Organization · Other

Build The Fort

Build The Fort is an organization focused on startup development and community building, founded by Chris Heivly, a co-founder of MapQuest. It provides resources and guidance for early-stage startups through a book and community engagement.

OtherCommunityPublisher

Overview

What Build The Fort does

What Build The Fort is

Build The Fort is an organization focused on startup development and community building, founded by Chris Heivly, a co-founder of MapQuest. It provides resources and guidance for early-stage startups through a book and community engagement.

How it participates in the startup ecosystem

The current public profile supports community and publisher capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.

Operational profile

Organization status and context

Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.

Operational status
Active
Organization type
Other
Founded
Founded in 2016
Approximate age
About 10 years
Structured capabilities
Community · Publisher
Last reviewed
May 3, 2026

Official channels

Find Build The Fort elsewhere

Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.

Capability profile

Build The Fort as a community

Community overview

Build The Fort is an organization founded by Chris Heivly, a notable entrepreneur recognized for co-founding MapQuest and The Startup Factory, a seed-stage investor and mentorship program. The organization is dedicated to fostering startup development and community building, leveraging Heivly's extensive experience in startups, investments, and corporate entrepreneurship. It serves as a resource for early-stage founders seeking guidance and support in their entrepreneurial journeys.

Community focus

Build The Fort emphasizes the importance of socializing ideas, building trust among partners, gathering resources, and taking actionable steps to develop business concepts. The organization aims to equip early-stage startups with the necessary tools and insights to navigate the complexities of launching and growing a business.

Member value

Members of Build The Fort gain access to valuable resources, including insights from Chris Heivly's book, 'Build the Fort,' which outlines key elements of starting a business through personal anecdotes and metaphors related to fort-building. The organization also fosters a community where founders can connect, share experiences, and learn from one another.

Membership

Pricing models
free

Format and cadence

Modality
online
Schedule
rolling-admissions
Commitment
light

Availability

Membership state
Accepting

Audience and fit

Audience
Founders
Benefits
mentorship and network-access
Program types
community
Selection criteria
open
Stages
Pre-seed · Seed

Community activity

Events and activity

Build The Fort does not currently host any recurring events or signature gatherings.

Notable members

Chris Heivly, the founder of Build The Fort, is known for his roles as co-founder of MapQuest and The Startup Factory. He is also the current VP of Innovation at Techstars.

Capability profile

Build The Fort as a publisher

Editorial focus

Build The Fort focuses on providing guidance and resources for early-stage startups. The organization emphasizes the importance of socializing ideas, building trust among partners, gathering resources, and taking actionable steps to develop business concepts. Founded by Chris Heivly, it draws on his extensive experience in startups, investments, and corporate entrepreneurship.

Audience value

Build The Fort provides valuable insights and methodologies for early-stage founders, helping them navigate the startup process with confidence and clarity.

Format and cadence

Content formats
blog and newsletter
Primary platform
Mailchimp

Availability

Guest pitch state
Not currently accepting

Audience and focus

Audience
Founders

Flagship work and coverage

Flagship properties

Build The Fort publishes a book titled 'Build the Fort,' which outlines key elements of starting a business through personal anecdotes and metaphors related to fort-building. The organization also offers downloadable chapter previews from the book on its website.

Connected ecosystem

Continue from Build The Fort

These links use structured organization type, sector, and regional relationships. They do not imply endorsement or commercial similarity.

Common questions

What to know about Build The Fort

Upseed classifies Build The Fort under the Other organization type. Its current public profile includes community and publisher capabilities.

Next step

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Source and update disclosure

Know what this page is based on

Source basis

Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.

Last reviewed

May 3, 2026

Known limits

Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.

Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.