Boston startup leaders schedule six focused sessions for November event

Alexandra Ames, the founder of Blueprint Lab, will open the small-group discussions at the upcoming Founder Summit in Boston. Her session is scheduled for 10:45 a.m. on November 4 at the SoWa Power Station. Ames will discuss how early-stage companies can manage events without hiring a full-time staff member. She plans to cover how to select opportunities and define success while managing limited budgets.

The afternoon continues with specific advice for founders facing complex markets. At 11:30 a.m., Chirag Shah, a partner at Define Ventures, will address the difficulties of entering regulated industries. He will speak to the challenges of navigating markets with complex buyers. Simultaneously, Shishir Tewari of Procore Technologies will discuss the use of knowledge graphs. Tewari will explain how these tools can make artificial intelligence systems more reliable in real-world organizations.

Merve Kitapci, managing partner at ADIN.AI, will take the stage at 1:15 p.m. to examine early enterprise sales. Her session will focus on how she secured clients like L'Oreal and Vodafone before raising a Series A round. She will discuss the long buying cycles involved and the credibility gained from prominent customer logos. Later in the afternoon, Andy Tang, a partner at Draper Associates, will lead a conversation on products that do not fit existing categories. Tang will advise founders on how to explain their unique value to investors.

Linden Tibbets, the CEO of IFTTT, will conclude the roundtable series at 2:35 p.m. He will explore how smaller teams can use AI to increase output without adding headcount. His session will cover hiring strategies and how to structure a company that relies heavily on artificial intelligence. These six roundtables form a specific part of the larger event program.

The main stage sessions will cover product-market fit, fundraising, and scaling companies outside the Bay Area. Steve Fredette, a co-founder of Toast, is among the leaders scheduled to share perspectives. Founders will also participate in a live competition called So You Think You Can Pitch. The day will include a networking lounge and a closing reception presented by Fidelity Private Shares.

Organizers are currently offering a 25 percent discount on tickets for the November 4 event. A buy-one-get-one deal is also available for a limited time, allowing attendees to bring a colleague for free. The event aims to gather founders, investors, and operators for a full day of practical sessions and live pitching.