Overview

Startup Boost (now FoundersBoost) is a pre-accelerator for early-stage startups, an evolution of Techstars’ Startup Next program, which I’d helped launch in China years earlier. In Los Angeles it has worked with 135+ companies and become part of the Southern California startup scene.

In 2020 I co-directed two cohorts, then stayed on as a mentor.

What I Did

• Recruited and selected startups from across Southern California: from 300+ applicants, we picked 15 companies for the spring and fall 2020 “pandemic” cohorts
• Ran the 6-week program: weekly sessions with startup speakers and investors, pitch practice, and one-on-one mentoring, moved online when COVID hit
• Coached on customer development, including a talk on customer development for startups

Results

• Three companies went on to accelerators: Techstars LA, Techstars Korea, and Amplify
• Alumni included Techstars-backed FoundrySix and Sike Insights, pre-seed funded Washington Abstract, and revenue-generating companies like Pickl and YouMeMine