Mentors
What is a Mentor?
Mentors will offer an individual student team strategic guidance and wisdom as they develop their business concept. The mentoring relationship will begin in early September, once student teams have been formed and completed their ideation. This relationship will continue through the end of the school year (end of May). Mentors will be expected to communicate with their team on a weekly basis: either in person, by phone, or by email. We will be seeking one mentor per student team or about 15 mentors for the school year. Entrepreneurial experience is important in the mentoring role. Mentors should have an engaging personality and passion for their business. We are looking for persons with patience (a necessary trait when working with teens!) and a willingness to serve as a guide to students, supporting their business development, not leading it. |
Preparing to be a Mentor
- Complete the Business INCubator Volunteer Application.
- The application will be reviewed by the DCHS INCubator Team.
- The DCHS INCubator Team will match mentors from the volunteer pool with the student teams in early September.
- In the meantime, mentors (1) complete the D300 Volunteer Form and send it to Nick Pahl; (2) fill out the Coach/Mentor Bio Form; and (3) familiarize themselves with the Lean Startup methodology by reading Running Lean by Ash Maurya or completing the "Running Lean" on-line course.
- Once matched, a mentor will support his/her student team as they develop their business concept, with at least weekly communication (by phone, email, or in person).
- At the beginning of semester two (January), mentors will attend the MVP pitch.
- Mentors will also attend the final pitch at the end of semester two (May).
"It's fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure."
-Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft
-Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft