Shared Journeys, Amplified Growth: The UpWest Founders Community
Building a founder community is much like finding product-market fit — it requires real immersion, deep listening, and constant adjustment. Over the years, we’ve built the largest portfolio of Israeli startups in the US, and our approach to supporting founders reflects that experience. For us, building a strong community means staying in touch with our founders and responding to their evolving needs. Our annual retreat is one of those moments where we pause, listen, and fine-tune the “fit” of our community.
This September, we invited our founders to take a break from the intense grind of building their companies. We know how difficult it is to step away from home, teams, and the constant pressure to deliver. But by creating a space for deep conversations, rest, and fun, we aim to offer something truly valuable.
Connection x Balance
Heading to California’s stunning Russian River Valley, we wanted this retreat to balance relaxation with high-impact discussions; between river swims, biking through the vineyards, yoga flows (or more intense running sessions for some ;-) ) and sipping great wine while engaging in thought-provoking conversations, every part of the retreat was designed to foster connection. Our guest mentalist’s mind-blowing performance was a highlight, but the real magic emerged from the friendships and fellowship that formed.
Throughout our three-day event, we crafted multiple opportunities to delve into deep conversations in various formats, all grounded in one key principle: founders supporting founders. In small breakout sessions and group discussions, founders at various stages of their journeys shared the challenges of managing cross-border teams, navigating work-life balance, building healthy startup cultures, and scaling leadership.
Another highlight of the event was an incredible fireside chat led by our Founding Partner Shuly Galili with Tomer Weingarten, Founder & CEO of our portfolio company SentinelOne, who offered insights from his journey scaling the company from zero to IPO, and his perspectives on the evolution of early-stage founders. This was followed by touching moments where the group naturally gathered around the firepit for a spontaneous late-night talk over wine, sharing personal stories, wins, and challenges. Beyond the practical advice, what made this so special were honest conversations across the board. As one founder put it: “It’s so validating to hear that the troubles and hurdles founders face, even at later stages, are shared.”
A key perspective that made this retreat so special was the exchange of experiences between seasoned founders and those earlier in their journey. A standout session brought together some of our portfolio founders who have taken on the challenge of building a company a second or even third time. As they reflected on lessons from past ventures — whether it was rethinking hiring strategies or managing founder burnout — there was a shared understanding that the road may not get easier the second time around, but it does become more familiar. The authenticity and vulnerability in the room (or actually, meadow) were felt as founders openly discussed tough decisions, challenges, and learnings.
A Community, Amplified
More than anything, this retreat was a reminder about the power of coming together, and what makes the UpWest founder community so special: our true sense of belonging, shared journey, and ownership. We are both grateful and so proud to grow and partner with this unique group of founders who show up by leading, engaging, and actively building something bigger, together.
Photo credits: Boatright Photo
