Introduction to the Mentors / Experts Management
The Mentors / Experts Management feature allows administrators and sub-administrators to seamlessly integrate external advisors into their ecosystem. Mentors play a crucial role in evaluating applicants, advising founders, and sharing specialized industry knowledge.
By utilizing this feature, you can control mentor access levels, align their specific expertise with the right startups, and manage their scheduling data. This ensures your startups receive targeted guidance while giving you full oversight of all coaching touchpoints.
Where to Find Mentors / Experts Management
To access these tools, log into your admin account and click on Startups in the top navigation bar. From the dropdown menu, select Mentors Management.
Step-by-Step Actions
1. Invite Mentors
Start by inviting new mentors to join your network. From the Mentors Management section, click on the Add New User button.
- Enter the mentor's name, email, and user role.
- Once invited, the mentor will receive an email to join the platform.
- Invitation email is customizable by you from the Email Management Section under the section Onboarding Process
2. Assign Mentors to Programs and Startups
a. Assign a Mentor to Specific Startups (Mentors Management)
- Go to the Mentors Management section.
- Locate the mentor you want to assign, then click on the Edit Icon located on the right side.
- Click Assign Startups dropdown menu, then choose the specific startups from the dropdown list to assign to this mentor.
b. Bulk Assign Mentors to Multiple Startups (Startups Management)
- Navigate to the Startups Management section by selecting Startups from the top menu.
- Here, you can select multiple startups simultaneously, and then use the bulk actions to assign one or more mentors to all selected startups at once.
c. Assign Mentors from a Startup Profile (Startup File)
- Open the Startup File for the specific startup you want to manage.
- Click on the edit icon next to the Connection section. This will allow you to select multiple mentors from the dropdown and assign them directly to the startup.
3. Manage Mentor Availability
Mentors can set their availability for meetings through their Availability calendar in AcceleratorApp. Learn more about it here.
To view or manage the mentor's availability on their behalf, from the Mentor Management section click on the Edit Icon on the right of the mentor’s name and click on the button View/Edit Availability. Here, you can adjust time slots based on the mentor’s preferences.
4. Facilitate Startup and Mentor Connections
- Once assigned, startups can view and book sessions with mentors through the mentor’s profile.
- Direct them to the "Community" section, where they can access their assigned mentors and schedule meetings within available time slots. To learn more about it click here.
5. Track Mentor-Startup Interactions
In the Activity Feed section, you can monitor scheduled meetings, coaching sessions, and notes, as well as track all mentor and expert activities with startups. Click here to learn more about the Activity Feed.
In the Startup Portfolio, you can generate a report on coaching sessions that have taken place within the portfolio. Click here for more details on reporting.
In the Mentors Management you can generate a report about your mentors including the number of hours they spent with your startuos based on coaching sessions information
Tips & Best Practices
- Encourage mentors to keep their availability updated for better scheduling.
- Use program-specific assignments to ensure mentors focus on startups that align with their expertise.