MassChallenge

Finals Logistics and

Mentorship

John Harthorne john@masschallenge.org

Akhil Nigam akhil@masschallenge.org

DRAFT
Agenda

•Finals Logistics – Dates and Format

•Mentorship - Update

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October 11th – Oct 18th will be judging week

Date Key milestone

Sept 20 –
• Demo Days
Sept 24
October 11-
• Pre Judging – All 111 teams pitch
12
October 15
• Final Judging – 26 teams (13 each day) present
October 18

Oct 21 • Final Award Ceremony. 10-20 companies awarded

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Demo Days

• Allow companies to practice pitching before final

Purpose judging.
• Open House - Connect with customers, other
mentors and investors. Demo products.

• Sept 20 – Sept 23 (evenings) - Pitch days

Dates and Times • Sept 24 – Open House; Fan Pier

• Pitch days – 3 minute pitch in front of audience

Format and streamed on the web – collect feedback online
• Open House – Public invited. Big Science Fair –
people can walk around and meet companies

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Pre-judging

•111 companies pitch to a panel of judges

Purpose •26 selected to move on to final judging

•Oct 11 and 12 – All Day

Dates and Times

•Similar to 2nd round of judging

Format •10 minute pitch, 10 minute QA
•Submit the following in advance:
•Brief 2 pager regarding your company
•Your pitch deck

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Final Judging

•26 companies pitch in front of panel

Purpose

•Oct 15th and Oct 18th

Dates and Times

•5 Minute pitch, 5 minute QA

Format •Submitted in advance:
•Brief 2 pager regarding your company
•Your pitch deck
•Feedback from pre-judging

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Final Ceremony

• Big Award show with media, PR, high level

Purpose speakers

•Oct 21st 4PM – 5:30PM – Networking hrs

Dates and Times •Oct 21st 5:30PM – 8:30PM - Ceremony

•26 companies pitch – 3 minute per company

Format •Final awards announced and awarded

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Judging criteria

•What impact are you targeting?

Compelling vision
and impact

• Why is your business model the right approach?

Sustainability and
• Is it scalable and sustainable?
scalability

• Are you positioned to win?

Asset and position • What assets give you a competitive advantage?
Team, IP, partnerships, etc.

Execution: •What progress have you made?

•Are you executing against your goals?
Progress to date
•What have you accomplished in the last 3
months?

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Agenda

•Finals Logistics – Dates and Format

•Mentorship

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Mentorship: Goals

Mentorship Goal

Help you create great companies

by enabling ACCESS to key resources from the ecosystem to catalyze growth

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Mentorship: Goals

One MESSAGE

URGENCY – YOU SHOULD GET YOUR

MENTORS NOW!

Be sure you are using the latest mentor

book

I have office hours 4-5PM everyday

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Mentorship program: Some thoughts

Mentors
• Are here to help you build great companies through:
• Strategic advice
• Relationships and connections
• Focus on key next steps – Top 3 things you should be doing
• Credibility
• They are confidants – be open for help.
• Mentors will not play a role in final judging. They will help you get you to be
a better candidate for the final judging.
• Focus on building a great company and not the final judging
• Mentors should not be looking for jobs, equity or clients. It does not
preclude you from having them as investors, employees or clients – IF
YOU DECIDE TO HAVE THEM.

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Mentorship program: Meeting Best Practices

Mentors
• BE PROFESSIONAL. HOW YOU HANDLE THE MEETING ALSO GIVES
INSIGHT INTO HOW YOU RUN YOUR COMPANY
• Recognize that these are busy people, so leverage your time on the most
critical issues
• Have an agenda beforehand and optimum results and decisions to be made
before hand
• Always walk away with key next steps
• Do not be afraid to ask for intros
• People don’t want problems – they also want possible solutions – it shows
that you have done some thinking. Remain at cause.
• Be open for help. Your business will go under scrutiny and they will ask
tough questions
• Always send a thank you note and a summary of the meeting
• We will also ask you to rate the meeting

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