Where founders grow — together

At Lighthouse, founders are the center of everything. The Founder Network brings together early-stage entrepreneurs navigating the real work of building something new: from first traction to scaling sustainably. It’s not just a program or a cohort; it’s a community built for the long haul.

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Alex Smith

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Drew Carlyle

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Charlie McMann

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Lighthouse Labs Accelerator

Lighthouse Labs is where it all began — Virginia’s first and longest-running startup accelerator. Each year, a small group of early-stage founders joins an intensive 11-week program designed to sharpen strategy, clarify vision, and connect them with the right mentors and investors.

The Labs experience focuses on four things: business model clarity, customer discovery, leadership development, and capital readiness. Founders work closely with mentors and subject-matter experts, participate in peer sessions that keep them honest and supported, and prepare for Demo Day — where they share their progress with investors and the community.

Unlike most accelerators, Lighthouse Labs takes no equity. Our only return is seeing founders build healthy, enduring companies and become part of a network that stays with them long after the program ends.

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Founder Fellowship

The Founder Fellowship is a 12-month growth experience for founders navigating the “messy middle”, the space between early traction and true scale. It’s for entrepreneurs who’ve graduated from an accelerator or built early success but need sustained structure, accountability, and guidance to keep growing.

Fellows start with a personalized Growth Roadmap, co-created with Lighthouse mentors, then move through three phases:

Assessment & Alignment – identify gaps, set strategy, and connect to key mentors.
Growth Design – strengthen revenue, team, and financial systems.
Execution & Scale – implement milestones, raise capital, and expand impact.

Throughout the year, founders participate in forums, sprints, and investor roadshows, plus access on-demand courses. The Fellowship bridges the post-acceleration gap, helping founders grow sustainable companies and stay grounded as leaders.

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Lighthouse Founder Summit

The Founders Summit is our annual gathering for founders, mentors, and investors across the Lighthouse Network. It’s a few days designed for reflection, connection, and inspiration: not panels or pitches.

We create space for honest conversations about growth, leadership, and wellbeing. Through workshops, fireside chats, and shared meals, founders learn from each other’s real experiences and reconnect with why they started in the first place.

The Summit is where the Lighthouse community comes together: to celebrate wins, process setbacks, and renew the energy it takes to keep building.

More Than a Program, It’s a Network

Founders in the Lighthouse Network have built companies across sectors like healthtech, edtech, AI, consumer products, and enterprise software. Some of these companies are still operating and growing, others have been acquired, and a few have wound down. Many founders have gone on to start new ventures or take leadership roles elsewhere. You can browse the companies still active today and see what former founders are building next. Learn more about our accelerator and network here.