Venture Asheville Elevate

Our Elevate program enables startup entrepreneurs to simultaneously navigate the practical, day-to-day challenges of building great companies and develop their skills as effective managers, leaders and CEOs. Offering mentorship modeled on the MIT Venture Mentoring Service, Elevate is a service provided by Venture Asheville as part of our strategy to systematically strengthen and support high-growth ventures in the Asheville area.

PROGRAM FEATURES

• Team Mentoring Sessions with highly skilled founders, C-level executives and functional experts – matching 3 to 4 mentors with each entrepreneur in a highly dynamic environment

• Office Hours with Specialized Mentors including experts in HR, patents, finance, and branding

UNBIASED ADVICE IN A CONFIDENTIAL SETTING

Core to the the Elevate program is a Statement of Principles governing the standards and ethical guidelines that all mentors and entrepreneurs adhere to as a condition of participation. This ensures that entrepreneurs receive unbiased advice in a confidential setting whether in mentoring sessions or peer-to-peer group meetings. Our mentors listen, coach, and advise without scouting for investment opportunities, new clients, or a job.

BUILDING GREAT VENTURES AND GREAT LEADERS

Entrepreneurs accepted into Elevate learn how to perfect their products and services; identify, enter and grow new markets; build business organizations; seek funding; and become effective managers, leaders and CEOs.

COST AND PARTICIPATION

Elevate is free to participating entrepreneurs for their entire first year in the program. Entrepreneurs can continue to benefit from the program in subsequent years. To remain in good standing, entrepreneurs must maintain a 90% participation rate in all activities.

MANAGEMENT TEAM

Elevate is a service provided by Venture Asheville. Our team: Jeffrey Kaplan, Director of Venture Asheville, is Elevate’s Director (his bio).  Matt Godfrey is Elevate’s Senior Program Manager (his bio). Desiree Monstrola is Elevate’s Operations Manager (her bio).

MEET THE VENTURES IN ELEVATE 

Ventures may stay in Elevate as long as they remain in good standing, keep up with their monthly mentor meetings, founders luncheons, and continually work on their experience portfolio. The average startup is in Elevate for 12-24 months. As we have a rollin admission model, the set number of participating companies does shift, though we tend to have 20-30 members at any time. Scroll through the currently active startups below.

OUR MENTORS are highly experienced volunteers with great depth and range of experience.  See some of them below.