Welcome to
Founders Lab!

A membership community designed specifically for impact-minded individuals who desire greater impact for their ideas, their network, and their world.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Whether you’re a student, just beginning in your career, searching for meaning, or starting your own social enterprise, Founders Lab will help you build a foundation, learn best practices, and get second opinions from people who have been in your shoes before.

Y Combinator Backed

2015 Batch

Most Innovative Company

2017, 2019, 2020

30 under 30

All 3 New Story co-founders named Forbes 30 under 30 in 2016.

Home Docuseries

AppleTV+ joined us in Mexico to document our journey to build the world's first 3D printed community.

You never have to feel stuck, alone, or stagnant again.

Founders Lab is designed to help you maximize your potential with insider knowledge from experienced leaders, no matter how early you are in your career. Whether you’re planning to start your own organization, gain the skills to work for an innovative company, or bring breakthrough ideas to your current workplace, Founders Lab is for you.

Join the Community

Hear from Students

"If you are a life-long learner then this is a program for you as it creates opportunities to grow through unique challenges and learning."

"I learned more about working in a professional environment in one session with you than in four years of college classes."

"Founders Lab is an amazing experience and opportunity to be surrounded by people with great ideas and who want to make a difference in the world."

Craft your best career

and maximize your potential.

  • Learn everything we discovered in the early stages of founding New Story and apply those lessons to your own career dreams. 
  • Get real training in communication, technology, fundraising, and strategy that will make you more desirable to any company.
  • Whether you’re starting something or want to join an innovative organization, unlock the mental framework for success: “team of founders.”
JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Access life-changing lessons

to make your dream 'crazy until it's not.'

  • Whether you have an idea you want to bring to life OR want to learn for the future, Founders Lab will give you the action plan for doing that you can implement in any project, task, or company founding. 
  • Dive into the learning you need to communicate, brand, sell, and effectively get people on board with your vision.
  • Work with experts to hone your ideas and create an economic engine to sustain innovation over time, no matter what career you choose.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Learn from the best

via live conversations with top founders and executives.

  • Network and engage with a diverse group of other ambitious, impact-driven people.
  • Interact and receive individualized guidance from the New Story founders and team. 
  • Participate in live lessons and Q&A with guest speakers and accomplished startup leaders to learn from those who have done it. 
JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Learn alongside people
like you.

Every member gains access to affinity groups based on their location, stage of business, business type, and industry.

Meet your
Teachers & Mentors

You’ll be learning from founders who have made a massive impact in the world — and were once in your shoes.

Scott & Vik Harrison

Co-founders
charity: water

Jeremy Courtney

Founder
Preemptive Love

Jessica Jackley

Co-founder
Kiva

Gina Sanders

Founder, Gina’s Collective
Advisor to Y Combinator Nonprofits

Rose Afriyie

Co-founder, mRelief
Y Combinator alum

Jewel Burks Solomon

Co-founder of Partpic
Partner, Collab Capital

Dmitri Julius

VP of Operations
ICON

Mike Arrieta

Founder + CEO, Garden City
Co-founder, New Story

Bethaney Bree Wilkinson

Founder
The Diversity Gap

Robert Hohman

Co-founder
Glassdoor

Sneha Sheth

Co-founder, Dost Education
Y Combinator alum

Ryan Nece

Co-founder + Managing Partner
Next Play Capital

Brit Moore Gilmore

Former President
The Giving Keys

Alexandria Lafci

Co-founder + COO
New Story

Brett Hagler

Co-founder + CEO
New Story

Matthew Marshall

Co-founder + Head of Product
New Story

view more

Now is your time to grow.

Join a cohort of ambitious, innovative people eager to make a difference in the world. Founders Lab is limited to 150 students per cohort to ensure you have every opportunity to learn, grow, and be inspired.

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Pay as You Go

 

Leader

$49 / Month

Join a community of people in your season of business.

  • 5 Week Kick-off Course
  • Premium Slack Community
  • Weekly Lessons and Insights
  • Monthly Speaker Sessions from industry leaders
  • Quarterly Themes (Fundraising, Operations, Culture, Strategy)
  • Annual Roundtables
  • Access to Industry Specific Group
  • Access to Business Stage Group
  • Access to Job Title Group
  • Free Resources
  • Guest Passes to Private Content
  • Mentorship
  • Member Directory
  • Leadership Education
JOIN AS A LEADER

No upfront fees or steep program costs. You pay along the way. If you’re not getting the value, you can cancel any time.

