Join us and help mentor startups in underserved communities.
You are matched with one founder and you stay with them — a minimum of 60 minutes, every two weeks.
Most of what a founder needs is not money. It is someone who has already made the mistake they are about to make.
Aravanai pairs experienced founders, operators, and professionals with entrepreneurs in underserved communities — people building real businesses without the networks, the funding, or the informal advice that founders elsewhere take for granted.
This is not a speaking slot or a one-off coffee. You are matched with a founder, and the work is what you do together over the months that follow.
What we ask of our mentors.
- Meet every two weeks
- A standing session of at least an hour. Consistency matters more than length — founders plan their month around knowing you will be there.
- Work on what is actually blocking them
- Pricing, a first hire, a stalled launch, a conversation with an investor. You are there for the live problem, not a curriculum.
- Be honest
- Read the deck, look at the numbers, say what you actually think. Founders in underserved communities rarely get a straight answer. Be the person who gives one.
- Open your network
- An introduction to a customer, a partner, or someone who has already solved the problem in front of them is often worth more than the advice.
- Keep what they tell you private
- Anything shared in a session stays between the two of you unless your founder says otherwise.
- Tell us how it is going
- A short note now and then. It is how we learn when a founder needs more support, and how we pair people better next time.
Who we are looking for
The ideal mentor has been a founder or co-founder of a startup or organization, or has spent five or more years in their industry.
That said, great mentors come from many different backgrounds. If this sounds like something you would be good at, apply and we will talk.
The commitment
Plan on a minimum of 60 minutes, bi-weekly. You will be working closely with entrepreneurs who are building without much of a safety net, and that takes real time.
Mentoring is voluntary and unpaid, and we will never ask you to invest.
Apply to mentor a founder.
Not the right fit today? You can volunteer with us instead, or email info@aravanai.org with questions.