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The Mentorship Issue
Why having someone in your corner changes the game
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🪷 From our team:
This week, we’ve been thinking a lot about mentorship and what it really means. Mentorship is a lifelong bond, and you can have more than one: a mentor from school, a mentor from your summer internship, even a classmate a couple years ahead of you.
To succeed, we need those connections and a helping hand to steer us in the right direction. As the new school year approaches, we’ll all face different choices: which clubs to join, which classes to take, which internships to apply for, and what should be our next step in our careers.
Mentors help us stay grounded. They’re the people who want the best for us, who see a bit of themselves in us, and we’re grateful for their guidance.
📖 Mentorship Pays Off: The Data Behind Startup Success
In the startup and VC world, mentorship isn’t a luxury it’s a must. It’s a real competitive advantage that fuels personal growth, strategic direction, and strong networks. We want to build while learning from those who’ve succeeded and just as importantly, from those who’ve failed. When you’re creating something from scratch, any direction is a good direction.
Don’t believe us? Amir Sariri conducted a study titled “The Economics of Advice: Evidence from Startup Mentoring” to find out whether mentorship actually causes better outcomes for startups, or if it’s just a coincidence.
🔍️ Here’s what he found:
Each additional hour of mentorship increased a startup’s chance of raising above-median funding by about 3%.
It also raised the odds of still being in business four years later by about 1%.
Good mentors helped founders focus on high-impact work, run better experiments, and stop spreading themselves too thin.
Mentorship made founders better at designing, running, and learning from experiments especially when guided by mentors with real operational experience.
Mentorship isn’t just a buzzword or a nice-to-have connection. It’s something that can help you move faster, work smarter, and stay grounded with someone in your corner.
👋 Meet the GIVC mentors
We want to take a moment to thank and highlight some of the mentors in our community. This year, GIVC team members are paired with amazing mentors who offer exposure, guidance, and perspective as they explore and pursue careers in venture capital and startups.
💵 Investor at Pace Capital, prev. at Human Ventures and Theia Ventures
💻️ Has a blog/website where she writes about startups, culture, tech, and design: Check it out here!
🏫 Stanford undergrad, studied abroad at London School of Economics
🗣️ Trilingual (English, Spanish, Chinese)
🤖 Co-Founder of an AI company that’s still in Stealth
👩🏭 Previously an Associate at Techstars
🤝 Founder of Naija Comm a multimedia company dedicated to supporting Nigerians in overlooked fields
🏫 BA in Public Relations from the University of Houston, MBA from Prairie View A&M University
💰️ Investor at Centana Growth Partners
🏧 Previously an investment banker at Morgan Stanley
🏫 BBA & BS in information from the University of Michigan
🖥️ Analyst at Innospark Ventures
✏️ Previously a Venture Capital Fellow at Included VC
👩🎓 BS in Biomedical Engineering at UT Austin & Master of Bioengineering at Rice University
🗣️ Bilingual: English and Persian
💰️ Head of Product at Battery Ventures
👩💻 Previously Founder of Conscioux
📚️ BBA from University of Wales & John Cabot University
💻️ Senior Associate at The Artemis Fund
🎤 Host of Female Founders + Friends Austin
👩🎓 Economics degree from Rice University
🗣️ Bilingual English and French
The GIVC team could not be happier to have these strong women by our side!
❓️ How to Find Your Next Mentor
Finding a mentor is not an exact science, sometimes the opportunity falls in our lap and we by chance meet an exciting individual we would love to learn more from, but sometimes we need to actively look for that person. So how can you find your next mentor?
Campus networks: Student organizations, entrepreneurship centers, and alumni groups often have mentorship programs or speaker events. Don’t be afraid to follow up with someone you meet at one of these.
Accelerators and VC fellowships: Programs like Dorm Room Fund, VC Unlocked, or OnDeck often pair students or aspiring founders with experienced mentors.
LinkedIn: It’s not weird to cold message someone you admire. Keep it short, specific, and respectful. A good message shows you’ve done your homework and want their insight, not just their time.
Mentorship platforms: Sites like GrowthMentor, MentorCruise, or First Round’s Fast Track offer access to startup and VC mentors for structured, goal-oriented support.
Events and conferences: In-person or virtual, these are great places to meet people who are open to sharing their experience. A meaningful conversation can turn into a long-term connection.
The key is to reach out with curiosity and clarity. Most people are happy to help someone who's genuinely interested and willing to learn. You don’t need one perfect mentor, you just need to start somewhere.
GIVC Member Reflects on the Power of Mentorship
“I feel like I’ve gathered a team of mentors throughout my life: my sergeants during the military, professors in school, coworkers at my current internship, family friends, and most importantly, my parents. Anyone who took time out of their day to teach me something or help me when I wasn’t sure what the next step was, which is a constant occurrence as I continue to grow and build myself, is a mentor in my eyes, even if they don’t know it themselves.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be someone I speak with regularly, just someone who impacted a decision or shifted the trajectory of my future in a meaningful way. I’ve been shaped by so many amazing people and leaned on their advice for things I now consider my biggest wins. It only feels right to give them that title.”
📔 Girls Into VC Fellowship: Session 9 Wrap-Up
As we wrapped up Session 9, fellows showcased their final projects and reflected on what they’ve built over the past few months. Take a look at what the girls built:
💡 Project Presentations:
Built a full market strategy for an ADHD productivity app. After competitor analysis, feature planning, and go-to-market strategy, she joined the startup as COO.
Researched how AI is disrupting high finance roles. Compared tools like Clarity, Casual, and Daloopa, and explored the future of AI-driven investing.
Analyzed Sequoia’s defense portfolio and created her own investment thesis around the future of warfare and deep tech.
Pitched an investment in Tender Foods, a Harvard-born startup creating structured plant-based meat. Backed by top-tier VCs and tech, she made a compelling case for growth and impact.
As the final weeks of the fellowship are fastly approaching we’re incredibly proud of what this cohort has accomplished, and we can’t wait to see how they carry this momentum forward.
👋 As we wrap up this edition, we hope you walk away with a reminder: mentorship doesn’t just shape careers it shapes people. Whether you're a fellow building your first pitch deck, a student navigating next steps, or someone just beginning to explore this space, you don’t have to do it alone.
Lean on your mentors, reach out to someone new, and don’t be afraid to ask. That next conversation might just change your trajectory.
We’re so proud of our GIVC community and the work you’re doing. Keep learning, keep building, and keep showing up for each other. See you next time!
— The GIVC Team 💗