Bay Founder’s Bootcamp (2-Days)

​IB Founder Bootcamp

​🏆 Win a $1,000 GTM Budget

​One startup will receive a $1,000 Go-To-Market (GTM) Budget to help accelerate customer acquisition, growth experiments, and market validation efforts.

​To be eligible, founders must:

• ​Attend both Day 1 and Day 2 in person

• ​Deliver their pitch live on Day 2

​A hybrid (virtual) participation option will be available for founders who are unable to attend in person. However, virtual participants are not eligible for the $1,000 GTM Budget Award.

​Day 1 Schedule

​9:00 AM – 9:40 AM | Kickoff & Founder Introductions

​9:40 AM – 10:40 AM | AI Startup Building Masterclass

​10:40 AM – 12:15 PM | Build Sprint #1

​12:15 PM – 1:00 PM | Working Lunch & Founder Fireside Chat

​1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Build Sprint #2

​3:00 PM – 4:30 PM | Customer Discovery & Outreach Sprint

​4:30 PM – 5:00 PM | Day 1 Wrap-Up & Day 2 Preparation

​By the end of Day 1, you'll be prepared to showcase your progress and continue building momentum heading into Demo Day.

​Day 2 Schedule

​9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Morning Data Debrief

​9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
GTM, Sales & Traction Masterclass

​10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
Founder Finances Workshop

​12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
Working Lunch Fireside Chat

​12:45 PM – 1:30 PM
Fundraising & Pitch Deck Preparation

​1:30 PM – 2:45 PM
Final Pitch Polish & Practice

​2:45 PM – 4:30 PM
🏆 Innovate Bay $1,000 GTM Showdown

​Founders will present their startups to a panel of judges, investors, and ecosystem leaders for the opportunity to win the $1,000 GTM Budget Award.

​4:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Winner Announcement & Closing Ceremony

​By the end of Day 2, founders will leave with a clearer growth strategy, a refined pitch, valuable feedback from experienced operators, and the opportunity to win the $1,000 GTM Budget Award.

​​What to Expect

• ​GTM, sales, and growth strategy sessions

• ​Founder finance and fundraising workshops

• ​Pitch coaching and presentation preparation

• ​Live startup competition

• ​Networking with founders, mentors, and judges

• ​Hands-on building sessions

• ​Guidance from experienced founders and mentors

• ​Networking with fellow builders

• ​Customer validation exercises

• ​Progress checkpoints throughout the day

​What to Bring

• ​Laptop and charger

• ​Any materials related to your startup idea

• ​A willingness to build, test, and iterate quickly

​Following the competition, the winning founding team will participate in a special Founder Narrative & Positioning Session with Wendy Chan, focused on refining founder storytelling, positioning, and next-step opportunities within the Innovate Bay ecosystem.

​🚨 Reminder: Founders must be present on both days and pitch in person on Day 2 to qualify for the $1,000 GTM Budget Award.