In the last two years, the Boston University Office of Technology Development has significantly grown its Kindle Mentoring Program to increase the engagement of successful BU alums and the greater Boston entrepreneurial community with the New Ventures process. Boston University and BMC together represent more than $400 million in research awards and support a research community of more than 3,900 faculty and 32,000 students, and the Kindle program provides a unique opportunity for seasoned entrepreneurs and business executives to have direct and meaningful interaction with the BU community to facilitate early stage business formation.
Our Kindle Mentors are seasoned entrepreneurs and business executives from a variety of industries and business occupations, who volunteer to work individually or in groups with their chosen mentee projects. Through this engagement, they have opportunity to network with other mentors via regular meetings, needing to commit only a few hours a month. All mentors agree to adhere to a strict code of conduct, consistent with the university’s mission, to ensure that the mentees receive objective counsel.
The BU Kindle Program brought has brought on over 80 new mentors since 2011, with over 65 currently active. At a recent meeting, OTD thanked several outstanding mentors for their service, including Joe Caruso (Owner, Bantam Group), Matt Crowley, (CEO, Sonify and former OTD Director), Ed Berger (Founder, Larchmont Strategic Advisors), Ian Mashiter (Entrepreneurial Educator, BUSM), Steven Saunders (Patent Attorney and Angel Investor), Terry Russell (Managing Director of Interface Ventures and serial entrepreneur), and Joe Straight (former CEO, Verax, ZymeQuest). We look forward to seeing the results of their continued efforts.
If interested in being a mentor, please register here:
http://www.bu.edu/otd/industry-investors-entrepreneurs/kindle-mentoring-program/
OTD Director Vinit Nijhawan (center) and Michael Pratt (second from left) thank: Ed Berger, Matt Crowley, Steven Saunders, Terry Russell, Joe Straight, Ian Mashiter, and Joe Caruso (not pictured) at February’s Kindle Mentor meeting.
