A founder is a person who establishes or creates an organization, institution, or movement from the very beginning. The people who start a new company, organization, or movement are called its founders. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were the founders of Apple Computer. George Washington is often called a Founding Father because he helped found the United States as a new nation.

Founding something requires vision and action: founders figure out how to turn their ideas into reality by gathering resources, convincing others to help, and building something that lasts. The founders of a school might start by teaching a few students in a living room before eventually constructing a building and hiring teachers.

The word appears in many contexts: Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross, Jane Addams founded Hull House to help immigrants, and countless people have founded clubs, charities, teams, and businesses. When people start something new that brings others together for a purpose, they are acting as founders.