During their time with us, VFA Fellows are matched with mentors from a variety of industries and backgrounds who help them navigate challenges, build professional skills, and accelerate their careers as conscious entrepreneurs. This week, we’re introducing VFA Mentor Sherman Hu to share what his experience has been like as a mentor and give a glimpse into the advice he has for those launching their careers as entrepreneurs.

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Name: Sherman Hu
Hometown: Silicon Valley
Current city: San Francisco & NYC
Current gig: Advisor to early stage companies
Side projects/passions: Mentoring enterprising Venture for America Fellows! Outside of VFA, I support founders of early stage companies by sharing my enterprise sales knowledge.

What made you decide to become a VFA Mentor? 

During my tour of duty at LinkedIn (2005-2012), I was inspired by a company culture that values giving back and was fortunate enough to be influenced by some of the smartest and brightest entrepreneurs. After leaving LinkedIn, I knew that I enjoyed spending time with entrepreneurs, so I wanted to support a non-profit that aligned with my interests. By chance, I happened to see some young, smart Venture For America Fellows on CNBC — I was so impressed with the Fellows, their reason for joining, and the mission of VFA that I simply had to get involved immediately.

What do you enjoy most about mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs?

Having a front row seat to my mentee’s entrepreneurial journey. In particular, I enjoy having brainstorming sessions with Fellows in which I can offer advice about enterprise sales, operating in a startup and/or launching their own company. I also really enjoy our discussions about what they ultimately want to do with their lives.

What’s a tip you have on how to be a good mentor?

Make it a point to share your experiences with these incredibly passionate, young entrepreneurs. I find that each mentoring moment I have with a VFA Fellow leaves me smarter and more excited about the future.

What’s one book or blog you think every aspiring entrepreneur should read and why?

To hear a rotating group of founders, investors and experts share their unique stories, watch the This Week in Startups series.  Get familiar with the host Jason Calacanis, a lifetime entrepreneur and investor who actively supports founders launching interesting companies with the latest technology.
In fact, Jason even mentioned Ash & Anvil in his newsletter, a VFA Fellow-founded company started by one of my mentees, Steven Mazur!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

From my Dad: “If you want to make it in America, find the thing you enjoy doing and be the very best at doing it.”

What would you say to someone thinking about becoming a mentor?

Even if you’re not from one of the cities VFA places Fellows in, I encourage you to get involved with the next generation of young entrepreneurs. And if you do happen to be from a VFA city, this is an incredible opportunity to give back to the hometown that shaped you. Look into supporting VFA and please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to continue the conversation. Hope to hear from you!
If you or someone you know would be great at guiding a young, aspiring entrepreneur on their journey into the startup and business world, contact mentors@ventureforamerica.org to find out how to get involved.

The Venture for America Accelerator is a 3-month program designed to support and catalyze the launch of our Fellow-founded companies. Based in Philadelphia, the Fellows and their teams are provided coworking space at First Round Capital, weekly programming, and access to VFA’s network of mentors, advisors, and investors. This year, five teams have hit the ground running in Philly, continuing to develop their businesses and preparing to become full-time founders at the conclusion of their Fellowship this summer.

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Evan Brandoff and Zubin Teherani are the cofounders of LeagueSide, a sports marketing company that connects brands with their target markets through youth sports league sponsorships.  A Long Island, NY native, Evan studied Business at the University of Texas-Austin before heading to Detroit to work for Benzinga, a financial media startup. When he’s not obsessing over the New York sports scene, Evan’s getting in on the action himself, and can usually be found playing pickup basketball, football, or racquetball in the Philly parks.  Zubin grew up in Dallas, TX before attending Georgetown University where he earned a degree in Government. He spent his VFA Fellowship working at IDScan.net in New Orleans and now enjoys biking and exploring the hipster coffeeshop scene of West Philadelphia.  In addition to adding over 50,000 families to their network over the last six weeks they’ve also closed a deal with Fathead and have been making progress with other big brands including AAA, the Rothman Institute, and Applebee’s.
Watch an interview with Evan and Zubin to learn more about LeagueSide and their time at the VFA Accelerator:
https://vimeo.com/133765436

The Venture for America Accelerator is a 3-month program designed to support and catalyze the launch of our Fellow-founded companies. Based in Philadelphia, the Fellows and their teams are provided coworking space at First Round Capital, weekly programming, and access to VFA’s network of mentors, advisors, and investors. This year, five teams have hit the ground running in Philly, continuing to develop their businesses and preparing to become full-time founders at the conclusion of their Fellowship this summer.

