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Early-stage founders need mentorship and support to build a successful startup, and conventional wisdom says, “Get thee to an incubator or an accelerator!” However, the two programs are not interchangeable — they serve very different purposes — and there are roughly 500 accelerators and 1,400 incubators in the U.S. alone.

Which type of startup program do you need, and how do you find the right fit? When should you apply? How do you make the most of the experience if you’re accepted? We’re thrilled to tell you that Matt Segneri, the executive director of the Harvard Innovation Labs, will tackle these and other related questions at TechCrunch Early Stage on April 20 in Boston, Massachusetts.

In his session called “How to Think About Accelerators and Incubators,” Segneri will discuss the types of incubators and accelerators available to early-stage founders and what startups should consider before applying, and he’ll provide tips to get the most out of these programs.

We consider this topic — one that touches all early-stage founders — a breakout you can’t afford to miss.

Matt Segneri is the executive director of the Harvard Innovation Labs, which includes the student i-lab, Launch Lab X GEO for alumni, and the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab. He oversees the i-lab’s strategy and operations, and he acts as the primary liaison to the i-lab’s key stakeholders and the local, national and global innovation community.

Segneri has more than 20 years of leadership experience in organizations of different sizes and stages of development across the private, public and nonprofit sectors. Prior to joining the i-lab, he was the director of the Harvard Business School (HBS) Social Enterprise Initiative and served as co-lead of the HBS New Venture Competition. He also played a key role in establishing the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.

Previously, Segneri was a senior leader on the Government Innovation team at Bloomberg Philanthropies. He co-led the inaugural Mayors Challenge, a $9 million competition to inspire American cities to develop bold solutions to common challenges. Segneri holds an A.B. in psychology from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

All TechCrunch Early Stage sessions include plenty of Q&A time to get answers directly from the speakers. You’ll walk away with a deeper working understanding of topics and skills that are essential to startup success. Save $200 with an early-bird founder ticket — college students pay just $99!

Everything you need to know about accelerators and incubators by Lauren Simonds originally published on TechCrunch