At Founderland, a “Coachella for founders,” entrepreneurs trade the convention hall for a Malibu ranch with access to retailers and investors.

Most business conferences happen under fluorescent lights in anonymous, cavernous convention halls. Founderland is not most conferences. In fact, its founders, Sean Kelly, Shannon Kelly, and Josh Wand, insist it isn’t a conference at all. They prefer to call it a “founder festival.”

Set in the rolling hills of Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, the event feels more like Coachella than a business gathering. Founders mingle with retailers and investors over craft cocktails and product samples, while NBA legend and investor Chris Paul judges startup pitches from an outdoor stage. 

That atmosphere is intentional. Shannon Kelly, who’s spent 15 years producing events, said the difference between a conference and a festival is “palpable.”

“At conferences, people often show up with an agenda; at a festival, you show up as yourself,” she said. The outdoor layout, unexpected spaces and loose flow are designed “to get people moving and lower their guard.”

For a young consumer brand, scoring an invite can feel a little like finding a golden ticket. More than 1,000 founders, investors, retailers, and operators attended this year, including representatives from Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, and other major retailers. In addition to the brand exhibition area, Founderland has stages for startup pitches and panels, plus a Retail Den where founders can hear directly from buyers at major chains.

But unlike sprawling industry events such as Expo West or Shoptalk, Founderland is deliberately smaller and curated.

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