Through mentoring, our mentors gain fresh insights and perspectives, the opportunity to become a better leader, contribute to elevating the startup ecosystem, gaining inspiration, motivation, new network and new friends.
- Are individuals with deep industry or entrepreneurial experience gained within the startup/innovation ecosystem
- Work with early stage founders and startups without expectation of reward or compensation
- Willingly share their knowledge and guidance freely, and open their networks when appropriate
- Commit at least 2 hours per month for mentoring sessions
Our Creed
Be inspiring
Startups are brutal
Be altruistic
Startups are broke
Show empathy
Founders are people too
Be direct
Startups can handle the truth
Be their North Star
Help founders navigate their uncharted journey
Maintain trust
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas
Be responsive
Founders are chasing capital, customers and product market fit – make it easy to find you
Never control
You had your day, and this is theirs
Enlighten them
There are known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns
Be a Share Bear
Share your knowledge, experience and, most importantly, your network
What does success look like for startups?
Having a seasoned network of mentors that startups can tap for guidance at their point of need will help founders/startups smooth out their journey and improve their chances of a successful outcome. It will provide founders/startups with a confidential channel to share their thoughts and key concerns and receive thoughtful feedback/guidance as needed.
What is in it for the mentors?
An opportunity for them to share their experience and provide guidance to help founders/startups succeed. Earn badges (or NFTs) that they can post to their LinkedIn profiles. Improve their skills in mentoring by participating in formal training or certification programs.
What is a mentor?
A mentor works with you sharing their knowledge, expertise, and guidance in the area that the mentee wants to improve in and learn about. Mentors asks questions to the mentee to help them understand and find a path forward, offering advice when requested.
Mentee
- A safe and trusted space to focus on their development
- Confidential support, guidance, and ideas
- Improved development
- Increased self-awareness of strengths and areas for improvement
- Access to experience, learning to fast-track their own approach
- Improved confidence in dealing with challenges and uncertainty, change, or transition
- Networking opportunities
- Gain fresh insights and feedback tailored for your startup
Mentor
- Gain perspectives and fresh ideas
- Reverse mentoring
- Badges for PowerUp certification
- Learn more about the challenges, purpose, and workload of other teams
- Opportunity to give back, improved job and personal satisfaction
- Networking opportunities
- Altruistic – it’s in their blood
- Increased stature and reputation at a regional or national level
StartupOS
- Builds mentoring capabilities and leadership skills
- Develops leaders at all levels
- Maximize founders’ potential
- Benefit from diversity and improve inclusion across the profession
- Expanded professional networks
- Increased platform viability
- Creates a culture of support and enablement
- Increase likelihood of startup success
Mentorship Timeline
Mentor registers on network
We recommend mentees arrange for their first meeting with their mentor ASAP
Approved by StartupOS
Explore whether you meet membership criteria
Added to mentors page
Your mentor profile includes additional information
Mentor match program
Our platform connects you to ideal mentees
Reverse mentorship
Gain new skills and insights from younger generation of entrepreneurs
Relationship starts
Begin mutually beneficial mentor and mentee relationship
Explore the emergent effect of mentorship networks
Real time anytime
StartupOS
3rd Party
3rd Party
3rd Party
Micro Community
Micro Community
Request Invitation
Review our membership criteria to see if you qualify
Get Nominated
Receive a nomination from a member with a link to apply
Membership Committee
Staff prescreens and disqualifies from initial pool of applicants
Approval
If approved, we’ll contact you personally by phone and/or email
Do you qualify?
See if you meet our member criteria.
- Shared vision
- Aligned values
- Full-time tech startup founder
- No selling
- Annual commitment
- Proficient in English