Toast President Speaks at Boston Summit

The SoWa Power Station in Boston will host the TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 on November 4.

TechCrunch announced the full speaker lineup for the one-day event, which is co-hosted with Fidelity Private Shares. The program targets early-stage companies navigating operational decisions before market conditions settle. The schedule extends past standard discussions on fundraising and artificial intelligence to include topics on customer acquisition, team construction, and pitch refinement.

Steve Fredette, who serves as president, co-founder, and director of Toast, will anchor the Impact Stage with a session titled "Building a Company That Keeps Reinventing Itself." The session will examine how a Boston-originated startup evolved into a public entity while maintaining its original customer focus. Fredette will discuss adapting to shifting technology and market expectations without losing the core identity of the business.

Investors from Bessemer Venture Partners and Glasswing Ventures will address the balance between expansion and caution. Kent Bennett, a partner at Bessemer, will lead a discussion on identifying product market fit before increasing headcount or spending. Rudina Seseri, founder and managing partner of Glasswing, will explore the indicators that suggest when a company should accelerate and when it should pause to protect its stability.

Lior Div, CEO of 7AI, will present on building companies with artificial intelligence integrated into their architecture from the start rather than added later. The event also includes a local focus through Chase Garbarino, CEO of HqO, who will discuss the "Boston Founder Playbook." His session will cover talent, capital, and community resources available outside of Silicon Valley.

Dave Balter of True Ventures will lead a session on creating pitches that secure follow-up conversations. He will join Chirag Shah of Define Ventures and Simran Suri of Maveron as judges for a live pitching segment later in the afternoon. Attendees will hear direct investor feedback during these presentations.

Additional speakers include Hunter Worland of NEA, Vineet Edupuganti of Cogent Security, and Tina Tosukhowong of TDK Ventures. Fidelity Private Shares will contribute sessions on fundraising trends and enterprise relationships led by Kristen Craft and Evan Schnidman. The day concludes with roundtables, networking, and a reception. TechCrunch is currently offering a 25 percent ticket discount and a buy-one-get-one offer for registrations.