This event has taken place. Deal by design ran October 21-23, 2026 in Palm Springs, CA. The next summit is Supercharge Sedona, January 13-16, 2027, in Sedona, AZ.

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EventsFNDRS founder summit · Q4 2026

Deal by design

Name: Deal by design
Start: 2026-10-21
End: 2026-10-23
Location: Thompson Palm Springs Resort

Palm Springs founder summit

Deal by design was the FNDRS Q4 founder summit at the Thompson Palm Springs Resort in Palm Springs, CA, October 21-23, 2026. It ran three days of working sessions: knowing your why, building a business worth buying, and designing and running the deal.

Dates: October 21-23, 2026
Where: Thompson Palm Springs Resort, Palm Springs, CA

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Growth
Scale
Transferability
Exit readiness

The promise

Secure. Scale. Sell.

The best exits are not found. They are built, designed rather than stumbled into. Three pillars. One plan. Three days that change how you think about the exit you have been working toward.

Day 1 · Secure

Know your why

Every great exit starts with clarity. Before we talk deals, we talk about what you are really building toward, and the tax, estate, and legacy groundwork that protects it.

Day 2 · Scale

Build a business worth buying

Buyers pay for value they can see. We show you what drives it, what kills it, and how to build a business that does not need you in the room to succeed.

Day 3 · Sell

Design and run the deal

This is where preparation becomes leverage. Learn how buyers evaluate, negotiate, and close, so when your moment comes you run the process instead of reacting to it.

Day 4 · Optional Time with the advisors.

The film

Inside a FNDRS summit

The 2026 summit promo: the room at a session, the conversations between them, and the founders who came.

3:43

The agenda

What happened at Deal by design?

Deal by design ran three days of working sessions: day one on knowing your why, day two on building a business worth buying, and day three on designing and running the deal, with an optional fourth day with the advisors.

Day 1 · Half day

Secure

Know your why

Define your number and your why
Pre-transaction tax planning
Estate planning strategies that require lead time

Day 2

Scale

Build a business worth buying

What drives a valuation multiple
How buyers evaluate a business before diligence begins
Building and strengthening a team, and how AI supports it

Day 3

Sell

Design and run the deal

Valuation versus terms
How deals get structured and negotiated
What buyers require to close, and what protects you after

Day 4 · Optional

Community

Time with the advisors

One-to-one meetings with an exit advisor
Peer-to-peer advising and networking

Learn from people who have done it

Featured speakers

Featured speaker

Aaron Scott Young

Chairman, Laughlin · Co-author of Unshackled

Entrepreneur, strategic advisor, co-author of the internationally distributed book Unshackled, and Chairman of Laughlin. Aaron helps business owners build enduring companies that scale without sacrificing their freedom.

Featured speaker

Giancarlo Maniaci

Serial tech entrepreneur · Angel investor

Serial tech entrepreneur, angel investor, and digital marketing expert known for founding and scaling multiple advertising technology and consumer-facing companies.

From the FNDRS stage

Troy Hoffman
Co-founder, FNDRS · Serial entrepreneur
Nick Long
Co-founder and CEO, FNDRS · Exit advisor
Stephen Scoggins
Founder, The Journey Principles Institute
Mark Moss
Investor · Host of The Mark Moss Show
Shawn Livermore
Software architect · AI strategist
John Pennington
Co-founder, Bridge Investment Group
Bridger Pennington
Co-founder, Fund Launch
Tom Wheelwright
CEO, WealthAbility · Author of Tax-Free Wealth
Brodie Barnes
Principal and financial advisor, CapTrust
Scott Stepanik
Director of M&A, FNDRS
Scott Jackson
Serial entrepreneur · $700M+ in exits
Russ Prag
FNDRS faculty · Director of acquisitions
Daven Michaels
Serial entrepreneur · CEO, 123Employee and Michaels Press
Chris Dyer
Serial entrepreneur · Olympic coach
Russ Perry
Founder, Design Pickle
Scott Empringham
AI industry leader · Global speaker
Dr. David Boyd
Physician and entrepreneur
Joe Marinucci
CEO, Digital Media Solutions
Jeff Klubeck
Director of community, FNDRS · Serial entrepreneur
More to be announced
Final lineup confirmed closer to the event

Founders on film

Hear it from founders who have done it

Founders who worked with FNDRS, in their own words. The people you meet in the room have been where you are.

All testimonials

FNDRS mission 2027

Four stops, one arc

A year-long journey built to move founders from clarity to control: personally, professionally, and financially. It opens in Sedona and lands in New Orleans.

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