The fellowship continues, here.
Good things start
with a connection.
Ideas, asks, offers, and projects from Edmund Hillary Fellows. Explore freely; sign in as a fellow to join in.
Fellow sign inA little help can start something
Happening in the Commons
Something to contribute, an offer to explore, or a story to help share.
Explore the commons
2 connections to explore
Tools & possibility
Technology that helps good ideas take shape.
Startup mentoring: from idea to exit
Building something—or trying to figure out whether you should? I’m happy to be a sounding board and help you work through the next step. I’m a serial entrepreneur and the managing director of Big Lever Ventures. My experience spans building products, leading venture-backed companies, developing business models, raising capital, and bringing new ideas to market. I also teach strategy and innovation at Drexel and have mentored at Techstars. Things I can help with: - Getting started: Clarifying your idea, testing assumptions, and figuring out what to build first. - Venture formation: Thinking through the business model, founding team, and structure. - Problem solving: Working through a difficult decision, a stalled project, or an obstacle. - Funding: Developing your fundraising strategy, sharpening your pitch, and preparing for investor conversations. - Go to market: Understanding your customers, positioning your offer, and planning your launch. - AI: Exploring where AI could help your venture and how to put it to practical use. You don’t need a polished pitch or a fully formed company. Early ideas, existing ventures, and nonprofit projects are all welcome. Tell me what you’re working on, where you’re stuck, and what would make a conversation useful.
Big Lever Institute
Welcoming collaboration
A while back I floated an idea here in the fellowship: a nonprofit that gives people a free, hands-on onramp to the AI era, built the way founders actually build. Fellow EHFer Deborah Crowe saw that post and joined the board, and today Big Lever Institute (a 501(c)(3)) is live and delivering programming at no cost. The Institute grew out of Big Lever Ventures, my AI-native venture studio. Ventures builds products and companies; the Institute builds capability and shares what works openly. That means studio-style cohorts with weekly build/ship/learn cycles, portfolio-driven outcomes instead of certificates, and open playbooks, prompts, and guides any person or organization can reuse. Paths are available for aspiring founders, operators, and people combining both. New programming is rolling out continually. If you know recent grads, career-switchers, founders, or educators wrestling with AI, I’d be grateful if you shared our programming and mission.
In collaboration with Deborah Crowe