Techstars Honors Six Give First Award Winners in 2026 Celebration

At Techstars, we embrace Give First, our philosophy of helping anyone, especially founders, without any expectation of getting something in return.

This year's Give First Awards, our highest recognition in the Techstars network, celebrated a broader circle of the Techstars community than ever before. Nominated by Techstars employees, the 2026 honorees aren't only mentors. They're founders, partners, and advisors who've shown up for others in ways big and small, living out Give First in their own words and actions.

During a virtual celebration on July 23, Techstars' Founder and CEO David Cohen and Chief Operating Officer Shirley Romig spoke to mentors, founders, and Techstars staff about what Give First means and why it still matters, two decades into Techstars' history.

Meet the 2026 Give First Award Winners

• Shannon Plumb, CEO, Purl Advisors
• Noriya Tarutani, Head of JETRO Startup, Japan External Trade Organization
• Andy Freivogel, Co-Founder & CEO, Science On Call
• Kirin Kalia, Founder & CEO, Grow Through Story
• HT Fish, Advisor in Residence
• Steven Plappert, Co-Founder & CEO, Forecastr

"Shannon Plumb has been a mentor for Techstars Boulder and Techstars Workforce Development for over 5 years and is a staple member of the Colorado startup community. Although she owns her own coaching business, she offers her expertise widely and freely at talks in the startup community across Colorado, online, as well as across the Techstars network," said Sasha Green, Program Manager at Techstars. "She has gone all in for Techstars, and was awarded All-Star mentor status last year. She's continued to go above and beyond and deeply deserves recognition for all she has contributed to the network."

"Noriya Tarutani has been one of the key architects behind the rise of the Techstars Tokyo Accelerator, consistently championing a founder-first and globally connected vision for Japan’s startup ecosystem. Through his leadership at JETRO Startup, he has not only helped attract world-class founders, mentors and investors to Tokyo, but also fostered the collaborative “Give First” culture that makes the program uniquely impactful," said Yuki Shirato, Managing Director of the Techstars Tokyo Accelerator. "His genuine enthusiasm for founders and unwavering support for the Techstars Tokyo team have played a major role in positioning Tokyo as a serious global innovation hub."

"Andy Freivogel is always #GiveFirst with his time, experience, and insight. He's more than willing to help and support founders — as well as program with fantastic workshops. Content ranging from strategic fundraising, founder journey to mental health workshops," said Arthur Parens, Program Manager for Techstars Future of Food Powered by Ecolab. "Andy is the absolute best, and we couldn't be more appreciative of him and his time!"

"Kirin Kalia embodies Give First, volunteering across programs and verticals to help founders master the art of storytelling — and she's always the first to raise her hand for more," said Allison Kitain, Program Manager for the Techstars Space Accelerator and the USC and Techstars Accelerator. "Her enthusiasm for Techstars in the startup community is infectious, and she's a true champion for our founders."

"HT Fish moved to London for the duration of our Spring 2025 program to be our Mentor-in-Residence, and gave everything he had — his time, his experience, his wisdom, and his heart — to our founders and team every single day," said Eoghan O'Flaherty, Investment Associate for the ABN AMRO + Techstars Future of Finance Accelerator. "He is a living embodiment of Give First and a reminder of why this community is unlike any other. He is, quite simply, one of the good ones."

"Steven Plappert has been a founder who shares his time with all programs, multiple times a term, to host the financial modeling workshop. He's been very transparent with founders about how he runs his business and truly wants to help founders succeed and help them understand the levers that drive their business and help them raise capital," said Tishin Donkersley, Senior Manager, Education at Techstars. "I can't think of another alumnus truly deserving of this award who time and time again steps up, without hesitation, to help founders in any way he (and his company) can to succeed."

Each winner was nominated by a Techstars employee for going above and beyond to support founders, whether through mentorship, an introduction, a hard conversation, or simply showing up when it mattered.

To learn more about mentorship and the Give First philosophy at Techstars, click here.