Help bright ideas take flight
When it comes to navigating the road from bright idea to successful, scalable commercialisation, the guidance of someone who’s already been there can change the game.
Become a mentor
Empowering others to succeed and thrive can be deeply satisfying. The Macquarie Mentor Program connects founders with experts to help them navigate their startup journey and share insights that can amplify and accelerate their success. For mentors, it’s a rich opportunity to enhance your coaching, communication and leadership skills, expand your networks, and grow your reputation as a leading expert.
Mentoring is a two-way street. When you commit as a mentor and open up to the process, there’s deep satisfaction in helping others succeed and thrive. You’ve worked hard to learn the lessons, and transferring the skills and knowledge accumulated throughout your career — and giving back to the University community can be genuinely rewarding.
How it works
Finding and maintaining the right fit is where the magic truly happens. Every aspect of the program – from application and onboarding to pairing resident startups with the right mentors – is carefully managed to unleash the incredible potential in every partnership. The heart of our Incubator community, mentors provide personalised advice and group sessions, run workshops, and participate in networking events, judging panels, pitching sessions, peer-to-peer sessions, Lunch & Learn forums, and so much more.
Mentoring partnerships are a flexible understanding between the Incubator, startups and mentors. It’s entirely voluntary; you choose how much time you devote to the process and can leave at any time – all we ask is that existing commitments are honoured.
During their time at the Incubator, mentors can be contacted to help different startups. It is up to the mentor to decide if they will be the right fit to help with the startups problem.
Mentors and mentees are matched based on the mentor's skills and experience and the mentee’s needs and interests.
We actively seek out those with work and life experience in the business community, spanning all stages of the entrepreneurial process. Great potential for impact comes from:
Experience
- extensive practical industry experience and knowledge in specific business and technical fields
- successful commercialisation of a new and innovative product, process or service
- investment in early-stage ventures and/or attracting seed, startup or expansion capital
- having IPO’d or sold a business
Network
- well-established professional networks, domestically and/or internationally
- willingness and ability to open up your network when relevant
Engagement, motivation and time
- interest in helping others to commercialise new IP, products and services
- desire to support others and ability to commit time to the process
Ability to listen and guide
- willingness to listen
- ability to guide (not instruct or lead) others through new territory and challenges
- help founders realise the options and opportunities around them
In 2021 we launched our Digital Mentor Badge and Certificate. This digital credential is awarded annually to current mentors as a sign of their expertise and ongoing contribution to the Macquarie University Incubator community.
Who can apply?
Our resident startups are diverse, and so is our mentor network. We seek mentors across the full spectrum of industries and professions, ready to share their work and life experience in business, industry, capital raising and investment, and the entrepreneurial journey. We currently have mentors located all over the world, including Australia, the United States and Singapore.
Sound like you? Let’s talk
Complete the application form on the Mentor page of our website, and we’ll be in touch.
If you have any questions, please reach out to James Linton, in charge of our Incubator Networks at james.linton@mq.edu.au.