Venture Asheville’s mentorship program has enabled the growth and success of many area startups, including eleven out of fifteen of 2018’s Venture 15, ranking the area’s fastest-growing startups. The future is just as bright for Venture Asheville’s newest cohort, which is made up of sixteen area startups from the technology, outdoor gear, apparel, food & beverage, and social enterprise sectors.
“We’re really excited about the breadth of high-growth ventures and diversity of industries in this newest cohort,” said Venture Asheville Director Jeff Kaplan. “It’s a really talented group that will add a lot to the program, and our mentors are excited to get to work.”
The cohort includes the following companies:
- 3 Mountains
- Asheville Wedding Collective
- Bellyak
- Blue Spatial
- Boomerang Communications
- Burban
- Caraballo Skirts
- Critiqr
- Devil’s Foot Beverage Company
- Gnarcissist
- Kitsuma Bar
- Moonlight Makers
- Podcraft
- Relaspen
- Sparksmith
- Twistek
Modeled after the MIT Venture Mentoring Service, Elevate is a service provided by Venture Asheville as part of its strategy to systematically strengthen and support high-growth ventures in the Asheville area. Elevate alumni include top companies like French Broad Chocolates, JB Media Institute, Lolo, and No Evil Foods.
“The creative, entrepreneurial spirit can get squandered if it is not supported and encouraged. This is why an organization like Venture Asheville is so important – to support our local economy and to give inspired and motivated entrepreneurs the support and resources needed to pursue their dreams,” said Sara Stender, founder of a social enterprise named 3 Mountains that sells bulk loose leaf tea from Africa.
By matching entrepreneurs with highly skilled founders, C-level executives, and functional experts, the 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.
“I am looking forward to learning more from experienced entrepreneurs about all aspects of building a company. All my training and experience has been in clinical medicine, so entrepreneurship is very new to me,” said Jason Cook, founder of Relaspen, a startup that created a medical device used to instantly stop migraine headaches.
Startups engage with the Elevate program for an average of 12 to 24 months. In that time they will develop a long-term relationship with their team of mentors who are selected to compliment the challenges the startup is facing. In addition to the monthly mentorship sessions, startups receive professional development, pitch at the annual Demo Day event, and engage in peer-CEO-circles.
The public will have the opportunity to meet these entrepreneurs and see previous Elevate participants pitch at Demo Day on January 22nd, 4:00 p.m. at The Collider. Tickets will go on sale January 8th, 2019.
