Meet the xi mentors

Mentors

Angela Mader Hartshorn

Aquiles La Grave

Brad Brackel

Chris Blees

Chris Franz

Cory Finney

Dustin Sapp

Gary Gaessler

Heather Kelly

Jan Horsfall

Jason Stele

Jay Jesse

John Bogosian

John Bolin

Karen Donoghue

Kathy Zehringer

Linda Weise

Maddie Guillory

Mario Ciabarra

Matt Neigh

Mike Fruzzetti

Mike Juran

Mike Riggs

Morgan Fixel

Spencer Kline

Spence Smith

Tyson Hartshorn

John Grover

 

“As a mentor, it has been extremely rewarding to work with the amazing teams that have participated in the XI Accelerator program. Not only do I get to give back to the talented entrepreneurs that are drawn to the unique value of XI's curriculum, but I also get the opportunity to learn how to better hone my own skills in teaching and guiding others.”

Leif Ullman, Mentor & XI Board Member

Tech Team

Jacob Harris

John Sondericker III

Josh Caid

Lisa Jesse

Interested in becoming a mentor?
Apply to join our team.

Given XI’s mentorship-driven model, XI mentors are essential for guiding startups through their toughest stages, advising on operational difficulties, and expanding their networks. Here are some of the things that XI looks for in a mentor:

  • Startup Experience: Whether prior founder or operator, XI mentors have real-world experience with early-stage tech startups

  • Connected: XI mentors come from many backgrounds, and are willing to bring in their broader network when appropriate

  • Mission-Oriented: XI mentors want to give back and support the emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem

  • Long-Term Thinker: XI mentors are committed to helping mentees identify key problems and set up the right strategic plan to tackle it, and to do this again during the next inflection point of that startup’s journey

  • Encouragement: Although part of a mentor’s job is to be critical of XI startups, they ultimately encourage the startups to achieve their goals and are some of the startup’s greatest advocates