AI Accelerator Lead

<div class="content-intro"><h2>About Vercel:</h2> <p><span data-sheets-root="1">Vercel is the agentic infrastructure company. We free people and agents to ship what’s next.</span></p> <p><span data-sheets-root="1">For more than a decade, Vercel has shaped how the web is built. As the team behind Next.js, v0, and AI SDK, we create products that help builders move from idea to production with speed, security, and exceptional developer experience.</span></p> <p><span data-sheets-root="1">Now, software is entering a new era, and the next generation of products will not just be used by people. They will be built, extended, and operated by agents.</span></p> <p><span data-sheets-root="1">We are building the platform for that future, trusted by companies like&nbsp;<strong>OpenAI, PayPal, Ramp, Supreme, and millions of developers worldwide</strong>. Whether you’re building our products, supporting our customers, growing our community, or shaping our story, you’ll help define what comes next.</span></p></div><h2>About the Role:</h2> <p>Vercel is seeking an <strong>AI Accelerator Lead</strong> to own the Vercel AI Accelerator end to end and help make it the best program for pre-seed and idea-stage founders building the next generation of AI applications.</p> <p>The Vercel AI Accelerator gives us early access to promising AI-native founders before they have made long-term infrastructure decisions, built their full stack, raised institutional capital, or locked in their go-to-market motion. This role will own the full program lifecycle across strategy, applications, selection, cohort experience, programming, founder engagement, community, partner credits, Builder Day, Demo Day, content, and post-program follow-up.</p> <p>You’ll work closely with our Startups, Community, Content, Media, Product Marketing, Developer Relations, Partnerships, and Events teams to create a world-class founder experience that helps technical founders move from idea to product, and product to company.</p> <p>This role is ideal for an operator who understands early-stage startups, is excited by AI-native company creation, can manage complex cross-functional programs, and knows how to create community, content, and founder trust at the same time.</p> <p></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>What You Will Do:</h2> <ul> <li>Own the Vercel AI Accelerator strategy, roadmap, operating model, and execution end to end, with the goal of running multiple high-quality cohorts per year.</li> <li>Design and run a repeatable program for pre-seed and idea-stage AI founders, helping them move from early idea to working product, clearer company narrative, and stronger technical foundation on Vercel.</li> <li>Own the full cohort lifecycle, including applications, selection, founder onboarding, programming, community engagement, partner credits, Demo Day, post-program follow-up and content.</li> <li>Build scalable systems for application review, founder communications, partner activation, content production, and cohort operations.</li> <li>Partner with Startups, Community, Content, Product Marketing, Vercel Media, Developer Relations, Product, and Engineering to create a world-class founder experience and surface strong founder stories.</li> <li>Build trusted relationships with founders, VCs, accelerators, operators, and AI ecosystem partners, and bring founder insights back into Vercel’s product, marketing, community, and startup strategies.</li> </ul> <p></p> <h2>About You:</h2> <ul> <li>5+ years of experience in startup programs, accelerators, ecosystem, community, partnerships, founder relations, venture, or strategic programs, ideally in a high-growth technology or developer-focused company.</li> <li>Experience owning complex programs end to end, from strategy through execution, measurement, and iteration.</li> <li>Deep understanding of early-stage founders, especially pre-seed, idea-stage, or technical founders building from 0 to 1.</li> <li>Strong interest in AI-native startups, developer tools, infrastructure, and the changing ways founders are building products with AI.</li> <li>Proven ability to build high-quality founder or community experiences that combine programming, relationships, content, and operational excellence.</li> <li>Strong cross-functional operator who can work effectively across Startups, Community, Content, Media, Product Marketing, Developer Relations, Product, Engineering, Partnerships, Events, Legal, and Sales.</li> <li>Strong editorial and storytelling instincts, wi