Mentors
NAV mentors are more than advisors – they’re catalysts for growth.
NAV mentors are more than advisors – they’re catalysts for growth.
As a NAV mentor, you’ll join a community of experienced leaders helping to shape the next generation of passionate ventures in North Atlanta. It’s a rewarding way to give back, stay connected to innovation, and make a lasting impact where it matters most.
NAV’s unique team-based mentoring model, principled & trained by the MIT Venture Mentoring Service, allows you to contribute your expertise alongside fellow executives, founders, & specialists.
Mentors are carefully selected based on their experience & expertise, as well as their passion & ability to serve.
We welcome mentors of any field or industry – whether as a startup founder, C-level executive, retired executive, or serial entrepreneur. This wide range of experience brings a unique wealth of knowledge across a broad range of markets & industries to our ventures.
I get the opportunity to ask my mentors questions about the processes and problems I’m having. I don’t know what I don’t know. It’s fantastic to take advantage of their experience and their generosity.
Mentor
Once accepted, NAV mentors are expected to commit fully to a minimum of one team, attend bi-monthly mentor meetings, and communicate in a timely manner.
Our bi-monthly mentor meetings are an opportunity for mentors to connect with one another and the NAV team. We’ll discuss updates, best practices, challenges, and hear new companies pitch their venture.
Mentors and entrepreneurs adhere to a strict code of ethics and guiding principles to protect participants on both sides of the table, which are covered during the on-boarding process. These guidelines ensure that all ventures will receive impartial and unbiased advice from their team of mentors.
Launched in 2019, the North Atlanta Venture Mentoring Service (NAV) offers free, team-based mentorship to ventures looking to scale & grow.
NAV is the 90th sister program of the MIT Venture Mentoring Service and the first of its kind in Georgia.
NAV is a program of Startup Cherokee – where innovative ideas get a fresh start. Startup Cherokee is a vibrant and energizing hub for trailblazing startups and bold entrepreneurs, powered by the Cherokee Office of Economic Development.
If you have a passion to give back to the business community and have the skillset to coach ventures, Apply now to start your application.
Mentor applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis based on the fit and capacity of the program.
NAV values diversity and inclusion. We are looking to intentionally include a myriad of mentors from a host of diverse backgrounds, skillsets, industries, and genders from around the Metro Atlanta region.
We welcome mentors of any field or industry across a multitude of areas regarding business formation, operations, scaling – whether as a startup founder, C-level executive, retired executive, or serial entrepreneur.
NAV mentors are expected to commit fully to a minimum of one team, attend bi-monthly mentor meetings, and communicate in a timely manner.
Both regular mentor sessions and the bi-monthly mentor meetings are 90 minutes. Most venture teams meet once a month for regular mentor sessions. You will also need time for preparation and communication between sessions.
Mentors are expected to attend at least 4 bi-monthly mentor meetings, as these are essential to staying aligned, sharing insights, and strengthening the collective impact of our mentor community.
A mentor specialist is an NAV mentor who has niche skills and expertise in a particular area like legal, marketing, human resources, finances, accounting, operations, and sales.
Office hours are available to NAV ventures when they have a specific need that is best addressed one-on-one with a specialist. Office hours are offered in 1-hour blocks of time with NAV specialists only.
The MIT Venture Mentoring Service model offers a unique team-based approach to mentorship.
Both ventures and mentors apply and go through an interview and on-boarding process to ensure the integrity and fit of program participants.
Accepted ventures pitch to the NAV mentors at the bi-monthly mentor meetings to be matched with a carefully curated team. Mentorship teams are initially formed based on the needs of the entrepreneur and the interest & expertise of mentors.
NAV venture teams are fluid and can change throughout the duration of the program based on the venture’s evolving needs.
MIT VMS has a proven track record of success in both higher-ed, economic development organizations, and startup innovation hubs.
The unique selling point of this model is the team-based approach to mentorship, which offers a diverse set of expertise from each mentor.
Become a NAV mentor and help North Atlanta’s most promising ventures grow and thrive.
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