• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

2

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

1

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that

2

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI

3

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
LeadershipStartups & Venture

Meet the 2023 Fortune Founders Forum

By
Ellie Austin
Ellie Austin
,
Michal Lev-Ram
Michal Lev-Ram
, and
Polina Pompliano
Polina Pompliano
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Ellie Austin
Ellie Austin
,
Michal Lev-Ram
Michal Lev-Ram
, and
Polina Pompliano
Polina Pompliano
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 10, 2023, 6:00 AM ET

Welcome to the inaugural Fortune Founders Forum, a community of entrepreneurs chosen by our editorial team. This cohort of early-stage founders was invited to participate in Fortune’s annual Brainstorm Tech conference—this year in Deer Valley, Utah, from July 10–12—and in a series of conversations created exclusively for startup leaders.

So why did we create the forum? Entrepreneurship has never been easy, but it’s become particularly challenging of late. Raising capital is much harder, and the nearly nonexistent market for IPOs has had a ripple effect on startups of all stages. What’s more, in an increasingly distributed world where many founders lead remote or hybrid teams, entrepreneurs are navigating a new, and much lonelier, workplace reality.

The Fortune Founders Forum aims to connect these individuals to a network of equally talented and diverse peers who can share how they’re meeting the demands and opportunities of today—whether they’re developing an online coaching marketplace, a new A.I. model for health care applications, or communication tools for the incarcerated—and of tomorrow.

Click the photos below to read the profiles of the founders.

Omid Bakhshandeh and Nasrin Mostafazadeh, Verneek A.I.

Courtesy of Verneek AI

Amanda Calabrese, Sequel

Courtesy of Sequel

Lisa Dyson, Air Protein

Air Protein founder Lisa Dyson is figuring out how to make food out of air.
Courtesy of Air Protein

Rebecca Gorman, Aligned AI

Courtesy of Aligned AI

Leo Grady, Jona

Stuart Isett for Fortune

Liana Douillet Guzmán, Folx Health

Liana Douillet Guzman
Courtesy of Folx Health

Alexander Hagerup, Vic.ai

Courtesy of Vic.ai

Edith Harbaugh, LaunchDarkly

Courtesy of LaunchDarkly

Kai Kloepfer, Biofire

Courtesy of Biofire Technologies

Helen Kontozopoulos, Odaia

Courtesy of ODAIA

Jill Koziol, Motherly

Courtesy of Motherly

Christie Marchese, Kinema

Courtesy of Kinema

Lindsey Michaelides, Strongsuit

Courtesy of Strongsuit

Maya Mikhailov, Savvi AI

Courtesy of SAVVI AI

Adam Miller, Instil

Courtesy of Instil

Kathryn Minshew, The Muse

Courtesy of Kathryn Minshew

Christine Moseley, Full Harvest

Courtesy of Full Harvest

Ashley Moser, MelodyArc

Courtesy of MelodyArc

Margaret Norris, Aidaly

Courtesy of Aidaly

Nadya Okamoto, August

Courtesy of August

Uzoma “Zo” Orchingwa, Ameelio

Uzoma “Zo” Orchingwa.
Courtesy of Ameelio

Troy Pospisil, Ontra

Courtesy of Ontra

Yash Sheth, Galileo Technologies

Courtesy of Galileo Technologies Inc.

Christine Tao, Sounding Board

Courtesy of Sounding Board Inc.

Brian Vallelunga, Doppler

Courtesy of Doppler

Ben Wright, Velocity Global

Courtesy of Velocity Global

David Wright, Pattern

Courtesy of Pattern

Kazuma Yamauchi, KZM and Company

Courtesy of Kazuma Yamauchi

The Fortune Founders Forum is a community of entrepreneurs chosen by Fortune’s editorial team to participate at the annual Brainstorm Tech conference, which took place in Deer Valley, Utah, in July. Our inaugural cohort was selected based on a variety of factors, including the potential impact of their companies, and reflected a diversity of geographies, sectors, and demographics.

About the Authors
Ellie Austin
By Ellie AustinEditorial Director, Most Powerful Women
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Ellie Austin is the editorial director of Most Powerful Women at Fortune.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Michal Lev-Ram
By Michal Lev-RamSpecial Correspondent
Twitter icon

Michal Lev-Ram is a special correspondent covering the technology and entertainment sectors for Fortune, writing analysis and longform reporting.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Polina Pompliano
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

tarot
AICulture
We talked to 12 tarot card readers who are using AI. They split in 2 camps, with big implications for the technology
By Ziv Epstein, Farnaz Jahanbakhsh, Vana Goblot and The ConversationMay 16, 2026
5 hours ago
mustafa suleyman
AIMicrosoft
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
7 hours ago
Kevin O'Leary wears a suit and gestures
Future of Workwork-life balance
‘You’re not a hero, you’re a liability’: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary warns Gen Z founders to stop glorifying hustle culture
By Jacqueline MunisMay 16, 2026
7 hours ago
tom
SuccessEntrepreneurs
Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio got a 15x return on a tech company most Americans have never heard of. He thinks his own industry is broken
By Nick LichtenbergMay 16, 2026
8 hours ago
bhaskar
Economydisruption
The prophet of the ‘Wired Belt’ says capitalism is finally eating itself
By Bhaskar ChakravortiMay 16, 2026
9 hours ago
Kurt Alexander, president of Omni Hotels & Resorts
SuccessCareers
Gen Z wants AI-proof jobs. The president of a 50-property hotel chain says hospitality is hiding in plain sight
By Preston ForeMay 16, 2026
9 hours ago

Most Popular

Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
Success
Despite having a $165 million net worth, Scarlett Johansson says work-life balance doesn’t exist—and the first step to success is admitting that
By Preston ForeMay 13, 2026
3 days ago
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
7 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 15, 2026
1 day ago
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
Future of Work
Meet the 20-year-old CEO who launched a company in high school to solve Gen Z's entry-level job crisis
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
11 hours ago
Debbie Gibson, Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath want you to adopt a beagle rescued from an experimental lab in Wisconsin
North America
Debbie Gibson, Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath want you to adopt a beagle rescued from an experimental lab in Wisconsin
By Scott Bauer and The Associated PressMay 13, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.