Why Charlotte Needs More Mentoring Opportunities for Entrepreneurs

Thoreau had Emerson. Zuckerberg had Jobs. Winfrey had Angelou. Skywalker had Kenobi.

History (and movies) prove that the right connection between master and student can, in many cases, be the difference between success and failure.

But first – you have to find the right mentor.

David Jones from Peak 10 and Kevin Geriunas meet for the first time at Advent Coworking

Historically, Charlotte has suffered from a noticeable deficit in programs and organizations that cater to the mentoring needs of entrepreneurs. Although there are opportunities inside existing programs such as Queen City Forward, City Startup Labs or QC FinTech to get access to mentors, as of right now, it appears that the vast majority of Charlotte startups do not have an easy and affordable way to work with mentors. Most certainly this situation needs to change. Therefore building an effective mentorship program is one of the priorities of the CRFE.

“We are seeking to identify mentors with the right skill set, attitude, incentives to support entrepreneurs”-Walter Frye

Mentoring – and being mentored for that matter – is not easy. It takes time. Time to meet. Time to develop a rapport. Time to reflect. But once established, a strong bond between mentor and mentee can lead to a variety of positive outcomes such as:

  • Recruitment and retention of talent
  • Ecosystem Connectivity among Charlotte Corporations and Entrepreneurs
  • Promotion of Entrepreneurial Mindset

Here at CRFE we believe that intentional mentoring programs will be instrumental to business growth in Charlotte.

A great mentor can identify blind spots in a new business. Develop effective processes. Facilitate connections within their network. And, perhaps, most importantly provide authentic support to Charlotte’s next crop of thinkers, doers, and entrepreneurs.