Opportunity Quest Mentors and Judges
Mentorship Program
Each of the top ten qualifying teams will be assigned a mentor from the business or academic community to assist in improving the performance of the team prior to the second round of judging. These mentors have experience in a variety of disciplines including: business plan writing, patent law, tax accounting and business structure, medical technology, securities law, engineering, small business lending, information systems, software development, and so on. Teams may elect to recruit their own mentor if desired.
The Role of a Mentor
Mentors have many roles to fill within Opportunity Quest.They include:
| -- | Provide focus |
| -- | Find holes in the business plan |
| -- | Make suggestions about incorporation |
| -- | Critique a team's presentation |
| -- | Suggest contacts and resource people |
| -- | Review marketing ideas |
| -- | Lend advice on protecting intellectual property and applying for patents |
| -- | Help a team find technical expertise |
| -- | Talk about management strategies and business models |
Meeting With Your Mentor
This will vary from a couple of hours a month to a couple of hours per week. Be respectful of your mentor’s time. Be punctual to meetings. When cancellation is necessary, please let your mentor know at least 24 hours in advance.
Matching
We will match teams with mentors according to interests and skills the best we can. This relationship is voluntary, though we require that both teams and mentors let us know immediately if there is a mismatch or difficulty in communications.
The relationship between mentor and team is a dialogue that can offer inspiration and an opportunity to reflect and learn. Take advantage of the opportunity and enjoy the experience.
Judges
Judges are charged with the task of providing unbiased feedback on each competing executive summary thereby narrowing the competition field down to the top ten teams as well as the three winning teams. The judging panel consists of venture capitalists, lawyers, accountants, entrepreneurs, and other successful and knowledgeable business leaders. Judges will not be affiliated with, or involved in the preparation or funding of, any participating team. The decision of the judge’s panel will be final and will not be subject to appeal. The overall selection of winners is based on the viability and likely success of the business.
Become A Mentor or Judge
We are always in search of qualified business professionals that have a desire to contribute to the education of our students. If you would like more information about becoming a mentor or judge, please email Opportunity Quest with your contact information. All mentors and judges selected to participate are required to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Time commitments vary with each assignment.