Starter Studio

CEO and Executive Director Dawn Haynes leads day-to-day operations and program decisions. Founder Gregg Pollack sits on the board of directors, and Vice Chair Jacques Fu — a co-founder of Stax — serves as an advisor. Day-to-day programming is run by Director of Programming Bob Reed alongside Entrepreneur-in-Residence Mike Bowers.

No. Starter Studio is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and does not take equity or charge market-rate fees. Its accelerators are subsidized by local government grants, academic partnerships, corporate sponsors, and individual donors so that founders pay less than 20% of the program's actual per-founder cost.

Starter Studio runs three sequential accelerator stages: Idea (validation and problem-fit), Build (customer acquisition and early traction), and Pre-Seed (venture-capital readiness and fundraising strategy). It does not make direct investments or fund commitments — the programs are designed to prepare founders to raise capital from external investors.

The accelerator recruits primarily through its Central Florida network and maintains partnerships with the City of Orlando and the University of Central Florida. Programming is delivered through both in-person cohorts at its Orlando headquarters and hybrid/virtual sessions, allowing it to draw from the broader region.

Funding comes from local government economic-development grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations. The board includes representatives from institutions such as UCF, SouthState Bank, and private investment groups. This grant-funded structure eliminates the pressure to generate returns through equity positions.

Starter Studio has an affiliated entity, the FireSpring Fund, based in Orlando. The precise operating relationship is not publicly detailed, but both are mapped in the Central Florida early-stage ecosystem and share principal network ties.

Starter Studio targets tech and tech-enabled startups across enterprise software, fintech, digital health, AI/ML, and mobility. It does not publish a formal exclusion list, but its programming and alumni base are oriented toward scalable venture-backable business models rather than small-business or lifestyle ventures.