Mentor
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.
Helpful Links/Documents
Preparing to be a Mentor
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.
Helpful Links/Documents
- INCubator Volunteer Application
- Team/Mentor Agreement
- Communication Expectations
- MVP Unit Overview
- MVP Pitch Examples
Preparing to be a Mentor
- Complete the Business INCubator Volunteer Application.
- The application will be reviewed by the NNHS INCubator Team.
- The NNHS INCubator Team will match mentors from the volunteer pool with the student teams in early September.
- In the meantime, mentors (1) complete the 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.
- 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)
Current Mentors
Timothy Youkhana Scaled Enterprise Solutions Michelle Kusel INCubator Edu Dan Salganik Visual Fizz Alex Pataky Baxter Health Care Brian Barnabas Christopher Gumprecht Lettuce Entertain You Sheila Gilani Lakhani Hospitality |
Matt Wilhelmi Strategic Voyages Business Consultants Robert Greiner Niles Fire Chief Javier Steve Santacruz Mathnasium Mark Weil LSC Communications Terry Iverson Iverson and Co Reed Scott Adler Comrad Web Agency Tony Stegich Gartner |