Powered by HelmX. Built by a Founder, for Founders.
A curated room for founders and operators to gather.
Not to network, but to sharpen how they lead, decide, and scale.
Doors Open January 20, 2026
Welcome To
The Founders Room
The Founders Room brings together operators, owners, and builders across the Triangle and beyond.
A room built for founders who are actually doing the work.
The Founders Room exists because building a business can be isolating, especially once you move beyond the idea stage and into real operations, real customers, and real responsibility.
This community is designed to execute.
To create:
❋ Thoughtful connection, not surface-level networking
❋ Access to peers who understand the weight of running a business
❋ Honest conversation about what’s working and what’s breaking
❋ A consistent place to return as you grow and evolve
This is not a speaker series.
This is not a pitch room.
This is a community grounded in trust, proximity, and shared experience.
Join The Founders Room
Invitation-Only Membership Get notified when The Founders Room opens.
The Founders Room is designed for founders who are already in motion, not at the idea stage.
You belong here if you:
❋ Are a founder, owner, or first-time CEO
❋ Generate consistent revenue (typically $15k+/month)
❋ Lead at least one employee or contractor
❋ Manage real decisions, systems, and growth pressures
❋ Want trusted peers who understand what it takes to operate
This community is intentionally curated, and outcomes-driven.
What Makes Our Community Different
The Founders Room prioritizes:
Quality over quantity
Conversation over content
Trust over visibility
Relationships over transactions
Every decision, from room size to format is made to protect the experience for members.
Most founder communities focus on access, visibility, or inspiration.
We focus on clarity, leadership, systems and execution.
Inside The Founders Room, conversations go deeper.
We want to know
How are you actually leading your team?
Where are your operational blind spots?
What decisions are you avoiding or overcomplicating?
What does “scaling” realistically look like for your business?
No pitching.
No posturing.
No panels.
No performative success stories.
How The Community Comes Together
The Founders Room brings founders together through curated, in-person gatherings, intentionally designed for connection and conversation.
Each gathering is curated to:
Create meaningful conversation
Encourage honest reflection
Build relationships that extend beyond a single event
Some gatherings are open to the broader community. Others are intentionally smaller and invitation-based to protect depth and trust within the room.
Why we created "The Founders Room"
Before Systems.
Come People.
The Founders Room was created to give local founders a consistent space to connect, collaborate, and grow alongside others who understand the realities of running a business.
While HelmX supports founders through operations, systems, and execution, participation in the Founders Room does not require becoming a HelmX client.
This room exists to serve founders first.
How To Join
Joining the Founders Room begins with the interest list.
From there, founders are invited into gatherings, conversations, and future community opportunities as they’re announced.
Membership is intentionally curated to maintain balance, alignment, and quality within the room.
With the Founders Room you’re joining a powerful community of Entrepreneurs and Small business owners who challenge each other and share their perspectives to help make better decisions, become better leaders and achieve better outcomes, together.
This community is designed for founders and owners who meet the following criteria:
You are a founder, business owner, or first-time CEO
Your company generates $10,000k - 20,000k+ in monthly revenue
You employ at least one team member
You operate with a formal or informal leadership team, with defined processes and systems in place
You are committed to identifying blind spots, strengthening your leadership, and improving how your business operates
A Room You’ll Want To Return To
“The Founders Room is a growing community of entreprenuers built to support founders through different seasons of business. If you’re building something real and want to do it with more clarity, connection, and support, you’re invited to join us here, in the Founders Room.”
- Karlet Hewitt, Founder
Have a Question?
FAQs
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The Founders Room is a curated community for founders building real businesses. It brings together operators, owners, and builders for intentional connection, honest conversation, and long-term relationships, without the noise of traditional networking.
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Joining begins with the interest list. From there, founders are invited into gatherings and community opportunities as they’re announced. Membership is intentionally curated to maintain alignment and quality within the room.
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The Founders Room is for founders actively operating businesses, including:
Brick & mortar owners
Service-based founders and consultants
E-commerce and product operators
Solo founders and small teams
Businesses under $1M
This community is intentionally not designed for idea-stage founders or casual networking.
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No. While the community comes together through in-person gatherings, The Founders Room is designed as an ongoing space for founders to connect over time, not a one-off event.
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Gatherings are hosted periodically throughout the year. Some are open to the broader community, while others are intentionally smaller and invitation-based to protect depth, balance, and trust within the room.
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No. The Founders Room is not a pitch room, and there is no expectation to sell services or promote your business. The focus is on conversation, connection, and shared experience.
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No. Participation in The Founders Room does not require becoming a HelmX client. While HelmX hosts the community, this space exists to serve founders first.
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The Founders Room prioritizes quality over quantity, conversation over content, and relationships over transactions. Every decision from room size to format, is made to protect the experience for founders in the room.