A state-of-the-art, group approach to mentoring that program that matches startup companies in need with skilled mentors with an array of skill sets.
Why mcrew?
We believe it takes a village to nurture a successful business. It is common wisdom that every great business stands on the shoulders of a team of great mentors and advisors. In addition, 92% of small business owners agree that mentors have a direct impact on the growth and survival of their business, yet only 22% of small businesses say they had mentors when they started their business.
HOW IT WORKS
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+ We take a team approach to mentoring technology founders.
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+ Founders get a dedicated team of mentors with diverse experience for a six month period.
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+ Mentors and companies both receive training to amplify the effectiveness of the program.
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+ The program provides a flexible structure for everyone in each cohort to define the rules of engagement to best serve the mission.
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+ There is to be no investments and no paid contract work from mentors into the companies for one year from the date the matchmaking is set.
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+ All of the mentors sign a confidentiality agreement.
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MCrew™ is
supported by:
Mentee Criteria
1
Founder must own, have licensed, or be working on proprietary technology or some technology or process with a high barrier to entry.
2
Founder must agree to a monthly meeting for six-months (usually third Wednesday of the month from 5:00 pm- 8:00 pm).
3
Founder and TechFW must mutually agree that there is an alignment between the company’s needs and TechFW capabilities.
4
Founder must be a SmartStart client to participate in MCrew.
Overall, we greatly benefited from the program and we feel we received much more from the team than from the hired support we have worked with in the past.
CEO of Moov,
MCrew graduate
SARINYA OLIVER
OUR MENTORS
MENTOR CRITERIA
CULTURE FIT
We start with a culture fit. Below are the common values that our mentors share:
1
Give before you get. Expect nothing in return.
2
Have empathy; Remember that building new ventures is hard.
3
Guide, but never tell the entrepreneurs what to do; Understand that it’s their company, not yours.
4
Communicate well with other mentors that get involved; being on the same page is essential.
SKILLS + EXPERIENCE
We then consider skillsets and experience. Our mentors share these common attributes:
1
Either own or work in startups that commercialize innovative tech or have a high barrier to entry
2
Have raised capital through angel investors, venture capitals, crowdfunding, etc.
3
Have high competency in business expertise or network in targeted industries.
4
Have experience building high growth, scalable businesses.