The term "founder" has several meanings, depending on its context.
1) In business or organizational terms, a founder is someone who establishes and creates an organization or company from scratch. For example, Bill Gates was one of the founders of Microsoft Corporation.
2) In historical contexts, a founder refers to someone who lays the groundwork for something that comes later. This can refer to a person who starts a new colony, establishes a religion, or creates an important invention. For example, Christopher Columbus is considered one of the founders of America because he was the first European explorer to reach the continent.
3) In marine biology, a founder refers to an individual fish that forms a new population when it colonizes a new area. This can happen naturally or through human intervention, such as stocking a lake with fish.