
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.
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
- Regions
- North America
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
- Regions
- North America
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.
Same organization type
Structured regional focus
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.
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.