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Claire Kim and Kate Leisy co-founded Bearkat (formerly Pugs) in 2014 to make versatile leisurewear for women. Originally from Irvine, CA, Claire attended Harvard University before working at Swipely in Providence, RI as part of the VFA Class of 2013. Claire is loving her new life at the accelerator, finding a healthy balance between perfecting product development at Bearkat and exploring the many parks of Philly. Originally from Atlanta, GA, Kate graduated from Vanderbilt University before becoming a Brand Success Manager at Curalate here in Philadelphia. When she’s not thinking about Bearkat, Kate enjoys sharpening her photography (Instagram) skills and exploring Philadelphia’s up and coming coffeeshops.  They are thrilled to be a part of the VFA Accelerator and are excited about the early traction they’ve had with their first product: adventure shorts for women.
Learn more about Claire, Kate, and what it’s been like launching Bearkat in the video below:
https://vimeo.com/133761926

In case you haven’t heard, we kind of love our jobs here at VFA HQ. We get to hang out with our incredible Fellows, identify the next generation of entrepreneurs, find founders and teams who are building something great, and proudly shout from the rooftops about our work in some of the coolest cities across the country. But the best thing about being part of Team VFA has to be spending every day with the talented, hard-working, epically hilarious crew that makes it all happen. 
The Meet Team VFA blog series is back with none other than our vivacious VP of Programs, Eric Caballero. Known as “Dad” around the office (the fun dad that all your friends think is cool), Eric spearheads all things Fellow support, Training Camp, and programming here at VFA. With two engineering degrees under his belt, a decade of sales experience and an MIT MBA in his back left pocket, Eric’s regularly firing on all cylinders (and a couple you didn’t know existed). Read more about Eric and his life at VFA below. 

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Name: Eric Caballero
Position at VFA: VP of Programs
Department Name: Programs aka ‘Gramz
College or University: UCLA
Job before VFA: ED of Sales and Marketing, Manhattan Prep

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What does your team do and why is it awesome?

Helping VFA Fellows take over the nation by making them smarter, faster, and stronger. We head up our legendary five-week summer Training Camp in addition to providing ongoing education, support, and mentorship resources throughout the Fellowship and beyond.

What do you do?

Oversee department operations while rolling up sleeves daily to get the job done.

How did you come to work at VFA?

I’ve worked with Andrew for 10 years now, including while he was taking over the test prep industry. I was motivated to join VFA by seeing countless young people lack direction in life, despite having world-class jobs that others would kill for.

What’s your typical day like?

(1) Respond to 50 emails that arrived overnight, (2) hold weekly staff meeting with the Team, (3) meet with potential summer camp trainers, (4) craft a piece of Programs content, (5) interview Fellow candidates, (6) cut through 50 more emails that arrived throughout the morning, (7) hold a career brainstorming session with a graduating Fellow, (8) speak with VFA supporters about how they can get more involved, (9) connect with VFA investors on upcoming joint events, (10) work on a side-project such as VFA’s proprietary Entrepreneur’s Assessment Exam, (11) send more emails, and (12) vodka soda (depending on how many emails I had to send).

One thing you do every day that you probably couldn’t do at another job:

Wear t-shirts.

What are you known for around the office?

Shaking things up, providing Fellows with meaningful advice, writing tough emails, and moving furniture.

One reason your friends get jealous about your job:

I work with the most talented, razor-sharp, caring, and fun Team in the world.

Favorite VFA tradition:

SkyZone trampoline park.

Favorite Training Camp memory:

One of our Fellows crying tears of joy at closing dinner because of the lifelong friendships we helped him build.

Most hilarious memory from a VFA road trip:

Cooking a Mexican feast holiday in AirBnb kitchens for 75 Fellows in two days.

