Turn your experience into impact

We believe that the more connected to a problem you are, the better positioned you are to do something about it. But we also know that it can be hard to access the support and resources to translate your experiences into an idea, and ultimately an impactful company.

That's where we come in. Our Founder Studio is built to cofound companies with people who understand the types of problems that come up around kitchen tables - things like keeping a small business afloat, finding and keeping a great paying job, having a stable place to live, and juggling kids and work.

We help you explore these problems deeply and build a company you are uniquely suited to start. We then invest in the best concepts to run pilots and help you transition to building an impactful company full-time.

How it Works

Founder Studio

Selected individuals will participate in our 3-month program, following a structured process to translate your experience into an idea that can become an impactful company.

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Explore

We spend the first month exploring who you are and what you know - understanding what problem you are best positioned to solve and where there is an opportunity for a business.

Define

We spend the next month working with you to define the opportunity. What need are you filling? What isn't working about the current solutions? What value could be unlocked?

Create

We spend the last month working with you to brainstorm and test solutions and business models. We will help you build prototypes, talk to potential customers, and model how the business could work.

Beta City Fund

At the end of the three months, we'll make an investment offer to founders who can take advantage of working with our Beta City Fund to launch an MVP and transition to working on their company full time.

Customers

We will work closely with you to build out your pilot plans, focus on the best assumptions to test, and develop a first version of your product with low/no-code tools. We'll help you pitch our South Bend network to secure early customers and partners.

Investment

We'll offer a $20k - $50k investment to help you transition to building your company full time and work with you to define a funding path for your company that aligns with what matters to you.

Selection Process

Our Thesis

Why pre-idea founders?

We love betting on people that have a history of starting things, but haven't yet found the company they want to start. By working together before you have an idea, we can be true co-founders and help you build a business that lies at the intersection of the problems you feel connected to and the skills and experience you bring to the table.

Why kitchen table problems?

These are the kinds of problems that show up in people's lives on a daily basis and really matter to solve. We focus on areas that that connect to things like financial health, employment, childcare, transportation and small business. Not only are these problems critical to solve for a majority of Americans, but they also represent big opportunities for impactful businesses.

Why small & mid-size cities?

We believe small and mid-size cities can act as co-founders. They have deep knowledge about problems that affect people's daily lives, and over 40% of the US population lives in places like this. Their networks of trust, knowledge, and desire to spur entrepreneurship and innovation make them ideal partners for motivated potential founders to tackle tough problems and build impactful businesses.

Our Thesis

Why pre-idea founders?

We love betting on people that have a history of starting things, but haven't yet found the company they want to start. By working together before you have an idea, we can be true co-founders and help you build a business that lies at the intersection of the problems you feel connected to and the skills and experience you bring to the table.

Why small & mid-size cities?

We believe small and mid-size cities can act as co-founders. They have deep knowledge about problems that affect people's daily lives, and over 40% of the US population lives in places like this. Their networks of trust, knowledge, and desire to spur entrepreneurship and innovation make them ideal partners for motivated potential founders to tackle tough problems and build impactful businesses.

Why kitchen table problems?

These are the kinds of problems that show up in people's lives on a daily basis and really matter to solve. We focus on areas that that connect to things like financial health, employment, childcare, transportation and small business. Not only are these problems critical to solve for a majority of Americans, but they also represent big opportunities for impactful businesses.

Working with the Invanti crew was amazing! Our weekly meetings with Dustin kept us moving towards our goal and encouraged us to have some critical conversations about the impact we are hoping to have. The framework they have created helped guide us from idea to pilot. We feel incredibly lucky to have crossed paths with Maria and Dustin and can’t wait to see what the future brings!

Debbie G.

My time working in the Founder Studio gave me a blueprint and the tools I needed to stay focused and to really validate an idea.  Perhaps more valuable to me was having access to Dustin who offered amazing insights and who really helped me set a path forward at each step in the process.

Marjie K.

I began exploring a couple different problem areas I felt connected to. I immediately took to the self-paced work supplemented by the structured support and resourcing they provided. The reminder during my weekly 1:1s that the person behind the company (or future company) comes first was a huge relief. [...] They’ve created a space where I show up with my best and preferred skillset and they fill in where my experience or expertise lacks. They act as my co-founders in the truest sense.

Camille Z.

It’s difficult to try and reinvent the wheel all by yourself. Invanti has been a game-changer for me. Dustin is quick to look at my situation overall and offer new viewpoints to help me dive deeper into them. The team offers continuous support in building a business where the mission meets profit.

Kiana E.

My time in the INVANTI Founder Studio was exactly the kickstart I needed to reach a place of clarity about the problem I want to solve. The INVANTI process is extremely thoughtful and their support is unintrusive without being indifferent - a really hard balance to strike. You chart your own course and drive as a founder, and they happily help you navigate.

Anjana P.