Mentor Signup for the 2023 NIA Healthy Aging Start-Up Challenge

Please fill out this brief form to help NIA identify mentors and match mentors to mentees. Volunteers are needed from Aug 2023 - Jan 2024; mentoring commitments are virtual and flexible. 
  
Read more about the challenge and how to apply as a participant.
  
For any questions, or to set up a meeting to learn more about the Challenge prior to signing up as a mentor, please contact Mentoring Director Jamie Lahvic, Ph.D., at NIAstartupchallenge@mail.nih.gov
 
Mentorship in the Healthy Aging Startup Challenge
 
Each finalist team will be matched with one mentor and a team of 2-4 advisors. Mentors meet with the team virtually twice a month and provide overall advice on growing the company, developing the business plan, and honing the investor pitch. Advisors make themselves available for occasional calls and emails to answer questions according to their expertise. NIA will match mentors with finalists based on the finalists’ needs, the mentors’ expertise, and shared relevant backgrounds. You can choose a mentor role, an advisor role, or you can work with multiple companies in multiple roles!

  • Time commitment: 1-5 hours per month, according to mentor availability, Aug 2023 - Jan 2024.
  • Format: virtual meetings, flexible schedule determined by mentor and mentee.
  • Each mentor will receive an honorarium in appreciation of their participation.
 
Challenge Mentors’ Timeline:
 

Mentor-mentee matching June 22 - June 29
Virtual Program Kickoff July 25
Challenge Program Aug - Jan
Virtual Graduation TBD, Dec or Jan
Mentors will also be invited to meet the finalist cohort at HLTH 2023 in Las Vegas in October, and to assist in technical review of applications.
 

Expertise and Backgrounds Sought

Finalists will be learning to refine their start-up pitch, identify markets and investors, and start a healthy aging business. We are seeking mentors with expertise in entrepreneurship, investing, product development, digital health, or science and technology related to healthy aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

In addition, NIA is prioritizing outreach to groups underrepresented in life sciences entrepreneurship. Mentoring relationships with individuals of shared backgrounds and experiences are especially beneficial to mentee success, so we are especially excited to recruit mentors with unique or underrepresented backgrounds.

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* 1. Name

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* 2. Email

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* 3. Title

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* 4. Company or Organization

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* 5. Please provide a URL for your resume, CV, LinkedIn profile page, or similar:

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* 6. Relevant areas of expertise, check all that apply:

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* 7. Personal background. Research shows that mentees benefit from mentorship from individuals with shared identities and backgrounds. NIA will be prioritizing Challenge outreach to groups underrepresented in biomedical research and entrepreneurship. To help in matching mentors and mentees, we invite you to choose any of the identities and backgrounds below that you identify with. This question is not required.

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* 8. Would you like to match with a finalist team as a MENTOR?  Throughout the five month bootcamp, mentors meet twice a month with the finalist team and provide overall feedback and guidance.

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* 9. Would you like to match with finalist teams as an ADVISOR?  Advisors answer finalist questions over emails or occasional meetings on an as-needed basis for their finalist team(s).

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* 10. Would you like to add any comments about your availability? For instance "I'm happy to mentor two teams, or advise up to 4 teams, but I won't have time to do both!" 

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* 11. Is there a type of technology, company, or founder you envision mentoring? For instance "I can provide guidance for physician-scientist founders balancing their clinical duties and entrepreneurship." or "I am especially interested in coaching teams working on digital health solutions for underserved communities." 

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* 12. How did you hear about the Healthy Aging Start-Up Challenge?

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