A Leadership Program for Founders Building Enduring Companies
The Startup Leadership Program (SLP) is an 8-week executive program designed for founders who want to strengthen their leadership capabilities, clarify strategy, build strong teams, and learn how to work effectively with advisors, investors, and early boards.
This is not an accelerator. It is a leadership, strategy, and governance program focused on helping founders transition from builder to leader.
Webinar Preview - February 5, 10:00-11:00am
Join us for a free, one-hour introductory webinar designed for startup founders navigating the transition from building a product to leading a growing company. The session is tailored for Seed to Series B founders facing real-world challenges around leadership, strategy, team scaling, and managing relationships with investors and advisors. In this interactive webinar, we’ll explore practical frameworks to help you:
—Move from doing everything yourself to leading a growing team
—Make better decisions as your company and market get more complex
—Build strong teams without slowing down or losing your culture
—Work more effectively with your board and investors
—Understand how AI and technology changes will affect your leadership choices
Register here for the Startup Leadership Program Webinar
Program Details
Format
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Duration: April–May (8 weeks)
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Weekly 90-minute workshops (Hybrid)
- Leadership Labs (with case studies)
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Monthly 1:1 coaching (add-on)
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Governance simulation
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Certificate from Santa Clara University
Pricing
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Standard Tuition: $3,850
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Early-Bird Pricing (through March 1): $3,250
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Optional Premium Tier: $5,500 (additional coaching + board readiness check)
- Team Pricing: Email us at leaveyexecutivecenter@scu.edu for custom pricing
- Discounts available for SCU Students, Alumni, Staff and Faculty
Who Should Attend
- Founders leading early-stage or growth-stage startups
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Technical or product founders stepping into broader leadership roles
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Founders seeking structured leadership development
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Startup CEOs building their first teams
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Leaders preparing to work with advisors, investors, or early boards
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Entrepreneurs wanting clarity in strategy and organizational design
Program Curriculum: April–May 2026
Pre-Program Kickoff
Q&A with LEC team and Cohort introductions.
12:00 – 1:00pm
From Builder to Leader: The Founder’s Strategic Role
Reframing the founder’s role from chief-doer to chief-strategist.
9:00 – 10:30am
The Founder’s Dilemma Lab
Practice the psychological and strategic transition to leadership.
11:00 – 12:00pm
Strategic Clarity: Markets, Positioning & Value Creation
Think like a strategist—markets, positioning, and long-term value.
9:00 – 10:30am
The Strategy Reset Lab
Make high-stakes choices with incomplete information.
11:00 – 12:00pm
Turning Strategy into Action: OKRs & Operating Discipline*
Bridge vision and execution.
9:00 – 10:30am
Founder as Leader: Presence, Influence & Decision-Making
Leadership presence and executive mindset.
9:00 – 10:30am
Designing the Early Organization
Cultivating high-performing teams.
9:00 – 10:30am
The Early Team Crisis Lab
Build courage for difficult conversations.
11:00 – 12:00pm
Fully Virtual Synchronous Session 💻
Hiring, Culture & Difficult Conversations
Trust, culture, and accountability.
9:00 – 10:30am
The Hiring Decision Lab
Think structurally about hiring and incentives.
11:00 – 12:00pm
Working with Advisors, VCs & Boards
Professionalize external leadership.
9:00 – 10:30am
The Boardroom Lab
Own the room in governance settings.
11:00 – 12:00pm
Equity, Compensation & Founder Stewardship
Use equity responsibly and strategically.
9:00 – 10:30am
The Equity Ethics Lab
Treat equity as a leadership instrument.
11:00 – 12:00pm
Program Outcomes
1. Lead with strategic clarity
- Founder-level strategic mindset
- Market context, positioning, value creation
- Translating strategy into operating plans
2. Become a more effective founder-CEO
- Leadership self-awareness and strengths
- Decision frameworks under uncertainty
- Communication, influence, and executive presence
3. Build high-trust, high-performance teams
- Early organizational design
- Recruiting and onboarding
- Culture, values, and accountability
- Difficult conversations and conflict management
4. Work effectively with investors and boards
- Structuring advisory boards
- Preparing for board meetings
- Managing VC expectations
- Governance essentials for founders
5. Understand startup equity & compensation
- ESOPs, options, RSUs
- Cap table fundamentals
- Stage‑appropriate compensation design
- Strategic use of equity to attract talent
Meet Your Faculty Director
Prof. Sriram Sundararajan, Faculty – Interim Executive Director of Leavey Executive Center – Venture Capital and Managing Partner – Hypergrowth Labs Capital
💼 The Investor Perspective: Managing Partner at HyperGrowth Labs and Venture Partner at WeFunder; Advisor to the Bronco Venture Fund.
🎓 The Academic Edge: Adjunct Faculty at Santa Clara University and USF.
🚀 The Founder Experience: Co-founder of Hyperstack and creator of the BuildAVenture™ accelerator model.
🏢 The Corporate Foundation: Former PwC consultant specializing in strategic transformation and startup partnerships for global clients.
