Mentor or Coach African-American Millennial Entrepreneurs

Save to Favorites

City Startup Labs, a Charlotte-based non-profit, has been "creating a new class of entrepreneurs" among African American millennials in their quest to launch new and profitable ventures. Functioning as an accelerator-incubator hybrid, the CSL program is unique in its focus on this population and the building of three classes of assets: human capital, social capital, and economic capital. City Startup Labs is a recipient of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Open Inclusion Grant.

Mentor OR Coach--either of the roles is critical to how CSL supports the entrepreneurial endeavor. It's a chance to engage with bright, innovative, young people eager to make their mark and make a difference. But, along their journey we want you to experience the role in a manner that best suits where you are in your head and heart. We are seeding the creation of social capital through your work in either of these roles.

A "Mentor" is an accountability partner--working alongside the participant as they go through a process of self-discovery and how to "be" an entrepreneur. And when life gets in the way (which it's bound to), the mentor is there to aid with course-correction. You are a key building block in their community.

The "Coach" is someone who is an industry, subject-matter or business expert. The coach has the chops to be able to guide the participant through building a business case and deliverable product or service. Additionally, the coach is serving as a much needed advisor, thereby adding to community as well.

There is no fixed schedule or location for meeting with your mentee; this is an "on your own time" opportunity. There is, however, a mandatory orientation on August 28th from 6-9pm. Our 2018-2019 class runs from September through March, culminating in a Demo Day for graduating participants.

To apply to be a mentor/coach, please complete our application at https://citystartuplabs.com/mentorcoach-app/