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David Cohen

Founder & CEO, Techstars

Co-founded Techstars in 2006 and built one of the largest global accelerator networks around a "give first" philosophy.

Blogdavidgcohen.com
#Entrepreneurship#Accelerators#Venture capital#Mentorship

Key arguments & positions

  • Argues "the moat has moved" in the AI era: advantage now comes from distribution, execution speed, and founder network rather than pure technology.
  • Long-standing advocate of the accelerator and mentorship model, and of Techstars' "give first" philosophy.
  • Emphasizes global, decentralized startup ecosystems over Silicon-Valley-only concentration.

Accomplishments

  • Co-founded Techstars in 2006, one of the first and largest global accelerator networks.
  • Has served as CEO or co-CEO for most of Techstars' 20-year history, including returning to the role in 2024.

Papers & key writings

Links

In the library

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