The Founders' Underground: Startup Mafia

The Founders' Underground: Startup Mafia Side event of the Engaged Investments Conference What happens when one company ends up seeding half an ecosystem? PayPal, Skype, Exponea, Mews. Every startup hub has a handful of companies whose alumni go on to found, fund and run the next wave. We call it the "startup mafia effect", and the usual take is that it's a happy accident. We don't think it is. This panel looks at the mafia effect from both ends. First, from inside the company that produces it: what do leaders actually do so that people think like owners, build things and take real bets, and leave one day ready to start something of their own? How people learn inside, how much they're allowed to own, the tolerance for failure, the way you let people go. Second, from the founders who came out of such places: what did they carry with them into the new venture? Habits, playbooks, people, networks, the first customers, and what they deliberately left behind. On stage: Matthijs Welle (CEO, Mews), Uršula Králová (Chief People Officer, Bloomreach; former COO, Exponea) and Jason Smith (CEO & Co-Founder, TRIFFT; ex-Exponea). A closed-format evening for founders, scaleup leadership and investors, with time to talk afterwards. 16:30–17:00 registration 17:00–18:00 panel discussion 18:00–19:00 Q&A and networking Admission is free. We kindly ask you to arrive 30 minutes in advance to allow enough time for registration. Thank you.*Photographs and audiovisual recordings will be taken during the event for marketing and communication purposes, including use on social media and in the media. If you prefer not to be photographed or recorded, please contact us at [email protected]. We will do our best to accommodate your request.