Gildre · Seattle, WA
Seattle’s best founders are already in the room. The question is whether you are.
Gildre Seattle is a growing chapter — which means the founding cohort is being built right now. Join early, shape the culture, and build the peer relationships that compound over the next decade.
Applications reviewed weekly · Founding cohort spots are limited
250+
Active Members
$2.4B+
Member Valuations
Weekly
Curated Intros
15+
Cities Represented
Why founders join and stay
Seattle has the talent.
Gildre is where it gathers.
The dinner is the visible part. What actually changes is who calls you on a Tuesday when something goes sideways.
They left the big company. They don’t want to go back.
Seattle has an extraordinary concentration of tech talent that has made the leap from Amazon, Microsoft, or Google to founding something. Gildre Seattle is built around people who've crossed that threshold — and can offer the specific peer support it requires.
They give before they ask.
The community runs on reciprocity. Every member comes in ready to contribute. That standard is what separates a Gildre dinner from every other founder event in the Pacific Northwest.
Every industry. One standard.
Enterprise SaaS, AI, consumer, cloud infrastructure, health tech. Gildre Seattle has members building across all of it. The filter isn't your stack or your exit history. It's whether you're serious enough to be genuinely useful to someone else.
They build with rigor.
Engineers who became founders. Operators who started companies. Seattle's founder culture runs deep on execution. Gildre reflects that: a community that values honest assessment, precise feedback, and real accountability over hype.
Your Future Peers
The founders you’ve been
trying to get in the room with.
Gildre members are hand-selected founders, operators, and builders who are active, giving, and at your level. Not LinkedIn connections. Actual peers.
Alex Bean
Co-Founder · Divvy (acquired by Bill.com)
Alex co-founded Divvy, the spend management and business credit platform acquired by Bill.com in a deal valued at approximately $2.5 billion. He brings a rare combination of founder grit, product depth, and hard-won exit experience that most communities talk about in the abstract. In Gildre Seattle, that knowledge is accessible to you directly — in the same room, at the same table.
Read his story →Alex Bean
Co-Founder · Divvy / Bill.com
John Olson
Founder · Healthcare Entrepreneur
James Corwin
Founder · Corwin Galleries
Aytekin Tank
Founder & CEO · Jotform
Founder Dinner
Seattle, WA
In-Person Events · Seattle, WA
More than dinners. A full calendar built around founders.
Gildre Seattle events run the full range — from intimate curated dinners to escape rooms, co-hosted startup events, and seasonal BBQs. Every format is designed for one thing: getting the right people in the right room.
- ✓
Founder Dinners
Seated. Small. Every attendee selected. Twelve founders around a good table — no panels, no pitching. The conversations here don't happen at the average Seattle tech event because this room was built for them.
- ✓
Team Building Experiences
Escape rooms, off-sites, and challenges designed to build trust faster than a conference ever could. The best peer relationships start when you're solving something together.
- ✓
Co-Hosted Events with Other Startups
Gildre partners with top startups and ecosystem organizations across Seattle to co-host events. Curated cross-pollination — access to complementary communities, not just ours.
- ✓
BBQs & Social Gatherings
Some of the best founder relationships start over good food. Gildre hosts seasonal social events where the agenda is just being around the right people.
From Gildre Members
What building inside Gildre
actually feels like.
Being in Gildre feels like having founder co-workers that actually get it. They've saved me hours of research just by sharing what's worked for them.
Caitlin Van Berkel
Founder · Silver Lining Career Coach
The structure at Gildre is impressive. It's truly a space where founders challenge each other and mentorship isn't abstract.
Christof Mannfeld
Founder · Solvee
I wanted to surround myself with others going through similar growth and challenges. Gildre gives me exactly that, a community where I can both give and gain exceptional value.
Elise Madrick
Founder · Cerené
Selection Criteria
Membership isn’t automatic. That’s what makes it worth having.
We review every application. Not to be difficult — because who’s in the room determines what the room is worth. Seattle’s founding cohort is being built carefully, so the right people are in the room from day one.
Chapter Lead
Meet the team behind Gildre Seattle.
Taiga Gamell
Co-Founder, Gildre · Seattle Chapter Lead
Taiga is the co-founder of Gildre and a Pacific Northwest native who has been building founder communities for years. Born in Japan, raised in Montana, and educated at the University of Redlands, she started her first business at 15 and has since built a reputation for creating the kinds of high-trust, high-signal communities that most networks only aspire to. She leads the Seattle chapter with the conviction that the right peer group is one of the most consequential investments a founder can make.
LinkedIn →Seattle FAQ
Questions about Gildre Seattle.
How are 1:1 founder introductions curated in Seattle?+
Every week, Gildre's team reviews your profile, stage, and goals to match you with a Seattle founder or operator with directly relevant experience. These are warm, intentional introductions, not algorithm-generated connection requests.
Where are Seattle founder dinners and events held?+
Gildre Seattle hosts founder dinners and curated events throughout the city. Venues rotate so no matter where you're based in the Seattle metro area, you're in range.
What types of founders join Gildre Seattle?+
Gildre Seattle has members building across enterprise SaaS, AI, consumer, cloud infrastructure, and health tech. Many have made the leap from Amazon, Microsoft, or other large tech companies. The filter isn't your background. It's whether you're serious, giving, and ready to be genuinely useful to a peer.
Is Gildre Seattle a full chapter or a growing chapter?+
Gildre Seattle is a growing chapter, which means the founding cohort is being built right now. Joining early means you help shape the community's culture, have direct access to Gildre leadership, and get in before the chapter is full.
Can I attend a Seattle event before becoming a member?+
Occasionally Gildre opens select Seattle events to prospective members by invitation. Apply and mention your interest in a Seattle preview dinner. We regularly prioritize local applicants so you can experience the community before committing.
Seattle, WA · Growing Chapter
The founding cohort is being built now.
Get in while spots remain.
Founding members help shape the culture of Gildre Seattle from day one — and build the peer relationships that compound for years. Applications take less than five minutes.
© 2026 Gildre, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy · Back to Gildre.com