UNCC Ventureprise and City Startup Labs are collaborating on an accelerator program aimed at drawing in a new batch of mentors for local entrepreneurs.
The program, called the Inclusive Innovation Leadership Academy, was created to diversify the leaders and mentors who work alongside founders and entrepreneurs, said Ventureprise Director Devin Collins.
"There was a Brookings Institute paper that came out last year that brought to light some opportunities where we could begin to transform the gender and racial disparities that exist in the innovation process, education and training of entrepreneurship," he said. "This is all about that disparity in the leadership and mentorship positions."
He added, "You hear a lot about trying to diversify entrepreneurs in programs, but a secondary component is asking, 'Who’s in the leadership position?' or 'Who’s mentoring these early-stage startups and entrepreneurs?'"
The 20-person cohort will complete four workshops run by Ventureprise, City Startup Labs, Georgia Tech Venture Labs and the NC IDEA Foundation. Once the cohort members complete the workshops, they will serve as venture reviewers for startups seeking funding through the fall 2021 NC IDEA grant program.
Program graduates will also participate in a match day, where North Carolina entrepreneurial ecosystem organizations will pitch opportunities for graduates to serve in leadership, mentorship and decision-making roles in their organizations. All participants will receive a mentor leader certificate from Ventureprise.
Applications are open now, and the workshops will be Aug. 11, 16, 17 and 25, with the match day following on Sept. 16. Applicants must have at least five years of experience in their given field but are not required to have experience with tech or startups.
Collins said the first cohort will serve as a pilot for the accelerator, though he expects the program to be beneficial long term.
"We’ll do one now and another next year, and the goal would be to have something we can roll out across North Carolina," he said.
The partnership between Ventureprise and City Startup Labs is a long time coming, said Henry Rock, founder and executive director of City Startup Labs.
"We’ve been very intentional about the populations we’ve worked with, and there’s been this cross participation in those populations," he said. "It makes more sense to not necessarily be siloed when there are opportunities to work together, particularly when we can bring the respective strengths both organizations have."
Rock said it's important that the program draw in potential mentors from all types of companies and industries. Having a diverse pool of mentor skills and abilities will be invaluable for entrepreneurs.
"One of the things that is important as it relates to mentorship in general is that there is mentor fatigue. You get many of the same folks who are being tapped to be mentors, and we want to invigorate the pool, and not just for entrepreneurs of color," he said. "For those folks who have not really considered the possibility of being a mentor in an entrepreneurship program, it may seem a bit daunting."
Rock added, "You can bring that level of professionalism that you exhibit every day, and you can also be opened up to new possibilities around entrepreneurial thinking and activity."