Coolest thing you’ve done outside of work with VFA Team members in the last year:

Battlefield Vegas.

Best tip or life hack for increasing productivity during the work day:

Chrome extension that pauses your inbox.

What newspapers, websites, or blogs do you kick off your day with?

Business Insider, Wall Street Journal, and Tech Crunch.

What are you reading and/or watching right now?

Thinking Fast & Slow, by Daniel Kahneman.

Update from the Accelerator: We’re halfway there!

Time flies when you’re building things! We’re halfway through the first-ever VFA Accelerator here in Philly and our five teams have made some serious progress in building their nascent companies. Their spirits are high and their heads are down, as they hustle to make the most out of their last six weeks in Philly.
We bet you’re wondering what it’s really been like on the ground for our Fellow Founders in Philly, so here are some highlights so far:

1. First Round Capital. Complete with ski-ball, a complicated coffee machine, and motivational posters (“Caffeinate Responsibly!”), the FRC office has proven the perfect spot for Fellows to get things done.  They’re surrounded by an entrepreneurial energy, other startups, community members, and the FRC team itself… and have access to all of the office resources (um… whiteboards) they could ever need.
2. Mentor Matching Days. In Week 2, our Fellow teams met with over a dozen experts from a range of industries in both Philadelphia and New York. It was a whirlwind, but at the end of the week, teams emerged with mentors and contacts from relevant industries (fashion and marketing and insurance… oh my!) to help them reach the next level.
3. So. Many. Visits. From IDEO and GLG, to David Tisch and the “Technically Philly” news experts, we’ve had no shortage of visitors around dropping knowledge on human-centered design, fundraising, and pitching news outlets. The VFA Fellow founders from Castle, Banza, and ZestTea also dropped by to share some wisdom on how to best navigate the world as a newly minted company leader.
4. Lots of bonding time.  It’s mostly business around here… but our teams do find a way to have fun sometimes! Between our bi-weekly family dinners and BYOB dim sum extravaganzas, the teams make the most of downtime, unwinding together and reflecting on the ups and downs week after week.
5. Philly Supporter Meet & Greet. Last week, local supporters, mentors, partner companies, and Fellows dropped by to show their support. Our Meet & Greet event was mostly fun… but of course we had our teams give their pitches to the crowd! (Practice makes perfect, you know?)

Company Updates: Onwards and Upwards

Compass: Mike Wilner and Taylor Sundali spent their first six Philly weeks expanding their sales efforts and refining their customer onboarding process. Sure, selling to small businesses isn’t easy… but the combination of relentless outreach (and Mike’s charming smile) have proven to be effective in their efforts.
LeagueSide:  Zubin Teherani and Evan Brandoff have hit their stride finding youth sports leagues who need sponsors (40,000 players already!), closed a deal with FatHead, and have many other potentials to come. Sports-centric Philly has given them access to leagues and professionals… and of course, they’re trying to keep up their pickup basketball and racquetball hustle on the side.
Bearkat: After closing a wildly successful IndieGogo campaign, it’s been a whirlwind for Claire Kim and Kate Leisy. When they aren’t in meetings with designers, manufacturers, and fashion leaders, they’re working on getting more followers for their already-awesome Instagram. Oh, and did we mentioned they rebranded from “Pugs Boxers”? All in a day’s work around here.
Ash & Anvil:  After claiming top prize in the Innovation Fund, Eric Huang and Steven Mazur have spent hour after hour learning about their customers and finding the right players to help them build their product. You can usually find them out and about in Philly and NYC meeting with potential designers, talking to manufacturers, and further defining their target market.
Sky Mutual: John Yarchoan and Matt Fulton have narrowed down their market and made significant strides in closing their first deal. When they aren’t making contacts in the reinsurance industry or learning about the municipal budgeting processes, you’ll find them working on a proprietary data tool for analyzing possible weather outcomes.
So what now? Over the next six weeks, the teams will continue to build, sell, learn, and grow as they prepare to step out into the post-VFA world. The big days will come in late May with our Launch Days in NYC, where members of the VFA community will come together to see the Fellows pitch their companies in an effort to get the funding they need to keep building.
Want to learn more or support our teams? Just reach out to our Accelerator Program Manager at adam@ventureforamerica.org.

