Venture Mentors point aspiring entrepreneurs toward business success
Entrepreneurs are passionate about mentoring—those starting businesses hunger for lessons from accomplished, experienced founders; and founders thrive on showing aspiring entrepreneurs the way to business success. The power of mentoring is the cornerstone of the MIT Venture Mentor Service.
In recent decades, MIT alumni and faculty have founded thousands of successful companies and created millions of jobs. Today’s emerging MIT entrepreneurs, however, face an increasingly fast-moving and competitive business environment. The speed of technological changes, accelerated product cycles, global competition, and sophisticated financing strategies often demand resources and experience beyond the typical startup’s reach.
Founded in 2002, the MIT Venture Mentor program supports innovation and entrepreneurial activity throughout the MIT community by utilizing mentors to educate early-stage innovators.
The Kauffman Foundation works closely with the MIT Venture Mentor program to document its successes and fund educational materials and operation support for replicating the mentoring model.
"Serial entrepreneurs provide a depth of experience and access to social networks that can expedite the launch and growth of a startup," says Lesa Mitchell, vice president of Advancing Innovation at the Kauffman Foundation. "Mentors supporting students, alumni, and faculty through talented mentors clearly is helping to expedite the early stages of technology entrepreneurship."
