Programs
Mentoring is offered to all companies joining ITEN. Many mentors have experience at the senior level in IT start-ups. Others have related expertise that gives them an invaluable perspective for what makes ventures successful. There are a number of ways ITEN ventures connect with mentors able to give specific advice to overcome their particular early-stage challenges, including "Mentor Match," a search engine for finding the mentors with the right skill sets and experience to help your venture. See more about how mentoring works in ITEN.
Beyond traditional mentoring, groups of our mentors come together to create our unique acceleration programs. Our core curriculum consists of 4 successive programs, each helping ventures accelerate their development to the next level as quickly and effectively as possible. Each program accepts ventures through an application process. (Note: you must be a registered company with ITEN to apply for these programs):
Concept Development Program Focused mentor assistance to clearly define the mission and opportunities of a new venture. Analysis of the strengths and challenges of the entrepreneur and other team members. Considerations of the costs and benefits of becoming an "all in" entrepreneur. See more.
Business Model Validation Program What's the problem? How does your venture solve it? How will you make money? How big is the market? Put your business model to the test with a small group of mentors who will kick the tires of your basic assumptions. The mentors will examine and help you clarify the key aspects of your business model. For concept, prototype and early launch companies, as well as more established ventures facing challenges to their basic assumptions. See more.
Mock Angel Training In ITEN's Mock Angel Training Program companies present their investor pitch to a group of mentors with particular expertise in raising money and funding IT start-ups. The training begins with an initial pitch, followed by a period of focused mentoring, leading up to a second session in front of the Mock Angels that may result in graduation and referral to outside investors. For revenue-producing companies preparing for or already engaged in raising capital. See more.
Growth Acceleration Program Company building is quite different than building a product or application. Once a venture receives outside funding and/or achieves significant customer traction, new challenges arise. Growth Acceleration assists ventures with the challenges of building a company that will delight the venture's investors and customers. Access to investor groups, C-level corporate decision makers, prestigious service providers and sources of key talent. See More.
Beyond this core curriculum, ITEN also offers these specialized programs that address specific needs often encountered by growing technology ventures:
Technology and Architecture Mentoring Program Are you sure you're committing to the right platform? Can it scale to handle the growth you hope for? Wondering about cloud or servers? Open source or .Net? This program is for you. Present your strategy and challenges to an expert panel of the region's top techies who will validate your technology strategy or suggest alternatives. For companies at the concept stage or facing technology-related challenges needing expert input; must have a techie involved with the venture. See more.
E-Commerce/Web Business Mentoring Program The ITEN E-Commerce Program enables companies to present their online strategy and results-to-date to a group of very knowledgeable mentors and get direction and suggestions for how to improve their online revenue, SEO, and click-through results. For companies already launched with at least a few months' results from current e-commerce efforts. See more.