Have you heard about the 2015 Summer Celebration yet? Early bird general admission tickets are on sale until May 1st at a discounted price of $300. Get them while you can!

So far, confirmed hosts and attendees for the event include Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Pauline Brown, Adam Braun, Sallie Krawcheck, Dhani Jones, Cyrus Massoumi, Andy Weissman, David Tisch, Lauren Zalaznick and many more.
This year, Rackspace Co-founder and Chairman Graham Weston will join us for a keynote address on how he’s helping San Antonio– his hometown and one of VFA’s newest cities– develop new businesses and become a home for entrepreneurs.
We hope you’ll join us to honor our graduating Class of 2013 Fellows and the Fellows who are building companies with the first ever VFA Accelerator this spring.

Get your tickets today!

General Admission Early Bird tickets (Until May 1st): $300
Regular General Admission Tickets: $400
VIP Tickets: $1,000
VIP ticket holders will have access to designated seating in view of the stage for the duration of the #vfaparty along with a waiter and speciality cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

Visit our ticket page for discounts on packages of 5 and 10 General Admission tickets!
For more information, visit summercelebration.ventureforamerica.org or email events@ventureforamerica.org.

Originally published on businessinsider.com
I n late 2010, I was telling people about my plan to recruit top college graduates to join and start early-stage companies around the country to generate U.S. job growth. I wanted to start in Detroit.
I discussed this with an accomplished entrepreneur and fellow Brown alum, Liz Hamburg.
Liz said to me, “If you’re interested in Detroit, I should introduce you to Bernie Sucher.”
She explained that Bernie was a Detroit native and entrepreneur who now lived in Moscow, but had a lot of affection for his hometown.
Bernie was friendly over email. We traded a few messages. In one of them he mentioned, “I’m actually heading to Detroit in a couple of weeks.”
I had no plans to be in Detroit; I actually had never been there before. But I responded, “I’ll be there too that week — we should meet up.” I wanted to meet Bernie and figured a plane ticket, rental car, and a couple of nights in a hotel would cost about $1,000.
Bernie and I met at the airport and hit it off. He insisted on driving us around while pointing out Detroit landmarks.
We spent two days together visiting Detroit-based companies and pitching Venture for America to CEOs and investors. By the end of the second day, we were finishing each other’s sentences.
During these meetings, I would give people my Venture for America business card, which I’d printed up a few weeks earlier. Bernie would offer his card as well, printed in Russian with a Moscow address on it.
This, plus Bernie’s 6-foot, 5-inch frame, shaved head, suit, and overcoat made him quite an imposing figure. At least one entrepreneur later confessed to me that he was like, “Who the heck were those guys?” and Googled Bernie as soon as we left to make sure he wasn’t in any danger.
Bernie became one of the first members of Venture for America’s board of directors and a tremendous champion. It was through his contacts that Venture for America established a major partnership with UBS, started working with Bank of America, and enlisted our current chairman, Sy Jacobs.
The $1,000 I spent traveling to Detroit to meet up with Bernie ended up generating over $1.5 million in resources for Venture for America over the next few years.
Bernie became the trunk of the VFA tree, the branches of which continue to grow leaves and throw off shade to this day.
Sometimes, you have to just get on the plane.
>>Check out more posts by Andrew Yang here

The Venture for America Accelerator is a 3-month program designed to support and catalyze the launch of Fellow-founded companies. Based in Philadelphia, the Fellows and their teams are provided coworking space at First Round Capital, weekly programming, and access to VFA’s network of mentors, advisors, and investors. This year, five teams have hit the ground running in Philly, continuing to develop their businesses and preparing to become full-time founders at the conclusion of their Fellowship this summer. 

