草くさ分わけ

先せん駆く者しゃ sense 1
先駆者 is a formal, abstract word for a forerunner, while 草分け keeps an earthier image of someone who literally cleared the way.
開かい拓たく者しゃ sense 1
開拓者 specifically means a settler who develops land, whereas 草分け is used both literally and figuratively for any kind of pioneer.
創そう始し者しゃ sense 2
創始者 focuses narrowly on being the founder of an organization or system, while 草分け can also mean simply the first person active in a field.
元がん祖そ sense 2
元祖 stresses being the original creator of something (often a dish or style), while 草分け emphasizes the hardship of breaking new ground.

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先さき駆がけ
草分け emphasizes founding or clearing the way for a new field, whereas 先駆け simply stresses being first or ahead of others.
先せん駆く
草分け emphasizes being the very first to open up a new field or area, whereas 先駆 more broadly covers anyone or anything that leads the way for later developments.
パイオニア
草分け is a somewhat literary term for the very first founder of something, while パイオニア is more casual and commonly used in everyday and business speech.

Built from

草くさ+分わける

Etymology

Compound of 草 (kusa, 'grass') and 分け (wake, from 分ける 'to divide, split'). Literally 'grass-splitter', originally describing someone who clears a path through grass to open new land, later extended to any pioneer.