet the mentors. Refine the pitch deck. Stand on Demo Day. Make the introductions. And still struggle when the real questions

Fixing the Broken Pipeline: In a recent conversation between Wesley Okeke, CEO of Headway Idea Labs, and Darja Ogorodnik of Dealum, the spotlight was turned on a critical issue plaguing the early-stage startup ecosystem: despite an abundance of capital and accelerator programs, early-stage founders are struggling to secure investment more than ever. The heart of

You have probably told a founder to put together an investor profile, apply to a funding network, or get themselves in front of a demo day. It feels like progress – a structured application, a path into a room of people who write checks, and a way to get a startup in front of the

December 2025 EditionStrategic Insights for Innovation Leaders Dear Innovation Leaders, The accelerator landscape has transformed more in the past five years than at any point since the early 2010s. We now have 8,000+accelerators globally—but success isn’t about quantity anymore. It’s about fundamental shifts in how programs create value. This newsletter distills what matters most from