Rochester

1669 members

USA

Help us make Genesee Valley the next Silicon Valley!

Startup Grind is a global startup community, actively educating, inspiring and connecting 3.5 million entrepreneurs in more than 525 cities. Founded in Silicon Valley, we nurture startup ecosystems in 125 countries through local and international events and partnerships with organizations like Google for Startups, AWS and Global Silicon Valley. 

Our values are what set us apart. We believe in making friends not contacts, in giving not taking, and helping others before helping ourselves. These values are what continue to drive us in Rochester, and so many people around the world.

Our Startup Community Starter Kit

Here are the first 4 steps I recommend to do in less than 5 minutes....Starter Kit

Pitch

Want to practice your pitch? Get feedback? Or make an ask of the community? 

Apply now

Join our western NY delegation at the 2026 SG Conference

Pre-seed to Series A startups can represent western NY at the next Startup Grind Conference. Learn how to apply here

Startup Grind's western NY startup delegation is made possible through the Springboard Prize Competition, supported by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.

Support Startup Grind

Donate to help fund our events.

Want to become a Mentor, Partner or Sponsor? 

Contact us

Want swag?

Startup Grind Hoodie | T-shirt (white or black) | Longsleeve



🚀 Need help raising your next round? Join the Startup Exhibition at the SG Conference in Silicon Valley on April 27-29, 2026! Our top 100 exhibitors from past years have raised over $1.5B, and we can't wait to see what deals come from the 2026 batch. Don’t miss your chance to showcase your startup to 5,000+ entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators. Apply now as a startup or scaleup for 2026!

Contact Us

Join

Upcoming Events

Organizers

Global Sponsors

Past Events

Partners

Upcoming events

18 sept 2025

Virtual Event

Startup Grind All-Star Pitch Battle - Rochester

Same pitches from founders that you love but with big prizes including pitching on the main stage at the Startup Grind Conference in Silicon Valley + free passes and an exhibition booth.

1 oct 2025

Conference [RSVP/Free]

Startup Grind AI Summit

Save the Date! Our annual AI Summit returns October 1, 2025 Virtual. Global. Free | 5k Startups | 8am - 12pm PT Whether you’re pitching your first investor or closing your Series A, this is the AI founder event of the year. Build smarter. Raise faster. Join the future of AI.

2 oct 2025

In-Person Event (Free)

First Thursdays Creative Collisions with RocGrowth and Startup Grind

Community collaboration and creative collisions are critical ingredients for a thriving and innovative community, join us for a meetup with anyone who identifies as an entrepreneur, creative, community supporter, mentor, advisor, connectors, and more!

15 oct 2025

In-Person Event

Startup Grind x Grow-NY Meetup

Join the Startup Grind Rochester team for a special event in partnership with Grow-NY! Celebrate this year's finalists, meet and mingle with teams, mentors, and Startup Insiders across our broad community.

Load more

Organizers

Michael Thaney

Director Startup Grind

Joshua Batres

Community Outreach Lead CivicPulse

Dustin Doucette

Software Portfolio Manager MillerKnoll

Carolyn Spencer

Founder Relations CoPivot

Ananth Prajval Tallavajhula

Community Manager SchoolQuizz

Eric Leinberg

Founder @ InfoPreserve InfoPreserve Inc.

Nate Thomas

Advisor

Contact us

Past events

In-Person Event (Free)

First Thursdays Creative Collisions with RocGrowth and Startup Grind

In-Person Event

Pitch In - August SBDC Brockport Edition

In-Person Event (Free)

First Thursdays Creative Collisions with RocGrowth and Startup Grind

In-Person Event

Pitch In - July Edition

Load more

About Startup Grind

This is Startup Grind. We are the world’s largest startup community.

Our Mission

To give startups everywhere the education and opportunities they need to build, grow, and scale their companies.

Our Values

We believe in making friends, not contacts. We believe in giving first, not taking. We believe in helping others before helping yourself.

Tools & Discounts for Startups

Take advantage of resources and offers provided by organizations we know and love, designed to help you navigate the startup journey.

Startup Grind Conference

Our annual flagship event in Silicon Valley brings together thousands of startup teams, investors and organizations from all over the world.

Join the Startup Membership

This membership gives you free access to networking, events, mentorship, office hours, and other exclusive opportunities curated by Startup Grind HQ.

Global Sponsors

Partners