February Founder Fridays

New year. New name. Same expert content.

We’re kickstarting 2021 by reintroducing First Fridays under its new name: Google Developers Founder Fridays.

And for our first session of the year, we’re bringing you expertise and insights on a timely topic: Growing Across Borders with an International Strategy.

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that in an ever-evolving world, going global and diversifying your customer base is more important than ever.

And technology is the toolkit for accessing an entire world of opportunities, allowing you to reach potential customers abroad and to connect with prospective leads at the exact moment they’re looking to discover a product, learn about a service, or make a purchase.

We know it’s a complex journey. That’s why we’re bringing the best of Google’s tools and resources to help you navigate it. Join us to learn from Google’s International Growth team in a series of lightning talks, and hear from founders of global startups in a panel discussion and live Q&A session.

Who Should Attend

This session is for you if you’re a founder, executive, or employee of an early-stage to Series A-funded startup and you want to learn to identify, evaluate, and execute a new market expansion.

Michael oversees International Growth for Google customers seeking to grow their businesses globally. Prior to Google, he led the U.S. Government's crisis recovery and analytics programs following Hurricane Katrina. He also served as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State overseeing Southern European Affairs. His private sector background includes roles with Intel and IBM. He holds a B.A. from UC Berkeley, an M.A. from Syracuse University, and is a graduate of Harvard University's Leadership in Crisis Program.

Jyll Saskin Gales is an International Growth Lead at Google. In this role, she focuses on helping Canadian companies grow their businesses internationally. Jyll is also a regular speaker at conferences, post-secondary institutions and start-up incubators, educating entrepreneurs about how to scale their businesses through performance marketing. Jyll holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Psychology and Child Development from Tufts University.

Richard is the Localization Lead for the America's International Growth team. Richard is passionate about language and helping advertisers expand their business globally. He supports clients overcoming challenges related to the localization and translation of their product, site, marketing and operations when entering new markets. Previously at Google, Richard worked as a Global Account Manager for large travel brands, developing display and video marketing strategies across multiple markets. 

• Founder Fridays takes place on Friday, February 5, from 12:00 p.m. until 1:30p.m EST.
• The session will start with presentations from our experts followed by a live Q&A session 

Questions? Contact us at founder-fridays@google.com