Operations

Founders' Collaborative launches as free community for restaurant entrepreneurs

Photo: NMG

September 23, 2025

A free virtual community for founders called the Founders' Collaborative launched this week, powered by industry publications FastCasual and QSRWeb and consulting firm Kathleen Wood Partners. The initiative aims to provide a space for entrepreneurs to connect, collaborate and share expertise.

"I'm excited to introduce the Founders Collaborative — a monthly gathering of founders coming together to have real talk about the real issues that drive or derail growth," said Kathleen Wood, founder of Kathleen Wood Partners and author of Founderology. "This isn't theory. It's community. A place for solutions, tips, techniques and resources to help you accelerate and step over your blocks."

The Founders' Collaborative is positioned as a networking and learning resource, focusing on "breakthrough growth, shared wisdom and building legacies." The community will host monthly virtual sessions on the last Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m. EDT, starting on Sept. 30.

Wood emphasized the importance of community in a founder's journey.

"There's a saying: you can go it alone and be in control, or you can go further and faster with others. I also believe your net worth is fueled by your network and part of being a founder is building both!" she said.

The collaborative, which is free to join, offers benefits including building a peer-to-peer network, exchanging industry insights and access to live sessions with proven leaders. It also provides exclusive invitations to events like the Founderology Growth Summit.

How to join

To join the Founders' Collaborative, interested individuals can find a "Join Now" link on the group's website. The platform is designed as an investment of time, not money, with a focus on building a supportive community for founders to share challenges and celebrate wins.

"If you're looking for your tribe, your community, and a place of unity with other founders who are accelerating themselves, their teams and their businesses, join us at the Founders Collaborative," Wood said. "Together, we'll break through the blocks. Together, we'll grow."

The first virtual sessions are scheduled for Sept. 30, Oct. 28, Nov. 25 and Dec. 30 of this year.

Meet at the Founderology Growth Summit

Wood and FastCasual have also partnered to launch theFounderology Growth Summit. Taking place Feb. 2 - 4 in Austin, Texas, Founderology Growth Summit is an in-person event designed specifically for visionary restaurant founders who are looking to scale their businesses. It is not a typical industry conference; it's an invite-only experience created "by Founders, for Founders," as a way to provide a space for candid conversations and a focus on practical, real-world solutions.

Founders may request an invite here.