Fostering Student Innovation

This month's mentoring corner features insights from YEI's inaugural Lead Venture Mentor, Victor Budnick. Victor has been working with teams for the past year and now offers advice for those looking to mentor student entrepreneurs.

People, who themselves have successfully launched or led their own businesses, frequently bring a wealth of contacts, leadership skills and expertise to guiding novice entrepreneurs. However, a key strength shared by experienced entrepreneurs--a bias to action—is exactly the kind of mindset which can undermine the ability to mentor.

Each month, YEI features the startup advice of one member of our mentor network. This month’s column is contributed by YEI’s newest corporate partner, the accounting firm of Bailey Murphy & Scarano, LLC. Among their helpful offerings for new entrepreneurs is a basic manual that covers “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Opening Your Own Business," available on request.

Each month, YEI features the startup advice of one member of our mentor network. February’s mentor is Susan Froschauer, formerly the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, which, under her leadership, has raised more than $148 million in private equity and grew a pipeline of clinical stage programs and an antibiotic drug discovery process. She sits on YEI’s Operating Board and is an advisor to Encendia BioChar and Iron Ventures.

Each month, YEI will feature the startup advice of one member of our mentor network. Our inaugural mentor is Retail Optimization CEO Wes Bray, a seasoned entrepreneur with an extensive range of consumer and B2B marketing experience, both client and agency side, as well as a member of YEI’s Advisory Council.