MentorDeck - Mentoring Startups in South Carolina

Community Pledge

As a Mentor, I Pledge To:

Commit to sharing my knowledge, skills, and experiences openly, with no expectation beyond helping my mentee grow and succeed.
Listen Actively and understand the goals, challenges, and aspirations of my mentees, offering guidance tailored to their unique journey.
Empower and Inspire by providing constructive feedback, celebrating progress, and challenging mentees to reach new levels.
Stay Honest and Transparent, sharing real insights, struggles, and lessons to give my mentee a genuine perspective.
Honor Confidentiality and respect the privacy of any personal or professional information shared within our mentorship sessions.

As a Mentee, I Pledge To:

Be Open and Receptive, actively listening and considering the guidance provided by my mentor with respect and appreciation.
Take Ownership of My Growth by setting clear goals, embracing challenges, and implementing feedback constructively.
Show Respect and Appreciation for my mentor's time, efforts, and knowledge by being punctual, prepared, and engaged.
Ask Questions and Seek Clarity, approaching my learning journey with curiosity and a willingness to dig deeper.
Honor Confidentiality, respecting the trust placed in me by my mentor and maintaining the privacy of our discussions.

Together, We Pledge To:

Cultivate a Safe and Positive Community where respect, empathy, and encouragement guide our interactions.
Be Flexible and Understanding, recognizing that personal and professional schedules may occasionally shift, and communicating openly to
Grow Continuously by seeking and embracing learning opportunities that stretch our limits and bring out the best in each other.

Best Practices

Mentorship is a two-way street that requires commitment, trust, and open communication. Here are our recommended best practices for successful mentoring relationships.

Mentors in this community are not financially compensated throughout the program and should not expect anything in return. Mentors are expected to freely give their time,and respect the mentees who bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas.
Regular check-ins and consistent communication help build strong mentor-mentee relationships. Set clear expectations and goals from the beginning, and regularly evaluate progress together.
Remember to maintain professional boundaries while still being approachable and supportive. Document your journey and celebrate both small and large achievements along the way.
The topics you'll discuss with mentees is highly confidential. Please respect the confidentiality of the startup, founder, and team.

About Us

We believe that mentorship is essential at every stage of the startup journey. A lack of diverse perspectives can result in limited thinking and missed opportunities for innovation and growth. Mentorship should not be hindered by cumbersome manual introductions; it should be easily accessible and, over time, expand beyond South Carolina to include corporate partners, potential customers, investors, and startup founders from across the nation.

We created a statewide mentor network to serves as a community hub where individuals can connect, meet, and build relationships with the people needed to assist them on their entrepreneurial journey.

With the financial support of the South Carolina Department of Commerce, the Boyd Innovation Center, powered by GrowCo (BIC) has teamed up with nextGEN to launch a South Carolina based mentor network. This initiative brings together subject matter experts and founders to create a curated micro-network of trusted individuals, primarily located in Columbia and Greenville.

If you are interested in being added as a mentor, please contact the Boyd Innovation Center or nextGEN.