At 3 Day Startup, we believe in engaging entrepreneurial experts who have lived experience, business knowledge, and passion for entrepreneurship education. In addition to our staff, 3 Day Startup also has an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) on deck to offer insight, advise leadership, and act as a mentor for students. In this blog, we will break down the role of an Entrepreneur in Residence and explain why having this team member is important to us.
What is an Entrepreneur in Residence?
An Entrepreneur in Residence is an accomplished professional who has experience starting a company, raising funds, building a team, and/or having a successful exit. An EIR works temporarily at an organization to provide advice to leadership, mentor future founders, build partnerships, and ultimately provide a helping hand in business development.
What does an EIR do for 3DS?
Entrepreneurs in Residence are expected to open doorways for our organization. This position lasts 5 months and can be extended if there is shared interest from both the EIR and the 3DS staff. We ask that EIRs select one or more ways they would like to engage with 3DS:
- Advising: Attending weekly leadership meetings to provide industry insight for upcoming programs and initiatives.
- Mentoring: Meeting on a weekly basis with one or more founders currently enrolled in accelerator. programs and/or attending ad-hoc workshops to support founders during team break out sessions.
- Facilitation: Leading accelerator sessions or University campus-based workshops.
- Business & Partnership Development: Leverage existing networks to expand impact.
- Executive Contribution: We welcome the opportunity for entrepreneurs to champion an initiative. Examples: supporting the launch of an accelerator in a new territory, curriculum development, fundraising activities, partnership development, etc.
What are the qualities of a 3DS Entrepreneur in Residence?
Our ideal Entrepreneur in Residence is an entrepreneur who has experience launching or running an early stage start-up. Professionals who have a deep expertise in start-up fundamentals and/or established networks that could allow us to expand our reach to communities of color are highly preferred.
Our preference is for leaders who have conviction around the idea that founders of color deserve access to entrepreneurship education and capital.
We would like our EIR to strengthen connections with HBCUs, MSIs as well as medium to large companies with a critical mass of young employees who could benefit from entrepreneurial leadership and product development training.
Stay tuned for our EIR announcement coming soon!
