To establish or create something jointly with one or more other people; to be a founding partner in an organization or company.
Modern English: co- (together) + found (from Latin 'fundare' meaning to establish). Created in the 20th century as business and startup culture emphasized collaborative founding.
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak cofounded Apple—but 'cofounder' has become such a title-inflation buzzword in tech startups that the term has lost some meaning; now anyone who was in the room early enough might claim the credit.
'Founder' has historically been attributed to men even when women co-established organizations, companies, and institutions; 'cofound' maintains that bias by treating women's founding role as secondary.
Use 'cofound' or 'co-found' only with explicit equal naming of all founders regardless of gender. Credit women founders equally in histories and attribution.
["establish jointly","co-establish"]
Women co-founders of major companies, nonprofits, and movements are routinely erased; their names and roles must appear equally in founding narratives.
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