Meaningful community for all.
Gildre was created to provide a community for people of all professional backgrounds to come together and build amazing things.
Our founders come from startup backgrounds with decades of experience in fundraising, mentoring, and accelerating.
We realized that mentorship is just as crucial for scaling a vision as having the right co-founder or team. So why not create a platform that tackles the ongoing issues founders face and facilitate meaningful connections at the same time?
Who is Gildre for?
Gildre is for founders, entrepreneurs, executives, anyone looking to make an impact and drive change. Whether that’s changing the way a single customer does business or tackling a groundbreaking social issue, our community is here to support and lift one another.
Mission & Principles
At Gildre our core thesis revolves around the concept of “Community for All”.
You don’t need a specific industry or experience background to become a member, just the motivation to build something great and support other founders.
Our principles revolve around our 6 core benefits, geared towards crafting meaningful connections and providing the necessary resources to scale your company.
You can learn more about our principles here.
Managing Partners
Brian Lee
Brian is a serial entrepreneur and currently the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Roamli, a bootstrapped software company in Chicago. His most recent role as Head of Product at a global Accelerator allowed him to work with hundreds of Series A-Pre Seed founders across the globe. When he’s out of office you can find him on the tennis courts or snowboarding (although unfortunately there aren’t mountains in Chicago).
Michael J. Frank
Michael is a Principal at Neuvation Ventures, an early-stage venture seed fund specializing in brain health startups. As a successful entrepreneur, he previously founded Gateway Partners, a proprietary on-floor market-making trading firm which he later sold to a publicly traded company. With over 35 years of industry experience, Michael is a seasoned business leader who serves on multiple boards and brings deep expertise in startups, business strategy, venture capital, and technology.
Taiga Gamell
Taiga was born in Japan and grew up in an entrepreneurial family. He helped run an online platform providing educational services to Japanese students. He raised funds for his second company, which tracked and quantified individuals’ sustainable actions, rewarding them for their eco-conscious behavior. Beyond his professional pursuits you can find him hiking, water skiing, or practicing taekwondo.
Who are our Mentors?
Our mentors are industry experts, many of whom are/were founders themselves. These individuals have gone through every imaginable experience from scaling and selling their company, raising multiple rounds towards an IPO, bootstrapping to profitability, investing in startups, and just about every pain point an entrepreneur goes through.
They’re here because they’re passionate about the entrepreneurial ecosystem and looking to support the next generation of innovators. As a Gildre member, you don’t need to be building a unicorn or trying to change the world, you just need to be looking to make a difference. Whether you’re looking to bring on an advisor, co-founder, or just seeking advice from professionals who have done it before, we’ve got you covered.
Is Gildre right for me?
We’re a community for all, and we mean it. Let’s build something amazing! Schedule a meeting below with our team to learn more.