Toast President Steve Fredette Leads Boston Founder Summit Agenda

Steve Fredette, president and co-founder of Toast, will head the speaker lineup for the TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026. The event is scheduled for November 4 at the SoWa Power Station in Boston. Fredette will address the Impact Stage to discuss how a company maintains its identity while adapting to changing markets. Toast has grown from a local startup into a public company, and his session will examine that evolution.

The full-day agenda includes sessions on customer acquisition, team building, and founder leadership. The program extends beyond artificial intelligence and fundraising to cover operational decisions. Two key investor-led panels focus on the balance between rapid expansion and careful restraint. Kent Bennett of Bessemer Venture Partners will lead a discussion on identifying product market fit before scaling. Rudina Seseri of Glasswing Ventures will follow with a session on determining when to accelerate and when to slow down.

Lior Div, CEO of 7AI, will present a session titled Built for AI From Day One. He will distinguish between adding AI to existing processes and designing a company architecture around the technology. Chase Garbarino, CEO of HqO, will also speak on the Impact Stage about building companies in Boston. His talk, called The Boston Founder Playbook, will explore local talent and capital resources outside the Bay Area.

Dave Balter of True Ventures will lead a workshop on pitching to investors. He will advise founders on earning the next conversation. Later in the day, a live pitching session will allow attendees to present to a panel of investors. Balter will join Chirag Shah of Define Ventures and Simran Suri of Maveron for this segment. The event aims to provide real-time feedback to startup teams.

Additional speakers include Hunter Worland of NEA on distribution as a competitive advantage. Vineet Edupuganti of Cogent Security will discuss building high-performing teams. Tina Tosukhowong of TDK Ventures will analyze signals that identify successful categories. Kristen Craft of Fidelity Private Shares will cover fundraising trends, while Evan Schnidman will address enterprise relationships.

The event is hosted with Fidelity Private Shares. The day includes roundtables, networking opportunities, and a closing reception. TechCrunch is offering a 25 percent discount on tickets and a buy-one-get-one offer for those registering ahead of the event.

The summit brings together founders, investors, and operators to discuss early-stage business challenges. The lineup emphasizes practical strategies for growth and leadership. Participants will hear from established executives and emerging investors.