Blueprint 2023 | Run Tech Club

Here’s to those who dare to run with it.

In 2021, I began to build Run Tech Club, a running community that provides access to entrepreneurship, and promotes physical and mental health of creators, builders, and founders.

After a decade in music and building startups, I realize that there is a lack of access for underrepresented founders and mental health support for humans pursuing epic endeavors.

While the pandemic put the world to a standstill, it could not stop runners from running.

And TRY it did.

Tracks were shuttered, races were cancelled but the miles kept on piling.

Runners aren’t just resilient. They are creative. They are unstoppable.

I had an epiphany that many entrepreneurs and creatives in my community are runners.

The synergy between running and entrepreneurship is undeniable. They both require immense mental fortitude to succeed, but in contrast to the tech scene, running is accessible to most and provides a perfect on ramp to building a community of game changers.

2022 was an action packed year for Run Tech Club (check out the recap), and we are building on that momentum to launch “Run Tech Club Foundation”, furthering our mission towards equal access.

I am committed towards transparency by sharing and building in real time with our community. Having your voice and input at every stage is far more important than presenting a perfect facade.

What follows is a blueprint of what’s next and how you can participate.

Running is a fundamental human movement and a critical building block for communities.
Run Tech Club uses running as a starting block to provide access to entrepreneurship, and to design intentional spaces and experiences for builders, creators, and founders to connect, learn, and use their imagination.

Program Planning:

SPACES + EXPERIENCES

RUN CAMP(S): ACCELERATOR SUMMIT — Outdoor retreats with running adventures, workshops, founders firesides, and artistic expressions designed for both runners and builders.

MVP SERIES — Educational event series designed to get founders to the start line and provide funding opportunities, supported by members and mentors.

WEEKLY RUNS + POP UPS — Coffee run programs (aka 3 to 5) to facilitate community building in different cities and at industry conventions (SXSW, CES, E3 …).

DINNER FOR 8 — Curated founder dinners across different cities.

Goals:

METRICS

(2x) Grow member network from 450 -> 1000
(2x) Increase funding pipeline (ready for seed or series A funding) 20 -> 50 companies
(3x) Expand run communities: LA, NYC, ATX

ANNUAL BUDGET

Increase operation budget to 2 full time employees and 2 part time employees
Production budget for experiences and activations

HEAD COUNT

2 FTE (executive director, experiential producer)
2 PTE (finance/operations, content)

Gettin’ Involved:

Become an annual / monthly member: participate in votes and feedback sessions
Corporate donations / sponsors: support weekly meetups, office hours, etc
Program partnerships: collaborate or contribute towards educational programs and community experiences (brands/tech cos/communities)
Venture partnerships: allocate for scouting and pipeline development (VCs/PEs)

If you’d like to be added to our stakeholders newsletter, please include your email address and LinkedIn profile for verification here.

— Darius (LinkedIn, Email)

RTC Links: Web | Membership / Strava / Instagram / Twitter