Toast founder leads Boston tech summit on scaling without copying Silicon Valley

TechCrunch has announced its full speaker lineup for the Founder Summit 2026, scheduled for Nov. 4 at SoWa Power Station in Boston. The one-day event is hosted with Fidelity Private Shares and targets founders, investors, and operators who are making decisions before their companies have established clear answers.

Steve Fredette, president and co-founder of Toast, will open the Impact Stage with a session titled "Building a Company That Keeps Reinventing Itself." The discussion will examine how Toast evolved from a local startup into a public company while adjusting to shifting customer expectations and market conditions.

The program includes two investor-led sessions focused on growth control. Kent Bennett of Bessemer Venture Partners will lead "Finding Product Market Fit Before You Scale," analyzing signals that indicate when to increase headcount or spending. Rudina Seseri of Glasswing Ventures will follow with "When to Scale and When to Hit the Brakes," a look at distinguishing acceleration from necessary restraint.

Lior Div, co-founder and CEO of 7AI, will present "Built for AI From Day One." His session contrasts adding artificial intelligence to existing processes with constructing a company around the technology, including its core architecture and operating model.

A specific focus on the Boston ecosystem is led by Chase Garbarino, CEO of HqO. His talk, "The Boston Founder Playbook," explores building companies in the city without relying on Bay Area norms. This session pairs with Fredette's appearance to emphasize local talent, capital, and community resources.

Dave Balter of True Ventures will lead a pitching session titled "Your Pitch Has to Earn the Next Conversation." Later in the day, founders will present live on the Build Stage in a panel judged by Balter, Chirag Shah of Define Ventures, and Simran Suri of Maveron.

Additional speakers include Hunter Worland of NEA on distribution advantages, Vineet Edupuganti of Cogent Security on building high-performing teams, and Tina Tosukhowong of TDK Ventures on identifying category winners. Fidelity Private Shares will contribute sessions on fundraising trends and enterprise relationships. The event offers a 25% ticket discount and a buy-one-get-one deal for early registrations.