Mentorship and Advising

For Mentees: Get Advice From Industry Experts听to Advance Your Technology or Startup

Benefit from the business insights of our mentor network, who can help you accelerate your innovation听toward a license opportunity or a startup. Over 300 entrepreneurs鈥攎ost with backgrounds in science and technology and a history of successfully commercializing 鈥渄eep tech,鈥濃€攁re available to CU Boulder innovators.

Mentors can:

help you achieve critical milestones
introduce you to potential customers
expand your professional network

How to Get Connected with a Mentor: From a one hour consultation to a long-term engagement, Venture Partners can match you with a mentor to compliment your existing team. Contact your licensing manager to discover more about our mentors.

Find Your Licensing Manager

For Mentors: Lend Your Expertise to CU Boulder Technologies and Startups

Once you complete the application,听we can connect you with appropriate opportunities as well as ventures who are looking for your specific talents. You will also be added to our entrepreneurial mentor email list in order to receive听a monthly email newsletter.

About Venture Partners' Mentors

Mentors working with Venture Partners are an elite group of industry professionals who 1) have听expertise in听business formation, finance, regulatory issues or operations and 2) have an interest in commercialization of university research and lab-based innovation.听

Mentors鈥� careers also encompass a wide range of experience: they are founders, CEOs听and chief technical officers, as well as executives from the fields of manufacturing, procurement, supply-chain management听and human resources.听

Mentors include professionals such as attorneys, accountants, former governmental/regulatory officials, and top performers in sales, marketing听and business development.听These mentors bring to the table a wealth of entrepreneurial experience as well as contacts across a broad range of industries and markets.

While many of our mentors are alumni of the University of Colorado System, they represent a variety of exceptional institutions from around the globe.

Benefits of Mentoring with Venture Partners

Mentors participate for many reasons, including the intellectual stimulation of the work and the opportunity to keep their 鈥渇ingers on the pulse鈥� of the CU innovation community.

Mentorship Commitment

Mentors may engage with university faculty and students:

on a one-time basis
as part of an event panel or program
in an on-going role as advisor, board member, or team member

When appropriate and agreed to by all parties involved, mentors may become permanent members of a startup/spinout once a company is formed and exits from the university.

Mentorship Matching

Mentors are matched with innovators and startups based on:

sector experience
skills, experience and expertise executing on priority milestones
area of interest

Generally, a "Call for Advisors" will be sent to the mentor network, with details about:

the innovation and the team
stage of growth听
the type of engagement and the time commitment required (for example: a one hour lunch-and-learn,听a pitch practice,听a 3-week accelerator)
current critical needs (for example: pending grant application,听venture capital pitch, IP deadline)

Mentors can express interest in assisting the team by opting in, or may simply pass on the opportunity due to a lack of fit, scheduling conflict, or for no reason at all.

Apply Now to Become a Mentor

Venture Partners' Mentorship Programs & Events

Happy Hour Squared (HH2)

Get acquainted with CU Boulder technologies that have commercial potential
Network with the local startup and campus startup community

First Look

Review and provide feedback to early inventions shortly after they are reported
Provide ideas and critiques on possible market applications and recommend next steps
Identify critical milestones and map an immediate path toward commercialization

"The University of Colorado Boulder is fortunate to benefit from strong relationships with the business community in Boulder and throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Our researchers engage with both entrepreneurs and professionals in industry to accelerate the commercialization of groundbreaking university-based innovations."

鈥撯€揃ryn Rees,听Associate Vice Chancellor for AV名湿 & Innovation and听Managing Director, Venture Partners at CU Boulder

Meet Our Venture Development Team

Venture Partners has an experienced team of听professionals dedicated to developing CU Boulder innovators and startups鈥攏o matter what stage of the entrepreneurial journey they're in.

听

Nicole (Forsberg) Sheppard

Business Development Executive

Venture Development

Jeanne Barthold

Director of the Center for Translational AV名湿

Venture Development

Jim Booth

Entrepreneur in Residence

Venture Development

Amy Dodenhoff

Director of Venture Development

Venture Development • Leadership

Erica Fagan

Program Coordinator of the I-Corps Hub West

Venture Development

Daniel Marshall

Program Manager of I-Corps Hub West

Venture Development

Jason McGowin

Program Manager of the Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator

Venture Development

Toby Murdock

Principal Venture Fellow

Venture Development • IP & Licensing

Justin Stitzlein

Venture Analyst

Venture Development • IP & Licensing

Susan Strong

Interim Director of Venture Development

Venture Development

Emily Vogt

Director of Venture Development

Venture Development • Leadership

Current Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs)

Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs)听are experienced entrepreneurs and executives who have a unique and on-going commitment to the university. They act as听mentors for CU Boulder innovators and startups听while also guide the university's听ongoing strategy for commercialization.

听

Jon Shapiro

Bio

Jon is a former CEO, a recognized expert in transforming science and technology into the marketplace, a proven mentor, exceptional communicator, and a successful entrepreneur. As a growth and turnaround expert, he has successfully partnered with organizations in more than 50 different countries. Jon provides his expertise to organizations blending analytical mastery with entrepreneurial thinking, and he develops winning partnerships with leadership teams to produce outstanding results. He is a recognized expert in strategy, finance, research commercialization, engineering, sales, marketing, M&A, funding, business troubleshooting, and operations management. He founded and was CEO of Alliance Systems, a self-funded technology company that grew to $125 million and was later acquired.听As a leader of the University of Texas at Dallas Venture Development Center, he assisted in raising more than $120 million in funding, and the Incubator launched more than 100 businesses.听Jon is a three-time finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and is a graduate of Hofstra University. He is passionate about adventure travel, photography, and supporting children鈥檚 safety and welfare.

Susan Strong

Bio

Susan Strong is the principal of , a high-technology consulting firm that focuses primarily on business development, sales and marketing, with a recent emphasis on market research.听Susan has served in marketing executive positions at听HP, Agilent Technologies, Dionex, Dharmacon, GeneData and Genomica.听She听currently serves as an advisory board member at San Jose State University Masters in Biotechnology program; an Innosphere/SAGE advisor (Fort Collins, CO); and MergeLane mentor (Boulder, CO).听

AV名湿

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