Become a Mentor!

Are you a motivated industry leader with a passion for helping student founders? Apply to be an Almaworks mentor! We are proud to be supported by some of the most influential entrepreneurs and leaders in the NYC startup community.

To indicate your interest in mentoring, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page (or at this link). Feel free to email us with questions at almaworks@columbia.edu.

Mentorship Benefits

Network

  • Create lasting relationships with top Columbia University entrepreneurs and industry-leading mentors

  • Access to the Almaworks and CORE alumni network and private events

Branding

  • Firm logo featured as a sponsor on the CORE and Almaworks website

  • Additional paid sponsorship available upon further request.

Access

  • Unlimited passes to future Almaworks Demo Days

  • Priority access to CORE events and festivals. In the past, we’ve held events with Peter Thiel (Paypal, Palantir), Jack Dorsey (Twitter, Square), Alexis Ohanian (reddit), and Drew Houston (Dropbox)

Reach

  • Priority placement on the CORE startup jobs board

  • Free on-campus space reservations for firm events

  • Access to resume drops of Columbia students interested in entrepreneurship related opportunities

  • Free exhibition booths at startup expos

  • Promotion of firm events and materials through CORE social media and newsletters with collective reach of over 7,000 members of the Columbia community

  • Features of firm events and materials through Impulse, Columbia University’s startup and tech media outlet

Mentorship Responsibilities and Expectations

  • In-person appearance at at least one Friday session from 3:00pm to 6:00pm or at least 6 hours of office hours remotely

  • Willingness to extend conversations and mentorship beyond the Friday sessions

  • Frank and honest advice for the startups

  • Clear communication of scheduling conflicts and changes as soon as possible

The Mentorship Process

Before your scheduled office hours

  • Fill out the Almaworks Mentorship Form. If you’re a good fit, we’ll follow up, eventually agreeing upon office hour dates.

  • A week before your office hours, you will receive an email reminder confirming your availability for office hours

  • Once confirmed, a signup sheet will be sent out to startups to reserve time slots for your office hours. These time slots are usually finalized by Thursday so you can see which startups you’ll be interfacing with.

  • Two days before your office hours, you will receive an email reminder

  • The day before your office hours, you will receive an email and text reminder

The day of your scheduled office hours

  • Arrive at Columbia Startup Lab at 3:00 PM

  • Hold mentorship office hours throughout the session, meeting with the various teams that have reserved time for office hours. Often, not all office hours are booked so there will be room for breaks or for office hours to end early

  • Around 5pm, we will have free dinner for all the mentors and startups

  • Office hours officially end at 6:00 PM

Next Steps

Interested in joining the Almaworks family? Please fill out the form below to indicate your interest in mentoring. An Almaworks team member will reach out if you’re a good fit. Feel free to email any questions to almaworks@columbia.edu.