 

Teams

$119 / Month ($39 per person)

We offer discounts for cofounders or teams (3 or more) who work together.

  • 5 Week Kick-off Course
  • Premium Slack Community
  • Weekly Lessons and Insights
  • Monthly Speaker Sessions from industry leaders
  • Quarterly Themes (Fundraising, Operations, Culture, Strategy)
  • Annual Roundtables
  • Access to Industry Specific Group
  • Access to Business Stage Group
  • Access to Job Title Group
  • Free Resources
  • Guest Passes to Private Content
  • Mentorship
  • Member Directory
  • Leadership Education
  • Coverage across Multiple Industry, Business, and Job Groups
JOIN AS A TEAM

You’ll gain access to:

Life-changing
Learning

50+ hours of custom content designed to help you unlock your career potential.

Future
Opportunities

Enter our selective talent pool that we also share with other organizations.

Unprecedented
Access

Learn directly from groundbreaking leaders in interactive settings.

Collaborative
Workshops

Small group sessions led by social impact leaders where you apply learnings in real-time.

A Framework
for Success

Learn what you need to pursue the social impact career of your dreams.

Mentor
Sessions

Participate in intimate small group sessions where you dive deep and ask them anything.

Ongoing
Support

Access the content and ask questions after you complete the course.

Long-term
Networking

Join an alumni network group to help with internships, fellowships, startup ideas, jobs, and more.

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Dream big, start small.

We started as three 20-somethings with no funding and no connections — just the crazy belief that we could help solve one of the world’s biggest problems. Dream big, start small: that’s a mantra we repeat a lot around here. Not because it sounds inspiring, but because it’s our story. I was 24 with just $2,000 when I decided to found New Story with my co-founders Alexandria, Matthew, and Mike. Fast forward five years and we’ve built a team of top talent, raised more than $50M, been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies (2017, 2019, 2020), and most important, created real change for those who need it most. The “how” and “why” of our success aren’t magic tricks, they’re simple mindsets that any young person can use to enact real impact in the world.

Brett Hagler  |  Co-founder + CEO, New Story

Still not sure?

Because it’s a paid community, Founders Lab attracts ambitious people who take social entrepreneurship seriously. Everyone’s here to make real connections and get learn how to make an impact in the world around them.

And because it’s private, experts share ideas that aren’t published anywhere else. There are no “dumb” questions—and nobody’s afraid to provide their best advice.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

“We support the teaching of New Story’s Founders Lab to bring innovation to those who need it most.”

Kat Mañalac, Partner at Y Combinator

What is the cost?

Membership is $49 per month. It includes all the perks and benefits.

What about the 5 week course?

Every membership begins with a 5 week course. This includes the content, activities, and shared knowledge that makes the community even more valuable.

Can anyone gain access?

No. We’re specifically focused on impact-minded individuals and organizations. It is a paid memberships of social entrepreneurs and their teams.

Can I try it?

Yes. If you start your membership and realize it’s not a fit, we offer a satisfaction guarantee.

Is this an online course?

This community will be 100% virtual. There is content available online, for sure. But it’s more than that. It’s a community of people sharing resources and experiences.

The five week kick-off course will be a mix of teaching styles to ensure you’re learning the whole time. Curriculum includes:

  • Live training sessions with founders who have been there. Founders from charity: water, Glassdoor, mRelief, Kiva, and more will share the lessons they wish they’d had earlier.
  • Group work to build community with like-minded participants.
  • Focus breakouts to go deeper in a field or area of interest.
  • Q&A sessions.
  • Projects where you will learn, implement learnings, and gain actionable experience.
Who is this backed by?

New Story is a Y Combinator-backed organization based in San Francisco and Atlanta focused on pioneering solutions to end global homelessness.

Since our founding in 2015, we’ve raised over $50M in revenue, designed and built over 25 holistic communities around the world, and created and deployed a software platform now used by governments. In 2019, we began construction on the world’s first 3D printed community, which is now being featured as a documentary on Apple TV+. We’ve been named three times as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and our co-founders are all Forbes 30 Under 30 Entrepreneurs.

Additionally, we’re advised and supported by some of the world’s best founders and leaders. Learn more about them here.

Join a Preview Class!

Sign-up to receive a link to view a preview class & stay up to date on opportunities.