Boston Startup Summit: 25 Speakers Set for November 4

Twenty-five speakers have been confirmed for the TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026, which will take place on November 4 at the SoWa Power Station in Boston. The full-day program is co-hosted with Fidelity Private Shares and brings together founders, investors, and operators to discuss critical business decisions.

The event was announced on October 23, 2026. Organizers stated that the agenda extends beyond standard topics like fundraising and artificial intelligence. Sessions will address customer acquisition, team building, pitch refinement, and founder leadership. The program also includes discussions on scaling companies in both traditional startup hubs and emerging markets.

Steve Fredette, the president and co-founder of Toast, will headline the Impact Stage. His session, titled "Building a Company That Keeps Reinventing Itself," will examine how a Boston-born startup evolved into a public company. Fredette will discuss adapting to shifting customer expectations and market conditions while maintaining the core values that established the business.

Investor-led sessions will focus on the balance between rapid growth and strategic restraint. Kent Bennett, a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, will lead a discussion on identifying product market fit before scaling. He will cover the signals founders should observe before increasing headcount or spending. Rudina Seseri, founder and managing partner of Glasswing Ventures, will address when to accelerate growth and when to slow down to protect the business.

Lior Div, CEO of 7AI, will present on building companies designed for artificial intelligence from the start. His talk will distinguish between adding AI features to existing processes and creating a new operating model around the technology. The summit also highlights the local ecosystem through Chase Garbarino, CEO of HqO, who will discuss the Boston founder playbook. His session will explore talent, capital, and community resources available outside the Bay Area.

Dave Balter, a venture partner at True Ventures, will lead a session on making pitches that secure further conversations. Later in the day, founders will present live to a judging panel at the "So You Think You Can Pitch?" event. Balter will be joined by Chirag Shah of Define Ventures and Simran Suri of Maveron, who will provide real-time investor feedback.

Additional speakers include Hunter Worland of NEA on distribution as a competitive advantage and Vineet Edupuganti of Cogent Security on building high-performing teams. Tina Tosukhowong of TDK Ventures will discuss identifying category winners. Fidelity Private Shares will contribute sessions on fundraising trends and enterprise relationships. The day will conclude with roundtables, networking, and a reception. TechCrunch is offering a 25% discount and a buy-one-get-one deal for ticket registrations.