WELCOME

GREENWICH FOUNDERS

EVENT DETAILS

October 22-24, 2025

at Zinnia's Headquarters in Greenwich, CT

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

Zinnia

Lance Poole
Lance Poole

Head of Insurance

After.com

Wesley Eames
Wesley Eames

Founder and CEO

After.com

Brandon Stuerke
Brandon Stuerke

Executive Chairman

Next Level Advisors

Ryan Borer
Ryan Borer

Managing Partner

AdvisorCRM

Jon Loduca
Jon LoDuca

CEO

PlaybookBuilder

Dan Miller
Dan Miller

Advisor

PlaybookBuilder

Colby Tunick
Colby Tunick

CEO, Founder

ReFocus AI

Toby Wade
Toby Wade

Co-Founder and CEO

DeepVest

Darren Rowe
Darren Rowe

CEO

Kadance

Camilo
Camilo Moncada

COO

Kadance

Mustafa Dinani
Mustafa Dinani

Co-Founder and CEO

Navierre

Heather
Heather Majewski

Advisor

Navierre

Event Schedule

Day ONE

Zinnia Entryway

4-6 PM

Zinnia Headquarters

Preview Tour

Kick things off with a tour of the space, conversation, and connection. The Preview Tour sets the tone for the week—bringing together Founders, Funders, and special guests in a relaxed setting before the pitch day intensity begins.

Event Space 54

6:30-10 PM

Flexible Location

Founder-Only Dinner

Man sitting at desk working on his computer

10 PM

Hyatt Regency Bar & Restaurant

Free Time & Regroup

Take a breather, explore the town, or spend time catching up on emails. This is a chance to recharge, reset, and come back ready to maximize the main event. We'll use the Hotel Bar as our home base in case you want to swing by for a night cap.

Day TWO

Stonewood

7:30 AM - 5 PM

Zinnia Headquarters

Founder Presentations

The heart of The Founder’s Chair experience. Founders present, Funders engage, and authentic conversations unfold in a curated, focused environment. Every presentation* is an opportunity to spark investment, mentorship, or a strategic partnership.

*The full presentation order is below. We ask that you arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled time to check in with our team.

Detroit Dinner

6:30 - 11 PM

Valbella

Group Dinner

A lively, casual dinner with all attendees. Some of the next conversations happen here. It’s a chance to strengthen the relationships sparked throughout the event in a warm, collaborative atmosphere.

Travel

Airports

LaGuardia Airport

~40 minutes to Zinnia Headquarters
~45 minutes to Hyatt Regency Greenwich

Westchester County Airport

~20 minutes to Zinnia Headquarters
~30 minutes to Hyatt Regency Greenwich

Hotel

Hyatt Regency Greenwich

~10 minutes to Zinnia Headquarters

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Est. 1919 · Des Moines, Iowa

HOTEL FORT DES MOINES

A century of stories, one remarkable address

Famous Guests
Scandals & Secrets
Firsts & Innovations
The Beginning
1922
1922

Helen Keller rang in the New Year here, staying at the hotel while in Des Moines for performances over New Year’s Eve.

1927
1927

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig had breakfast here before an exhibition game. Two of baseball’s greatest, at the same table, in Des Moines.

1927
1927

Charles Lindbergh hosted a banquet here after his famous transatlantic flight. The menu featured boneless squab — reportedly a rare Des Moines delicacy at the time.

1933
1933

Amelia Earhart visited the hotel to speak about her solo flight across the Atlantic — a rare chance for Iowans to hear her story firsthand.

1947
1947

Mae West stayed here during her performance of “Come on Up” at the KRNT Radio Theater. One imagines she made an impression on the staff.

1959
1959

Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev occupied the Presidential Suite during the height of the Cold War. This hotel has seen history made.

1960
1960

JFK, LBJ, and Hubert Humphrey all attended dinner here and held a meeting on farm policy — three future or sitting presidents under one roof.

1980
1980

Elizabeth Taylor stayed here during a Des Moines appearance. Hollywood glamour, right here in the heartland.

1980
1980

Elizabeth Taylor stayed here during a Des Moines appearance. Hollywood glamour, right here in the heartland.

2003
2003

Cher requested her own personal mattress be placed in room #1025. The hotel obliged. Room 1025 has never quite been the same.

2008
2008

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both stayed here during the Iowa caucuses — rivals for the presidency, sharing the same address for a night.

1939
1939

Police raided the Log Cabin Room on the 11th floor, seizing liquor and gambling equipment. The tip reportedly came from the men’s own wives.

1927
1927

When Lindbergh dined here post-transatlantic flight, he reportedly insisted on serving boneless squab, an extravagance that raised eyebrows across Iowa.

1959
1959

The FBI monitored Khrushchev’s stay closely. Guests on nearby floors reportedly had no idea who was sleeping down the hall.

1971
1971

President Nixon greeted supporters in the lobby during his stay — a reminder that this hotel has always been where Iowa’s political drama plays out.

1919
1919

When it opened, every single room had a bathtub, purified chilled circulating water, and a window. Unheard of luxury for its era.

1938
1938

The hotel announced the first air-conditioned guest room in Des Moines, a genuine technological milestone that made front-page news.

1953
1953

100 rooms received TV sets in what was reportedly the largest single installation of televisions in Iowa at the time. The fee to operate yours? 25 cents.

1982
1982

Governor Terry Branstad nominated the hotel to the National Register of Historic Places, cementing its place in Iowa’s official history.

1919
1919

The hotel opened on July 15, 1919, built for approximately $1.5 million and designed by the architectural firm Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson.

1919
1919

Its opening was a statement of ambition: every room had a private bathtub, purified water, and a window. In 1919, this was genuinely extraordinary.

1974
1974

Ronald Reagan attended WHO Radio’s 50th anniversary celebration at the hotel, proof that Fort Des Moines has always been Iowa’s premier gathering place.

2021
2021

After major renovations, the hotel reopened as part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, a century of history, restored for the next hundred years.