The New Ventures BC (NVBC) Mentor Program brings together NVBC Competition teams with dynamic, experienced business people who share a common interest and have the skills, contacts, or insight to help a team with their business plan.

Mentors, in turn, benefit from interacting with the most promising competition teams and have the chance to meet other entrepreneurial leaders.

Teams and mentors meet in round 3 of the competition (June - August).

As a team mentor, you will be responsible for assisting teams with their round three submissions. Or, you may sit on an expert panel before round three to either give teams feedback about their presentation or to respond to specific questions.

Who can be a mentor?
An NVBC mentor is a successful entrepreneur, venture capitalist, angel investor, or service professional who has registered with and been accepted by the NVBC organisers as a volunteer to help NVBC competition teams strengthen their venture plans.

NVBC Mentors should be aware that NVBC teams are generally at a very early stage as start-ups, and accordingly, that a wide range of skills and experience should be expected.

If your primary goal is to find a good investment or buy your way into equity, please do not volunteer.

Email us if you think your skills could benefit one of our participant teams.

 

Mentor Responsibilities

Team Mentors
Panel Mentors
Code of Ethics

Team Mentors

What team mentors do:
Team mentors are assigned to a specific team to help them find answers to the questions in round three. Mentors answer questions, provide focus, find holes in the business plan, brainstorm on possible partnerships, evaluate milestones, provide relevant contacts, evaluate presentations, lend advice on protecting intellectual property and applying for patents, lend advice on incorporating and are sometimes invited to join the team.

Time commitment:
We ask that each mentor commit to a minimum of four meetings over the course of the summer, at times agreed upon with their teams between June - August.

Matching:
NVBC will strive to match the interest and skills of our mentors with the business space and needs of the teams. NVBC will be responsible for assigning mentors to teams. Mentors can only be assigned to one team per competition.

Panel Mentors

What panel mentors do:
Along with five or six other panellists, you will hear five to six teams present their business idea. Each team has one hour. The panels take the form of mini-business advisory boards. A luncheon is provided for mentors, giving them a brief opportunity to network.

Within that limited timeframe, panel mentors provide constructive feedback, answer questions, direct focus, find holes in the business plan, brainstorm on possible partnerships, evaluate milestones, provide relevant contacts, evaluate a team's presentation and lend advice where appropriate. Written recommendations will be collected at the end of the session and relayed to each team by NVBC administration.

Code of Ethics and Conduct
This code of ethics and conduct reflects the principles and purpose of the New Ventures BC mentorship program. Of primary importance is that possible conflict of interest be acknowledged and avoided.

Responsibility of the mentor to the team

• Commitment to an effective and efficient mentorship program
• Confidential retention of all information and knowledge related to the team
• Honesty, constructive criticism
• Clear and direct communication, notifying team of any schedule conflict
• Professional conduct
• Commitment to the relationship marked by cooperation, courtesy and mutual trust.

Responsibility of the team to the mentor:

• Commitment to an effective and efficient mentorship program
• Confidential retention of all information and knowledge related to the individual and his/her professional position and/or company
• Professional conduct
• Honest, clear and direct communication, notifying mentor of any schedule conflict
• Commitment to the relationship marked by cooperation, courtesy and mutual trust.

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