Startup Cafe: High Five Energy Founders With Eric Salwan (Co-Founder of Firefly, $6B IPO)
Join Jeffrey Chernick and Alix Gitter, co-authors of High Five Energy: A Different Kind of Founder (#1 Amazon New Release), for High Five Energy Founders Podcast — a deep dive into the founder experience building a billion-dollar enterprise with purpose and flow.
Our special guest is Eric Salwan, co-founder of Firefly Aerospace, which completed a $6.3B IPO on Nasdaq in August 2025. Eric helped build one of the most extraordinary companies in the new space era — from near-bankruptcy and personally funding payroll with his last $25K, to landing on the Moon on March 2, 2025. His story is a masterclass in refusing to quit when every signal says stop.
Together, we'll explore the mindset shifts and behavioral tools behind the founder flow state — including what it means to go All In, how to Find Your Champion when you're out of options, the art of Leveraging What's Available when resources disappear overnight, and why Nothing Dies Until You Say So is more than a mindset — it's a survival strategy. Walk away with clarity, strategy, and renewed energy to move forward.
Expect:
Live, unfiltered conversation and audience Q&A
Real founder stories and behavioral insights
A creative, high-vibe crowd of builders and believers
Networking, breakfast, and community energy before and after the show
Come for the advice. Stay for the flow.
This is the High Five Energy Founders podcast — live and in person.
Based on the book "High Five Energy: A Different Kind of Founder."
Agenda
8:45 - 9:30 am • Coffee and Socialize
9:30- 10:30 am • Live Podcast Recording with Eric Salwan
10:30- 11:00 am • Networking
April 8th, 2026
About: Eric Salwan
Eric Salwan is the co-founder of Firefly Aerospace (Nasdaq: FLY), a space and defense technology company that completed a $6.3B IPO in August 2025 — the largest space tech offering of the year. Firefly builds rockets, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles, and made history earlier in 2025 as the only company to achieve a fully successful soft landing on the Moon.
Eric's founder journey is one of the most improbable in startup history. After an early Series A fell apart overnight when Brexit crashed the pound, Firefly shut down, laid off 160 people, and looked finished. Eric personally funded a day of payroll with his last $25K, walked back into an empty office the next day, and refused to stop. Through years of relentless outreach, relationship-building, and creative resourcefulness, he helped resurrect the company, attract over $280 million from his personal network, and ultimately take it public.
His story is a living proof of the principle behind High Five Energy: nothing dies until you say so.
About: Jeffrey Chernick
Jeffrey is a 3x founder, advisor, angel investor, and former Wall Street wealth manager. He has been featured by more than 30 media outlets including Techcrunch, Forbes, and the LA Times. His company RideAmigos is the leading commute management platform, taking millions of cars off the road annually.
With over 20 million downloads and $12 million raised, his visual caller ID app, Vyng, boasts 5 billion videos played across 170 countries (acquired by Siprocal). Chernick is an inventor of 21 US Patents, 3x Emory Goizueta Business School Alumni Luminary, and both a guest lecturer and advisory board member at Pepperdine University's Entrepreneurship MBA Program. In his spare time, Jeffrey DJ's around the world with neon drum sticks.
🔗 WEBSITE
About: Alix Gitter
Alix is an American actress, writer, and producer from Los Angeles, California. Known for roles in television movies such as Blue Lagoon: The Awakening and The Bling Ring, and appearances in acclaimed series like GCB, Longmire, and Bones, Gitter has brought characters to life with humor and soul.
Beyond the screen, she is a storyteller fueled by curiosity, compassion, and the conviction that life — like art — is a collaborative effort, one where everyone’s role matters. With a passion for the creative process and deep reverence for those who dare to try, Gitter sees the world through a simple belief: creation is participation.
ABOUT The KINN
The KINN is a membership network, accelerator, and collaborative workspace for conscious entrepreneurs, based in Venice, CA. Running tailored inner development and business accelerator programs for startups, providing executive coaching, accountability, and access to a top-tier LA-based community of entrepreneurs, creatives, intrapreneurs, and investors. If you're interested in learning more about KINN Membership, please visit http://thekinn.co/apply
Pilot
Pilot provides outsourced finance and operations support for startups, including bookkeeping, tax, CFO, and COO services. We help early-stage companies scale from Pre-Seed to Series C with accurate financials, operational discipline, and investor-ready insights.
ABOUT The KINN
The KINN is a membership network, accelerator, and collaborative workspace for conscious entrepreneurs, based in Venice, CA. Running tailored inner development and business accelerator programs for startups, providing executive coaching, accountability, and access to a top-tier LA-based community of entrepreneurs, creatives, intrapreneurs, and investors. If you're interested in learning more about KINN Membership, please visit http://thekinn.co/apply
ABOUT Nerdstage
Communication training and high-impact events giving tomorrow a louder voice. Nerdstage hosts the Demo Day event series & the Nerdstage Podcast.
If you're a builder turning hard problems into progress, you might be a fit for the Nerdstage Pitch Accelerator.
Who wants to go to Japan! 🇯🇵
KINN member Jeffrey Chernick partnered with Japan’s largest travel site to launch Kabuk.com — a free travel booking platform that offers:
A personal Japanese Concierge to plan your dream trip
Monthly payment installments instead of one lump sum
Free cancellation or rebooking within 7 days of your trip
Access to unique experiences not found online
Through its parent company, Kabuk has direct partnerships with over 4,000 hotels in Japan, offering up to 40% off your stay.
Sign up at Kabuk.com, book your discovery call, and use the code KINN to receive $200 in travel credits if booked by October 31, or $100 thereafter.