2026 · Final
2026 results
152 people answered between November 28 and December 18, 2025. The 2026 program was built to these answers, and every speaker was asked to read the report before applying.
Chapters1. Who answered2. How they're doing3. What's hard4. What would help5. What they want from Founded in FoCo
1
Who answered
Role
Pick one152 answers
Small business owner59%
Nonprofit director13%
Freelancer12%
Employee of an organization10%
Ecosystem partner5%
Other2%
Sector
Pick one152 answers
Professional services43%
Nonprofit20%
Creative business15%
Health and wellness8%
Tech and digital8%
Retail, food service, and other product-based6%
Years in operation
10 or more46%
4 to 1022%
1 to 327%
Under 1, or not yet started5%
2
How they're doing
How they describe their organization
Stable but stretched41%
Growing steadily30%
Survival mode22%
Scaling rapidly6%
Two numbers from 2026
3.5Average ecosystem support, out of 5
48%Report moderate to high loneliness in their work (3 or more out of 5)
3
What's hard
Biggest operational challenge
Marketing and visibility31%
Funding and revenue stability28%
Burnout and capacity14%
Administrative load9%
Technology and systems9%
Staffing and volunteers4%
Other5%
4
What would help
Most-requested topics
AI and tech22%
Marketing and sales21%
Connection14%
5
What they want from Founded in FoCo
Session format they want most
Pick one152 answers
Hands-on workshops37%
Tactical how-to talks32%
Small roundtables16%
Structured networking or matching10%
Keynotes4%
The one thing they want to leave with
A new collaborator or partner33%
A clearer strategic plan24%
A template, checklist, or tool to use immediately18%
A mentor or advisor15%
A new service provider or contractor5%
Something else5%
Sharing what they know
88%Comfortable sharing their own processes and tools (4 or 5 out of 5)
2026 respondents
In their words
“I don't need more ideas, I need clarity about what to do next, and people I can walk that path with. I believe the answers already exist in this community; we just need better ways to find each other.”
Survey respondent, 2026
“I'm doing everything myself. There's always more work, and I never know when it's okay to stop. I'm not failing. I'm just trying to do too much alone.”
Survey respondent, 2026
“I want a 'running a business starter pack'. Not the perfect version of everything, just something I can follow while I learn what all the pieces even do.”
Survey respondent, 2026
“My biggest challenge isn't preparation or passion. It's turning all of that into consistent, sustainable income without underpricing myself or giving up on my mission.”
Survey respondent, 2026
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