The 1909 Founder Speaker Series kicks off on September 10th!

A 5-part series featuring fireside chats with accomplished founders who carved their own paths, navigated challenges, and built scalable businesses. Conversations will be moderated by 1909 Members, who themselves are founders and entrepreneurs, each bringing their own experiences and insights to guide these engaging discussions.

$25 per event or save $25 by purchasing the 5-series package for $100.

All events are Tuesday evenings 5:30-7:30pm and include snacks and beverages.

Register here


Event Dates & Featured Founders:

September 10th: Jonathan Packer, Co-Founder of G.O.A.T. Foods, launched in 2021 and leveraged the direct-to-consumer model to scale a multi-brand snack powerhouse with brands including Licorice.com, Pretzels.com, Caramels.com, Chocolate.com, with 4 more brands coming soon. Moderated by Jeremy Pelley, Creative Director and 1909 Member.

September 24th: Max Ringelheim Co-Founder of the viral Hoverboard brand PhunkeeDuck, who is now focused on EdTech while growing When Going Viral his media company dedicated to storytelling behind viral business phenomena.  Moderated by Daniel Hutchinson, Founder of Project Spark and 1909 Member.

October 8th: Shirah Benarde and Michael Benarde, Co-Founders of NightCap. Featured on Shark Tank in 2021 and Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2024. Nightcap has collaborated with over 150 universities to combat drink spiking with their innovative hair scrunchie and is now sold in Forever 21 stores. Moderated by Jessica Krupa, Founder of Panty Promise and 1909 Member.

October 22nd: Elisa Marshall, Co-Founder of Maman. Since launching in 2014, she grew a beloved cafe and restaurant concept that started with 1 location in Soho NYC to now 33 locations in the US and Canada, with their most recent location opening in West Palm Beach at CityPlace. Featured in Oprah’s Favorite Things and New Yorker Magazine.  Moderated by Kye Akavia, Founder of Extra Hands Hospitality and 1909 Member.

November 12th: Diane Hessan, Founder of C Space, the first company to leverage social media to help companies get insight and inspiration from their consumer, a company she sold for a 9 figure exit. Moderated by Brian Schmitt, Co-Founder of Surefoot and 1909 Member.

Thank you to Holland & Knight LLP for sponsoring this series.