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Steven Mazur and Eric Huang are the cofounders of Ash & Anvil, a clothing company designed to make shorter men look and feel good. Both Steven and Eric spent their two-year fellowships in Detroit, working at Social Proof and iRule, respectively, before coming to Philadelphia to start their own venture. Steven, a Sterling Heights, Michigan native, earned a degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering at North Carolina State University, where he also found the time to launch both a youth leadership organization and a telemedicine company. Eric, originally from Washington, DC, studied Entrepreneurship at Notre Dame, while also competing on the Notre Dame squash team.
Check out the video below to learn more about Eric, Steven, and their journey launching Ash & Anvil:
 
https://vimeo.com/133765694

There’s a lot to love about life at VFA HQ, but our favorite perk is getting to hang with the Fellows…a lot. Whether they’re dropping in to help out at Selection Day, or giving us a call to chat about life, work, and the companies they’re dreaming up, the Team gets to know our Fellows pretty well. So while we might be a little biased, we think they’re pretty awesome—and we figured it was time to share the wealth. 
You may know where our Fellows live, and if they’re starting a company, but ever wonder which books they couldn’t live without? Their favorite fro-yo joint they’ve found in their city? Their pro tips for staying productive at work? We’re kicking off our Fellow Spotlight Series with Mitch Rubin, a 2014 Detroit Fellow and Duke alum (congrats on the win last night!), who gave us his thoughts on how to succeed at a startup, his favorite local beer in Detroit, and everything in between.

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Name: Mitch Rubin
College or University: Duke ’14
Major: Political Science
VFA City: Detroit
Company Name: BoostUp
Role: “Marketing Manager” — but it’s not fair to put a label on it.
Describe what your company does in a tweet: Social savings platform enabling people to save toward their next car or home with help from exclusive brand partners, family, and friends.

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Best part of startup life:

The responsibility and independence you’re given. You have the potential to make significant decisions that will impact your business every day. And of course, that I don’t have to shave my beard every morning.

One thing you’ve learned about how to be a great startup employee:

Propose your own ideas or perspectives often. But make sure you think about all angles and rebuttals for your idea before you blindly suggest it to the team. And as always, get stuff done.

One tip/life hack for staying productive at work:

The Pomodoro Technique. 1 pomodoro = 25 minutes of straight grinding, followed by a 5 minute break. After completing four pomodoros (2 hours), take 20 minutes to relax, take care of personal to-dos, or eat lunch. Then get right back at it with some more pomodoro. #formaggio

The coolest part about living in your city:  

Seeing progress happen on a daily basis. From constant construction, to more foot-traffic, to cool new restaurants and businesses opening up. And not just any city, but Detroit: the past epicenter of American culture and success.

Someone is spending 48 hours in your city; what are the top 3 things to do during that time?

1. Go for a bike ride along the Riverfront.
2. Walk through the Packard Plant without getting caught.
3. Check out the madness of Old Shillelagh’s.

Most surprising aspect of living in a VFA city:

The immediacy of a connection felt to your city. From instantly becoming a Red Wings fan, to following the local news and developments, you feel invested in your city.

Best food or beverage you tried for the first time in Detroit:

Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale.

Most significant life lesson you’ve learned since becoming a VFA Fellow:

Prioritize what’s most important to you, and follow through with it. We all want to do so much and be a part of so many things, and it’s simply not possible to do it all. If you focus on what matters most in your life, you’ll be satisfied and fulfilled.

One book or blog you think every current and future VFA Fellow should read and why:

Reread Catcher in the Rye. Just do it.

One invaluable part of your daily routine that you’d recommend to other Fellows:

10 minutes of meditation every morning.

If you could tell your junior-year-of-college-self one piece of advice, it would be to:

Wake up early in the morning. Carpe diem. I know it’s cliché, but it’s far too easy to let the days go by in college. Enjoy every freaking second you’re there.

Most ridiculous company idea you and your fellow Fellows have come up with:

If I told you, I’d have to kill you.

What were you doing when you found out you were accepted to VFA?

In the middle of a 2 ½ hour class on a Monday night. Stepped outside, listened to my voicemail from Andrew, and then left class immediately.

What else is cookin’ in the life of Mitch Rubin? Where can people connect with you online and learn more about what you’re up to?  

Twitter handle: @mrubin24. Lots of things brewing: from startup ideas, to recording songs, to getting involved in local organizations like The Future Project. More updates to come!
 

