“If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together.”
This simple idea sits at the heart of Friends of Bata.
Everything we do is built around this one idea.
From the beginning, FoB was never meant to be a single program or initiative.
It was designed as a community platform, a bridge bringing together universities, NGOs, founders, investors, experts and Gen-Z talent across borders and cultures.
And in 2026, that mission becomes even greater.
Thanks to the support of our international partners and community, the Friends of Bata ecosystem is growing across the world, bringing entrepreneurial hands-on learning experiences to more students, more founders than ever before.
This year, we’re doubling down on what makes FoB unique:
✨ hands-on learning
✨ real founder stories, not theory
✨ international collaboration
✨ safe spaces to test, fail, learn and rise
Together, we are shaping a new model of entrepreneurial education, one that is practical, human, but most of all, accessible.
Below is an overview of what we’re building together in 2026!
📅 The 2026 Friends of Bata Roadmap
This year’s roadmap brings together podcasts, masterclasses, and in-person events across Europe, building multiple entry points for students, founders and partners to engage with the FoB ecosystem.
Whether online or physically, every activity shares the same goal:
👉 making entrepreneurship real for the next generation.
🎙️ The Gen Z Founder Podcast
Entrepreneurship can often feel inaccessible or intimidating to Gen Z.
The Gen Z Founder Podcast, called “The Pitch Lab Podcast”, is here to change that.
Each episode features guest founders sharing honest stories about the reality of building something from the ground up, the doubts, the pivots, the experiments, the breakthroughs and the lessons learned along the way.
🎤 New episodes released monthly
Topics include:
• finding your first customers
• building a MVP
• go-to-market strategies
• funding challenges
• assembling a team
• navigating early failures
These conversations bring real founders and real challenges closer to you, who are just starting your journey.
Our partners from all over the globe are also invited to nominate Gen-Z and Millennial founders to be featured on this podcast. You could be part of it, join us by applying on our website!
🎓 Masterclasses: Learning directly from Founders and Investors
In addition to the podcast, Friends of Bata will host a series of monthly online masterclasses, bringing experienced founders and investors directly to our community to focus on practical entrepreneurial skills, the kind rarely taught in traditional classrooms or textbooks.
All sessions will be streamed on the Friends of Bata YouTube channel, with exact timings shared through our newsletter and social platforms. So don’t forget to subscribe to our Newsletter to be updated!
2026 Masterclass Topics
February 23: How to Pitch & Present (AticcoLab)
March 25: Building Impact Startups in Hard Markets (Schulich x Startups)
April 8: How to Validate a Product with AI (AticcoLab)
May 6: Product-Market Fit with Karen Bach
June 30: Fundraising Basics (AticcoLab + Jordy Johannes, Triple B)
September 15: Personal Branding & Digital Basics (AticcoLab + Valentina 🙋♀️)
October 21: Impact Entrepreneurship: Enrique Alvarado H., Impact Investor
November: Schulich Venture Academy Series: VC, Finance, Ops
Each masterclass aims to equip young founders with the tools they can apply immediately, not just concepts.
🌍 The 2026 European Tour
One of the most powerful elements of the Friends of Bata ecosystem is its in-person learning experiences through their Founders of Tomorrow Events.
In 2026, FoB will host those events across Europe, bringing students and founders together to build ideas, exchange perspectives and learn from experienced entrepreneurs.
These events are designed as hands-on entrepreneurship labs, where participants move from inspiration to action in just one day.
🌍 Winter Block (Feb–Mar)
February 20: Founders of Tomorrow & Junior Achievement Alumni | Toulouse
March 12: Founders of Tomorrow & Geneva Business School | Geneva
March 19: Gen Z Founder Challenge & CLU | Barcelona
March 20: Founders of Tomorrow & AticcoLab | Barcelona
🌱 Spring Block (Apr–Jul)
April 8: Student Expo & Junior Achievement CZ | Prague
April 24-25: Barcamp & Tomas Bata University | Zlín
June 19: Founders of Tomorrow & AticcoLab | Barcelona
Jun 25: LaunchX Award Competition & LaunchX | Online
Jul 13-17: Summer School & Unknown University | FoB Sessions
🍁 Autumn Block (Sep–Dec)
September 03: Impact Entrepreneurship Workshop & EHL | Lausanne
September 06: Founders of Tomorrow & Geneva Business School | Geneva
September 18: Founders of Tomorrow & AticcoLab | Barcelona
October: Founders of Tomorrow & Junior Achievement Alumni | Madrid
November 20: Founders of Tomorrow & AticcoLab | Barcelona
December: Final Innovation Event & EHL | Lausanne
Through these events, FoB continues to build a truly international entrepreneurial learning network.
🚀 Let’s Build 2026 Together
2026 will be our most active year yet!
More events.
More founders.
More international collaboration.
More opportunities for the next generation to step into their entrepreneurship journey
And none of it would be possible without our partners who believe in this mission.
Together, we are not just running programs. We are building the next generation of founders.
And we’re doing it, together.
