Mentoring

MENTORS

• Mentors are volunteers
• Mentors are not advisors or consultants, but are guides
• Mentoring has great benefits
  • Free mentor training session
  • Exclusive access to handpicked startups
  • Exclusive network of mentors
  • Ability to earn mentor certification
  • Give back to your community
  • OBI highlights its mentors in the monthly newsletter
• Mentors are matched with a mentee in a structured matching process
  • Matching process takes place twice a year
  • Includes a pitch meeting, followed by matchmaking
• Mentors volunteer 2 hours per month with their mentee for 6 months
  • Mentor may not invest in or do paid work for mentee for one year after the match date
  • Mentors must sign a non-disclosure agreement with Mentee
• Mentor fills out an exit survey at the end of the program
• Mentor and mentee may continue the mentoring or other business relationship after the program ends

Next cohort begins July 1, 2020

Apply to Become a Mentor
Application dates April 15-May 1
https://form.jotform.com/otradi/obi-mentoring-mentor

MENTEES

• Mentoring helps you grow your business!
  • A recent survey from Kabbage found that only 22% of businesses had mentors when they started their business
  • 92% of business who have a mentor say mentoring has directly impacted their business growth and survival
• Mentees are matched with mentors in a structured matching process which takes place twice a year
  • Prospective mentees prepare a 5-minute pitch
  • They pitch their business needs in a pitch meeting
  • OBI matches mentees and mentors after the pitch session
• Mentoring time commitment
  • Mentee meets with mentor 2 hours a month for 6 months
  • Mentee checks in with OBI once per month
  • Mentee is responsible for any homework and their own outcomes
• Mentee fills out exit survey at the end of the program and again after one year
• Mentee and mentor may opt to continue the mentoring or other business relationship after the program ends
• Next cohort begins July 1, 2020

Apply to Become a Mentee
Application dates May 1-May 15
https://form.jotform.com/otradi/obi-mentoring-mentee