Lena Kelly is a 2014 Fellow who hails from Los Angeles, CA and attended Washington University in St. Louis. After exploring the high tech world with internships at Google, Answers.com and Epson, Lena left her west coast roots to move to Cleveland to begin her VFA Fellowship. She’s currently helping Boxcast transform the way people communicate as a Digital Storyteller, and when she’s not crushing it at her job you can find her backpacking or balling out on the basketball court. Word is Lebron followed her to Cleveland, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet. 

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Name: Lena Kelly
School: Washington University in St. Louis ’14
Fellow Class: 2014
VFA City: Cleveland
VFA Company: Boxcast
Originally published on crainscleveland.com
Listening to Katy Perry belt about California girls as my plane took off was not my wisest choice. As I watched Los Angeles, my home of 22 years, shrink in the distance, I could only think that there weren’t any similar anthems for the women of Cleveland.
For months, I had been deflecting questions about my post-grad plans. As friends boasted of their prestigious new roles as analysts and consultants in New York and D.C., I’d chime in that I was Cleveland-bound. Conversation would halt and people, through their feigned smiles, would beg, “why?”
Rather than genuine interest, this question revealed a fundamental lack of understanding of my upcoming adventure. Why would a smart girl graduating from an elite university elect to abandon society’s definition of success (read: consultant or law student) for a city best known for a flaming river?
I admit, heading to Cleveland was not always my plan. A year ago, I was in the job search trenches alongside my peers, scouring books for the secret to acing interviews, and all but living at the Career Center. Recruiters would visit campus and I’d put on nice pants to hear about the “exciting” entry roles at big-name corporations.
This, I was told, was what top students at top schools do. We go into roles at top companies and work hard to make our way to the top. Of what, we’re unsure. But we push those doubts aside, telling ourselves we’ll consider them later. The goal of the moment: secure an impressive-sounding job.
I quickly became disillusioned with this path. At 21, I was convinced I was destined for more than chasing hefty paychecks. I wanted to do something off the beaten path. Something challenging and meaningful that would enable me to have a positive impact on those around me.
I shared these frustrations with my peers. One asked if I had heard of the program Venture for America. I hadn’t.
Founded in 2011, VFA pairs recent grads with promising startups around the country, hoping to help revitalize cities through entrepreneurship. Though the Fellows sign on for a two-year commitment, VFA hopes these individuals will see the potential offered to them in their new cities, become rooted in the community, and stay for many more years, perhaps starting businesses of their own.
As I learned about the program, I became certain it was what I had to do. Though I had never yearned to start my own business, the challenge of helping to launch a company and contribute to a city working hard to restore its culture of achievement was beyond anything I’d ever done. So naturally, it was something I couldn’t resist.
I applied in December. By January, I was in. And in April, I was the newest employee of BoxCast, a company that enables anyone with a camera to deliver live HD video to everyone, everywhere. The company was transforming how people communicated with one another, and I wanted to be part of it. Throw in ping pong and an office dog? Sold.
I came to Cleveland for the job, expecting little from the city. But my three months here have revealed my ignorance.
Cleveland is wonderful. The culture here is rich. Beautiful buildings and impressive infrastructure showcase past glories of what was once the nation’s fifth-largest city. The lakefront offers beaches (an unexpected perk for this California girl) and the extensive Metroparks system encourages outdoorsy weekends.
The arts scene is a gem. Ranked one of the world’s best, the Cleveland Orchestra rivals those in London, Vienna and Berlin. And seeing how LeBron followed me here, the sports scene is booming. Clevelanders are some of the most loyal fans I’ve seen, and this year, there’s a lot to be excited about.
More than anything, however, the people are what make this city so wonderful. There’s a palpable sense of pride when you walk through the streets. We are undergoing a renaissance, and everyone knows it. Flags hang in windows. Murals decorate the neighborhoods. Friendly faces welcome you into amazing restaurants.
So, no, Cleveland’s women don’t have a Katy Perry song. But you’ll now likely find me rapping along to Kid Cudi, proclaiming to all that “Cleveland is the reason I’m cool … Cleveland is my city.”