More Than an Accelerator: What Founder Lab Alumni Say About the Experience
If you're thinking about applying to Founder Lab, it's easy to focus on the curriculum: fundraising strategy, pitch decks, financial models, governance, investor readiness.
But when we recently asked two Founder Lab alumni what stood out most about the experience, neither started by talking about pitch decks.
They started by talking about community.
"It honestly feels like a family."
Franci Sturzer, Co-Founder & CEO of SyncMed Technologies, has participated in numerous startup programs since launching her company.
Yet Founder Lab remains her favourite.
"Movement51 feels like a community that wraps themselves around you. You get access to experts you just wouldn't have otherwise. It honestly feels like a family."
That sense of belonging showed up immediately.
Rather than competing against one another, founders found themselves surrounded by peers who understood the realities of building a business and genuinely wanted to help each other succeed.
"It's unlike any other program," Franci shared. "Within an hour of meeting everyone, we were laughing like we'd known each other forever."
For many founders, that network becomes just as valuable as the curriculum itself.
Demystifying the "secret language" of fundraising
Melodie, Founder & CEO of Elate Beauty, has spent more than a decade building her company and has participated in countless accelerators and mentorship programs.
Even so, Founder Lab changed how she thinks about fundraising.
"What stood out to me was how accessible everything was," she explained.
From financial planning and term sheets to investor expectations, the program breaks complex topics into practical, approachable lessons that founders can immediately apply to their businesses.
She also pointed to something many founders quietly experience:
"There's a secret club and a secret language. If you don't know exactly what you're saying, you can feel ostracized.”
The real value isn't just the sessions
Both alumni highlighted that the learning doesn't end when a Zoom session finishes.
Every workshop recording, slide deck and resource is available through the Founder Portal, alongside a comprehensive fundraising playbook that founders continue using long after the program ends.
Months later, both founders still revisit the materials.
Whether it's refreshing themselves on venture terms, refining a pitch deck or preparing for investor conversations, the content continues to support them as their businesses evolve.
As Franci explained:
"Three months down the road, you're suddenly thinking, 'I remember learning this.' Then you go back and look at it with today's lens instead of where you were before.
Nine weeks is a meaningful commitment.
Both founders acknowledged balancing Founder Lab alongside running growing businesses wasn't always easy.
Their advice?
Treat it like any other critical business investment.
Block the time.
Protect it.
Give yourself space after each session to actually implement what you've learned.
Melodie recommends scheduling time not just for the sessions themselves, but for reflection and action afterwards.
"If you don't take the space to absorb what you've learned or implement it, it probably won't happen later."
Could Founder Lab Be Your Next Step?
We closed the discussion by asking one final question:
"What would you tell someone who's still deciding whether to apply?"
Neither alum hesitated.
"Just sign up," Franci said.
"Get the information. Learn it early. Build the network. You won't regret it."
Melodie agreed.
Having participated in numerous paid accelerators over the years, she was surprised that Founder Lab asks only for founders' time.
"I kept waiting for the bill," she laughed. "The investment is your time—but what you receive in return is incredible."
Founder Lab helps remove that barrier by giving founders both the knowledge and confidence to participate in investor conversations. Through practical education, experienced mentors, and a community that genuinely wants to see every founder succeed, participants leave better prepared to raise capital on their own terms.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you're a woman founder with an incorporated Canadian business, an MVP in market, and plans to raise capital in the coming year, we'd love to hear from you.
If you have any questions about Founder Lab or any of Movement51's programs, please reach out to our friendly Program Manager, Emily McBride, at e.mcbride@movement51.org. She'd be happy to help you determine whether Founder Lab is the right fit for your venture.
Applications close Friday, July 17. We can't wait to learn more about you and your business.
