351 Community Pulse
TECHSTARS COMMUNITY LEADER ACADEMY
September 20th – 21st, 2025
@ IDEA Spaces – São Sebastião, Lisbon
Techstars Community Leader Academy 2025: Fostering Portugal’s Ecosystem Leaders
The Techstars Community Leader Academy returns in 2025 as a key initiative from the 351 Portuguese Startup Association. This Academy is dedicated to empowering and connecting the individuals driving growth within Portugal’s dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem.
This program is for you!
Community leader
Ecosystem
builder
Innovation
seeker
About the Program:
This 2-day, community-led program will bring together 40 selected leaders to receive exclusive training supported by Techstars on building successful startup communities. It’s an interactive experience where community leaders will discuss best practices, exchange experiences, and enhance the maturity of communities across all aspects.
Over these two immersive days, you’ll network with passionate individuals actively shaping vibrant communities. You’ll gain insights into best practices, share examples of successes and failures, and collaborate on defining ecosystem strategies, all while developing actionable plans for the future.
The program will include practical and collaborative moments, offering spaces for leaders to seek help and exchange experiences, along with sessions of co-construction dynamics.
Key objectives:
- Create Network: Build and strengthen the network of community leaders, fostering collaboration and mutual support.
- Map Challenges and Opportunities: Identify specific challenges and explore untapped opportunities present within Portugal’s startup communities.
- Inspire and Empower Local Leadership: Provide community leaders with the vision and practical tools to make a significant difference within their local ecosystems.
- Strengthen the Startup Ecosystem: Directly contribute to the robust growth and resilience of the national startup landscape.
- Develop Actionable Plans: Facilitate the creation of tangible projects and strategic action plans that will continue to drive progress after the event concludes.
Join Us to Shape the Future:
- Help create strategies for the Portuguese Ecosystem.
- Be a pioneer in your community by fostering the right environment for success.
- Through collective efforts, participants will help identify resources, bridge gaps, and cultivate an environment conducive to innovation and sustainable growth.
Insights from the Ecosystem
We are actively conducting a comprehensive research study to diagnose the current state, problems, and opportunities within the Portuguese startup community and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The key findings from this research will be presented and discussed during the event, providing valuable data and context for our collaborative efforts to build a stronger future.
You can learn more about this ongoing work here.
AGENDA
To be announced
-
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Welcome Session
Get your acreditation and join a few ice breaking activities!
-
10:30 am - 11:00 am
Key Panel: How Ecosystems can support founders?
Based on the general idea that ecosystems exist because of founders, we'll hear from an international key speaker how to develop better tools for ecosystem mapping and building.
-
11:00 am - 11:30 am
Exploring the Ecosystem: Startup Community Building 1o1 - The White Paper & The Boulder Thesis
In this session, we'll share main concepts about the Up Global White Paper "Fostering a Startup and Innovation Ecosystem", its main points and the relevancy for the global ecosystem, as well as the Boulder Thesis by Brad Feld
-
11:30 am - 12:00 pm
Showcase: Fundão Case Study (TBC)
In this case study presentation, we will explore how Fundão, an interior region, went from 0 to 1200 developers and created a tech community.
-
2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Group Session: Mapping and Developing the Portuguese National Ecosystem
In this workshop, we will have an icebreaker and introduction, followed by Brainstorming & Mapping the Ecosystem Issues, challenges and potential solutions. By the end of the day, we will design the Ideal Ecosystem & Community, while simultaneously structuring a National Plan.
-
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Welcome Session
Join us for an introduction on Day 2 activities.
-
10:00 am - 10:30 am
Keynote Talk: Curious, Feeders & Leaders - The importance and role of each one in community building
351 Portuguese Startup Association will present its views on how to empower leadership, capacitate new ecosystem leaders and support several initiatives throughout the country.
-
10:30 am - 11:00 am
Showcase: São Paulo Case Study
In this case study presentation, we'll show participants how the Techstars programs helped to build an ecosystem in São Paulo, Brasil.
-
11:00 am - 11:30 am
Panel: Creating an Inclusive & Diverse Community
In this panel discussion, we'll focus on how to create the conditions for welcoming everyone and will showcase the importance of diversity and inclusion in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
-
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Ending Session: Debriefing, Next Steps & Photoshoot
The final experience of the two-day event will be a session focusing on sharing experiences and giving the next step towards creating the Portuguese Community Leaders Network. After that, there will be a photoshoot and we will end the program with a few takeaways.
Relevant information
The program will take place at IDEA Spaces São Sebastião, in Lisbon.
Schedule:
– Saturday September 20th – from 9:00 to 18:00
– Sunday September 21st – from 9:00 to 17:00
This is a free of charge program, and only key community leaders will be selected.
The event organisation will provide the meals during the event.
The program is not responsible for travel or accommodation expenses.
Proudly brought to you by:
351 PORTUGUESE STARTUP ASSOCIATION
Born in 2019 as a grassroots movement to bring together founders and ecosystem players, 351 Portuguese Startup Association has built the first truly open space, where startups and ecosystem actors could easily have access to each other.
Today, the Association has become the biggest and most active startup community in the country, with over 1600 members. It is now developing over 10 projects.
IDEA Spaces – São Sebastião
IDEA Spaces São Sebastião is one of the most central coworking spaces in Lisbon. With private offices and coworking spaces, there are more than 10 floors and a rooftop with amazing city views.
Supported by:
TECHSTARS
Founded in 2006, Techstars had the goal to help entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone, foster collaboration to drive innovation, and support great ideas coming from anywhere.
Techstars is now a Worldwide Network that helps entrepreneurs succeed, by connecting them to other entrepreneurs, mentors, corporate partners, and investors who will help their company succeed, enabling every person on the planet to contribute to, and benefit from, the success of entrepreneurs.