Turning Two: FoundersCard Pulls Back The Curtain On Its Membership Community For Entrepreneurs

The top executives in today?s largest corporations not only travel in style, but they have access to an absurd array of perks while they travel, from awards and complimentary products to discounts on just about everything. On the IPO ?road show? for his company VarsityBooks (now part of eFollet.com), serial entrepreneur Eric Kuhn remembers being ?amazed? by witnessing firsthand ?the rates and privileges that top executives at the underwriting investment banks received.?
After leading VarsityBooks to be twice-listed as a public company on NASDAQ (the only company I?m aware of to do so), Kuhn got out in 2006 and started FoundersCard in 2009 ? determined to bring the same rewards and opportunities to entrepreneurs and founders ? ?the true risk-takers and value-creators,? he says.
Kuhn wanted to create a dedicated community for entrepreneurs, which would provide them with the kind of exclusive rates, elite programs, and networking opportunities that are traditionally reserved for top executives at public companies. Capitalizing on the likes of American Express? Centurion Card, also known as ?the black card,? Kuhn made FoundersCard into an invite-only membership community for entrepreneurs and founders known for its eponymous card shown above.
FoundersCard is now entering its second year in existence and today has over 5,000 members, who, for an annual fee of about $495, receive discounts and perks from hundres of business, like 10 percent off of everything at AT&T, 10 percent off Groundlink cabs, instant ?Silver access? on Virgin Atlantic (and the ability to fast-track to ?Gold? after buying two first class tickets), 50 percent off domains at Hover, a free account at Shoprunner, 20 percent off Indochino?s custom suits ? to name a few. There are currently 96 companies that offer FoundersCard member benefits, including 44 lifestyle companies, 16 travel companies, and 36 business companies.
Any entrepreneur is welcome to apply to FoundersCard, but the company is carefu