Coaching

U.S. National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator

I collaborate with values-aligned public and private organizations to uplift their communities of innovators and founders on milestone planning, fundraising, pitching, storytelling, partnerships, and community building.

In 2023, I was hired independently to coach six (6) university teams around the U.S. of researchers, scientists, and academics funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Convergence Accelerator Program. All the teams were focused on the future of food and nutrition security. Each team received $750,000 in Phase 1 funding to take their initial idea to a proof of concept. Throughout 2023, I coached teams on their storytelling, prototyping, and pitching for Phase 2 funding.

Impact:

In February 2024, four out of the six teams I coached were awarded up to $5M each in Phase 2 funding for the next two (2) years, for a collective total of $20 million in awards. I will continue coaching for the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Convergence Accelerator and will go deeper with each of these teams on milestone planning, fundraising, pitching, storytelling, partnerships, community building, and sustainability models to drive impact beyond NSF’s support. In addition to coaching, I will also create content and facilitate workshops with these teams on fundraising and ownership. Some teams may become startups, nonprofits, or other structures by the end of Phase 2.