Startup Team Mentoring applications will reopen in Winter 2025! This year-long FREE program connects entrepreneurs with 3 - 5 experienced mentors, providing expertly tailored guidance and support to help grow and scale their ventures.
Tulane Innovation Institute Startup Team Mentoring
Do you have an innovative idea or research project but don’t know how to get started?
The Tulane University Innovation Institute’s Startup Team Mentoring program, modeled after MIT’s Venture Mentoring Service, connects entrepreneurs with experienced mentors to help transform innovative ideas and research into successful products and services. This program is FREE and is designed for startups seeking guidance in navigating the complexities of building and scaling a business.
Each cohort consists of approximately 15 teams, each matched with a group of 3 to 5 mentors. Teams participate in monthly mentoring sessions for a year, focusing on practical, day-to-day guidance to support startup success. The program aims to help startup founders address challenges, refine business strategies, and achieve their growth objectives.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are seeking promising entrepreneurial teams with high growth potential and ideas that will benefit New Orleans and society. At least one team member must be 18 years of age or older.
Not affiliated with Tulane University? No problem! Anyone from the community with a viable idea is encouraged to apply.
Do you need to have an established company? We welcome ventures that have already legally formed an entity and those who will be forming an entity soon. Our mentors can help guide entrepreneurs through the entity development process during the year-long program.
TUII’s Startup Team Mentoring program is a free service connecting aspiring entrepreneurs like yourself to industry experts. These experts can effectively guide you through the intricate startup journey. Each of our mentors has personally navigated the startup process, rendering their real-world insights exceptionally valuable to budding entrepreneurs.
This program is modeled after MIT’s proven Venture Mentoring Service, which has helped launch over 1,450 startups, with $1.4 billion raised since 2000.
Applicants will be assessed based on the following key criteria:
1. Clear and Complete Business Model Canvas
2. Quality Pitch Deck
3. Customer Discovery and Validation
4. Clear and Achievable Goals (6 Months and 1 Year)
5. Venture Scalability
6. Team Composition
1. Basic descriptive information about your venture and team.
2. Summary of your customer discovery efforts, detailing interviews or surveys to validate your product or service.
3. Reasons for seeking mentorship.
4. Venture's goals for the next 6 months and year, detailing what you aim to achieve through the program.
5. Description of the current challenges your startup is facing.
6. Amount of time you are currently dedicating to your venture weekly.
7. Venture business model canvas and pitch deck.
To apply, complete the online application
Mentor teams meet virtually 1x per month for ~90 minutes.
TUII’s Startup Team Mentoring guiding principles emphasize strict confidentiality concerning all proprietary information shared by the cohort teams. The cohort teams maintain the ability to determine whether to disclose confidential information.
Startup teams will participate in 2-3 virtual meet-and-greet events with mentors from the Green Wave Innovation Network (GWIN). After the meet-and-greet events, both startup teams and mentors will submit a wish list of their top 5 preferred matches. Matches will be created based on the preferences expressed in the wish lists, as well as the expertise of the mentors. The goal is to form mentor groups that are well-balanced, offering support across different areas of expertise.
While TUII’s primary focus is on enhancing ideas that benefit the New Orleans entrepreneurial ecosystem, all applications will receive thoughtful consideration. However, all companies must be US-based to qualify for this mentoring program.
During and after the program, startup teams can participate in additional Tulane Innovation Institute programs and apply for competitive funding opportunities.
