TechCrunch Sets Six Boston Roundtables for November 4 Founder Summit

TechCrunch has scheduled six specialized roundtables for its Founder Summit 2026 at SoWa Power Station in Boston on November 4. These sessions run alongside the main programming, which includes live pitching and networking opportunities for founders, investors, and operators.

The agenda begins at 10:45 a.m. when Alexandra Ames, founder of Blueprint Lab, leads a discussion on strategic event management for early-stage companies. She will cover how to select opportunities and define success without a full-time events team.

Two concurrent sessions start at 11:30 a.m. Chirag Shah, a partner at Define Ventures, will discuss navigating markets with high potential but complex entry barriers, such as regulated industries. At the same time, Shishir Tewari, head of enterprise data engineering at Procore Technologies, will explain how knowledge graphs and GraphRAG improve AI reliability in real-world settings.

The afternoon schedule opens at 1:15 p.m. with Merve Kitapci, managing partner at ADIN.AI. She will detail how founders can secure major enterprise customers like L'Oreal and Vodafone before raising a Series A, focusing on long buying cycles and stakeholder management.

Andy Tang, a partner at Draper Associates, follows at 1:55 p.m. He will guide founders on selling products that do not fit existing categories and helping investors understand unique market opportunities.

Linden Tibbets, CEO and founder of IFTTT, concludes the roundtables at 2:35 p.m. He will explore how smaller teams can increase speed and output using AI without increasing headcount, addressing hiring and company structure.

Beyond the roundtables, the Build and Impact Stages will host sessions on product-market fit, fundraising, and scaling outside the Bay Area. Toast co-founder Steve Fredette is among the leaders sharing perspectives. Founders will also participate in a live competition called So You Think You Can Pitch. Additional programming includes a Networking Lounge with Braindate and a closing reception presented by Fidelity Private Shares. Tickets are currently available at a 25% discount, and a limited buy-one-get-one offer allows attendees to bring a colleague for free.