The Idea Village IDEAx Accelerator Program
IDEAx is an intensive 6-month accelerator program that leverages successful entrepreneurs as mentors for a cohort of 10-15 early stage, New Orleans-based high growth companies. An assigned EIR (Entrepreneur-in-residence) is responsible for leading this cohort and helping the participating founders leverage critical resources to grow their businesses. Program resources include focused consulting, mentorship, professional services, capital access, and peer networking. The EIR will provide one-on-one project scoping, weekly office hours and strategic consulting. This program will kick-off in October 2017 and conclude in April 2018.
Application deadline extended!
We\’ve extended the deadline to apply for our IDEAx accelerator program to 11:59 pm CT on Friday, September 1. Don\’t miss the opportunity to get the guidance, support, and resources you need to scale your venture. Have questions about the program or its application process? Read our FAQ. Apply now for the IDEAx accelerator program for company founders focused on creating scalable and fundable businesses.
In recent years, The Idea Village has run three, 12-week accelerator programs in the fall and one capital-centric accelerator in the spring. This year, they are debuting a new model: a 6-month, industry-agnostic accelerator running from October 2017 through April 2018. The new format is designed for the program to have an even stronger impact on advancing the growth of each startup.
The IDEAx accelerator program provides direct support to the entrepreneurs in all facets of early stage companies, as well as access to the resources necessary to accelerate the growth of each venture. All participants are overseen by a dedicated Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR). This year, each participating company will also be matched with at least one official mentor for the duration of the program. Mentors and cohort companies are matched based on a shared industry, business model type, or other commonality.
The Idea Village was formed in 2000 by a group of New Orleans citizens who believed in the power of entrepreneurship to transform the community. The Idea Village is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides direct service to high impact entrepreneurs, convenes the ecosystem through New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW), and supports initiatives that strengthen our entrepreneurial infrastructure. The Idea Village received a Gold Excellence award from the International Economic Development Council for our Entrepreneur model in 2012 and was recognized as a top-three entrepreneurship ecosystem developer in 2014 by the Global Innovation Summit. For more information: www.ideavillage.org
The Entrepreneurs in Residence complement a CEOs or founders\’ strengths, leverage their companies’ strategic advantages and boost their brands’ output. With both sides seeing such incredible reciprocal benefits, it’s a win-win.
This year, IDEAx participants will work with Entrepreneurs-in-Residence Sloan Miller, a creative and technology industry veteran with a passion for community engagement, and Eugene Brill, a Business Strategy Advisor with more than 20 years of experience in business plan development. Sloan and Eugene were selected as the two Idea Village EIR\’s because of their:
- Desire and skill to coach, mentor, and advise entrepreneurs
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented flat organization
- Ability to hold people accountable
- Passion for building the New Orleans entrepreneurial community
Eugene and Sloan are approaching this position with enthusiasm and dedication.