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Kim Folsom is the Founder & CEO of Founders First Capital Partners (FFCP), a platform focused on growing and funding small, revenue-generating, service-based businesses that are led by diverse founders. Check out their resources and services and apply here.
A Maine native, Kim’s interest in entrepreneurship was sparked by her father, a Navy officer who wanted to start a company after his retirement. Then, as she began to sell cookies as part of her local Girl Scout troop, Kim developed an affinity for sales that she wanted to capitalize on as she grew older. After graduating from San Diego State University, Kim noticed a lack of women of color starting companies, which made her route to entrepreneurship a tedious one.
Kim’s first company was Seminar Source, which she then sold to spend some time consulting for service-based businesses in order to balance motherhood and an MBA program at Pepperdine with work. Kim then went on to build and sell five more companies, with Founders First being her seventh venture.
All throughout her career, Kim has always placed a special emphasis on diversifying the entrepreneurship sphere and has endured five economic recessions (the current one being her fifth). That’s why Founders First is many things: an incubator, accelerator, and program provider for the community to help prep companies for funding. With a focus on small business, FFCP is investing $100 million into businesses without them having to give up equity.
Tune in as Kim joins host Neal Bloom and guest co-host Alex Waters, Director of CONNECT ALL, to discuss her journey as an entrepreneur in the San Diego tech scene.
Thanks to our partners at Cox Business for their support in enabling us to grow the San Diego ecosystem.
Kim’s favorite local tacos:
Connect with Kim:
Twitter: @ktfolsom
Keep up with Founders First:
Website: https://foundersfirstcapitalpartners.com/
Twitter: @f1stcp
Facebook: @f1stcp
Resource: An Underrepresented Founder’s Guide to Resources in San Diego
