March 11, 2025
CINCINNATI, OHIO – Lightship Foundation, a leader in entrepreneurial support and innovation, proudly announces its acquisition of Founder Gym, a premier training program designed to equip founders with the skills to successfully fundraise for their business. This acquisition represents another step in Lightship’s mission to empower entrepreneurs across the nation.
“Founder Gym’s acquisition by Lightship Foundation marks an exciting new chapter.” says Mandela SH Dixon, Founder of Founder Gym. “I’m thrilled to see it grow, empowering even more founders with the tools to succeed.”
A Legacy of Strategic Growth
Founder Gym joins Lightship’s portfolio of impactful programs, following the successful acquisitions of NewME Accelerator, now reimagined as Lightship Bootcamp, and Black Tech Week, a nationally recognized convening of innovators. These acquisitions demonstrate Lightship’s commitment to building robust entrepreneurial ecosystems through strategic investments in transformative programs.
“Entrepreneurship is the engine of innovation and progress. By adding Founder Gym to the Lightship family, we’re ensuring that more founders have the resources they need to thrive.” adds Candice Matthews Brackeen, founder and CEO of Lightship Foundation. “Founder Gym’s mission, alongside Lightship Bootcamp and Black Tech Week, strengthens our ability to support founders across every stage of their journey.”
We’re excited to announce that this first cohort will be completely cost-free for all accepted founders, thanks to the generous support of our sponsors at Good Soil!
About Lightship Foundation
Lightship Foundation is an impact-driven organization serving remarkable entrepreneurs & ecosystems across the nation. We leverage specialized programming & events, corporate partnerships and capital investments to drive growth within the innovation economy. Lightship provides founders the resources and direction their businesses need to scale.
About Founder Gym
Founder Gym is the leading remote-first program connecting founders to the content and community essential to confidently navigate the fundraising process. By combining expert-led training, actionable resources, and a global network of peers and mentors, Founder Gym empowers entrepreneurs to secure funding and achieve sustainable growth for their tech startups.
I participated in the last FG cohort. My startup has pivoted. I’d love to be part of the first cohort in this new iteration.
YAYEEEESSSS!!! Good stuff!
wooohooo! love to see this!