Founders Forum 2026Scaling what Matters
The Journey continues16th - 17th June 2026
We believe that entrepreneurs, when guided by purpose and conscience, are the world’s greatest force for progress. Yet, starting and scaling a business remains difficult, often marked by struggle, personal sacrifice and waste. We created the School of Founders (SoF) to change this. It was born from a shared conviction that companies can be built for the right reasons, with humanity, and a higher chance of lasting success.
Entrepreneurship is a collective journey. You need peers to be successful. That’s why we invite our current students, alumni, and those interested in joining us to our annual Founders Forum – two days of insight, clarity, and belonging for scaleup founders.
Founders Forum delivers more than inspiration. It gives you tangible tools, sharp focus, and a circle of peers who get it. You’ll leave with actionable insights, clear priorities, and the confidence to move forward with conviction.
Who: +300 founders of scaleups from +50 nationalities (invitation only)
When: June 16th and 17th, 2026
Where: IESE Business School, Barcelona Campus
We bring you leading minds in scaling. Contributors participate as equals, offering advice, frameworks, provocations, and questions more than one-way keynotes. Confirmed contributors for 2026 include:
- Ashanti Kunene – Provocateur and Artist
- Avi Meir – Co-Founder of Perk.com
- James Allen – Author “Founder’s Mentality” and Partner at Bain
- Mahendra Ramsinghani – Author “The Resilient Founder” and conscious investor
- Rachel Turner – Author of “Founder Survival Guide” & co-founder of VC Talent Lab
- Remco van Zanten – Growth Culture & Org Design
- Tim Leberecht – Author and entrepreneur. Founder of the House of Beautiful Business
- Verne Harnish – Scaling expert and author of “Scaling Up”
… and many more
Our goal? To dramatically increase the odds that you scale successfully and sustainably. To ensure that the people building the future don’t get lost on the way. We help you regain clarity, experience community and generate courage for the next stage of their journey.
Join us! Click on Registration tab and Get Invited
We design the Founders Forum using the arc of MIT Theory U, a systems-based methodology for change that helps leaders uncover blind spots, align purpose with action, and shift from reactive to generative leadership. Instead of exposing you to eclectic content and disconnected keynotes, we guide you through a three-stage process that generates the creativity, clarity and commitment you need to grow your business.
Step 1: Attention – On day 1, we invite you to pay attention to what is really happening in yourself, your business, and the world. Where is it stuck? What ineffective patterns do you keep repeating?
Step 2: Intention – At the end of day 1 and the morning of day 2, you will be ready to gain clarity about your true intentions. You’ll see what truly matters to you and your business. What change do you want to create in yourself or your company? What are you ready to let go of?
Step 3: Agency – For the rest of day 2, you’ll move into “creator mode.” In break-out workshops, you’ll leave the Forum with several 90-day commitments to actions that will significantly move the needle.
The Founders Forum is a highly curated gathering in the spirit of co-creation. We limit participation to scaleup founders to ensure depth, intimacy, and meaningful peer learning among a global group of high-caliber entrepreneurs who share the same challenges.
Rob Konterman
Advisor & Coach to Impact Founders
Tim Leberecht
Co-Founder & Co-CEO of House of Beautiful Business
Tunde Onakoya
National Chess Master & Founder of Chess in Slums Africa
Last year we hosted the first edition of Founders Forum, we created an annual gathering for founders to convene, learn and grow.
See last year’s video here:
In Their Words: Reflections from Past Participants
“Founders Forum gave me the rare chance to be fully honest, with myself and with others, about what’s really going on in the company. I left with a plan, a peer group, and a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in months.” — Peter Komornik, Co-Founder, Slido
“The Founders Forum was not about more content. It was about deep transformation. The container, the people, the flow—everything was intentional and powerful.” — Ruth Puente, COO, Bdeo
“What happened over the past two days at IESE Business School was simply amazing. The #FoundersForum was an absolute blast, packed with powerful insights and honest conversations. A truly connected and empathetic community of founders, sharing from a place of vulnerability and humility. […] I came back completely recharged, full of energy, fresh ideas, and new perspectives to bring into my journey.” — Jorge Galindo, Co-Founder, 47 Degrees
“Immense thanks for curating a space where over 250 humble, values-driven founders and thought leaders came together to connect, reflect, laugh and create moments that truly matter. It was an honor to be part of this incredible community – and to feel the spark of future collaborations already igniting.” — Christina Engebak, CEO and Co-Founder, Lexidy
“The Founders Forum is like a sacred space for founders. It’s a pause. It’s a reset. It’s a reminder of why we do what we do.” — Sven Huber, Co-Founder, Fiction Express
“We founders are often trapped between the pressure to perform and the desire to stay true to ourselves. The Founders Forum is the only place I could reconcile those two realities.” — Juan de la Torre, CEO, La Machi
“Still buzzing from Founders Forum. Thank you for reminding us that great leadership starts from within. I am leaving with deeper self-awareness, fresh insights, and the clarity to act.”
— Cristina Rebel, Co-Founder, Wikifactory
The Founders Forum is a curated experience. Participation is by invitation only.
We’re looking for founders who are actively leading companies in the scaling stage — typically post–product-market fit, with 30–300 employees and meaningful revenue (around $3M to $30M). This is for purpose-driven founders facing the real complexity of growth and who are open to honest reflection, peer learning, and growing themselves as leaders — not just their businesses.
If you’d like to request an invitation or nominate someone click here:
For School of Founders Students, Alumni, Faculty, you can use the following link to register:
The Founders Forum is a highly curated gathering in the spirit of co-creation. We limit participation to scaleup founders to ensure depth, intimacy, and meaningful peer learning among a global group of high-caliber entrepreneurs who share the same challenges.
