Randy Eager is the co-founder and CEO of SilisiumTech, where he helped innovate new processes to make solar electricity more affordable and accessible. SilisiumTech is the latest in a long string of companies Randy has founded, including Chement, ESTAT Actuation, and Aqualibrium. He has dedicated his life to launching new companies and helping early-stage entrepreneurs make their innovative ideas a reality.
David Cerniglia is a full-stack software developer who is passionate about building new software products. He studied 18th-century British literature and culture as a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon but later found himself drawn toward the path of entrepreneurship. Randy and David met at the Founder Institute, which Randy founded in 2017. The Founder Institute helps accelerate the journey of new entrepreneurs through mentorship and education.
Today, Randy and David discuss the Founder Institute. David explains how he went from studying humanities to becoming a software developer and how his time at the Founder Institute helped him find his true passion. Randy describes the Founder Institute experience and how the 14-week program helps students take an idea and turn it into a solid investor pitch. We also discuss the sense of community the Founder Institute fosters, how to find a chapter anywhere in the world, and how to apply.
“When you're an entrepreneur, you start something by yourself. It's a pretty lonely place to be. Many of the alums said that the reason to do the Founder Institute was to find your path.” - Randy Eager
This week on Innovation Talks:
- How David and Randy met
- The mission of the Founder Institute
- How the Founder Institute program helps new entrepreneurs test their ideas for market
- How David discovered the Founder Institute
- How Founder Institute students form a community
- The benefits of taking the Founder Institute worldwide
- What David learned from his time at the Founder Institute
- Why product managers are the best startup CEOs
- How to apply to the Founder Institute
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Randy Eager and David Cerniglia:
- Founder Institute Website
- Randy Eager on LinkedIn
- David Cerniglia on LinkedIn
- Founder Institute on LinkedIn
This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.
Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart
Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners, like you.
