Join the largest national platform for growing small, employer-based businesses to be successful in our inclusive economy.
Our mission is to solve the economic equity gaps that impact growth in small, employer-based businesses by providing training, funding, and resources to support their growth in their communities.
At Founders First, our vision for the future is nothing less than an inclusive economy where small, employer-based businesses thrive, regardless of who they are, what they look like, or where they operate.
member companies served in 10 years
capital deployed
full-time jobs created
in projected wealth creation
Since 2015, Founders First CDC has helped small, service-based B2B businesses overcome the barriers that often limit their growth. We were built to support business owners who are creating jobs and strengthening their communities, but lack access to the resources, connections, and capital needed to scale.
We bring the structure and support of a top-tier accelerator to small businesses. Through funding-readiness programs, unrestricted grants, expert coaching, and a growing network of partners, we help founders build stronger businesses and prepare for sustainable growth.
Today, we support hundreds of companies through a proven model focused on growth, funding, and long-term impact. Our work helps founders access capital, create jobs, strengthen their communities, and become leaders in their industries.
Founder & Board Chairperson
Kim Folsom is the Founder and Board Chairperson of Founders Community Development Corporation, also known as Founders First CDC. A serial entrepreneur, Kim successfully founded and scaled six companies before launching Founders First, raising more than $30 million in institutional capital and achieving three successful exits.
Drawing from her own entrepreneurial journey, Kim founded Founders First in 2015 to address the gaps in knowledge, strategic resources, and access to capital across a broad spectrum of funders that too often prevent promising small businesses from reaching their full potential. Her vision was to create a more intentional pathway that equips underinvested entrepreneurs with the right education, partners, and funding to scale their businesses, create quality jobs, and build lasting economic mobility for their families and communities.
Vice Chairperson
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