Center for Entrepreneurial Studies Mentorship Program
The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies is launching a new mentorship program to pair Seton Hall University students interested in entrepreneurship with volunteer mentors. The mentors may be SHU alumni, entrepreneurs, investors, or professionals who advise entrepreneurs. The mentors have a desire to share their experience and knowledge in areas that include management, marketing, finance, accounting, legal issues, startup business development strategy, and product development.
For students, the Entrepreneurs Mentoring Network program provides an opportunity to obtain “real-world” advice and feedback on startup business ideas for the Center’s annual Seton Hall University Pirates Pitch Startup Competition and other collegiate business competitions, or launch a new venture. For students who have already started a business, the mentorship program can provide guidance about operating and growing a business.
For mentors, the program provides an opportunity to meet and interact with innovative and passionate students and guide students in evaluating their ideas and concepts. There will also be opportunities to share stories of your successes with entrepreneurship classes and with student entrepreneurship clubs.
Students
Students, the Entrepreneurs Mentoring Network program is right for you if:
- You have an innovative idea for a new venture and would like an experienced entrepreneur to provide feedback to help you determine if the idea is viable, as well as receive guidance on how you can do research and take other actions to proceed.
- You have written an executive summary or business plan for Pirates Pitch or other business competition and would like feedback.
- You are developing a business idea and have legal and/ or accounting questions and would like general advice on these issues.
- You have already launched a startup, and seek guidance and feedback on how to get your venture to the next level.
- You are curious about entrepreneurship, and would like to speak to a successful entrepreneur about what’s involved.
- You would like to invite an entrepreneur to speak to a student club event.
Mentors
Mentors are Seton Hall University alumni or friends of the University. Mentors are encouraged to hold a face-to-face meeting with students on the South Orange campus, and then correspond via SKYPE, email or by phone. The following areas represent the types of support that mentors provide:
- Help with developing or reviewing a business model
- Advice on obtaining market or customer-level feedback
- General career advice for those interesting in being an entrepreneur
- General advice on topics about patents or other legal issues
- Technical input regarding a product
- Speaking about your career experiences with students in classes or at student club events
How does the Entrepreneurs Mentoring Network program Work? The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies will introduce an entrepreneurship student, or a group of entrepreneurship students working on a project, to a mentor. The students and the mentor can arrange to meet at the University, including holding a meeting at the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies on the fifth floor of Jubilee Hall (Room 528). Mentors and mentees can follow up with other contact, if necessary. The entire mentoring process for a given project should take an average of one to three hours of time over a period that can range from one day to three or four weeks.
For more information, contact Susan Scherreik, Founding Director, Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, at [email protected].