FRIENDS & FAMILY

Friends & Family is an accelerator founded by Slauson & Co in partnership with Grid110, geared towards helping early-stage entrepreneurs strengthen their business, attract capital investment and build community with other founders living a similar experience

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Entrepreneurs selected for Friends & Family will receive a $25,000 cash grant and participate in a twelve-week virtual accelerator starting January 2023 that focuses on entrepreneurial management and personal coaching from top executives, startup legends, and industry titans. Past guests have included Jeff Wilke (CEO of Amazon Worldwide Consumer), Johnathan Mildenhall (former CMO of Airbnb), and Jonah Peretti (Founder and CEO of Buzzfeed).

Founding donors for the Friends & Family accelerator include the Schultz Family Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, Jim Goetz of Sequoia Capital, and Ron Conway of SV Angel.

What does Friends & Family include?

The Program

The program will cover the following topics which will result in succinct storytelling, business development and preparation for fundraising.

  • Core Fundamentals: problem/solution validation, value proposition, customer personas, prioritization, pitching, storytelling.

  • Startup Leadership: prioritization, hiring, developing team culture, founder self care.

  • Sales & Marketing: understanding and leveraging customer acquisition techniques and/or sales strategies.

  • Fundraising: understanding various funding pathways and determining which is best for your company, reviewing pitch decks, networking with investors.

Our goal is to have you well-positioned to raise capital in 3 to 6 months after the program.

Program Perks

  • A thriving community of passionate, diverse and generous entrepreneurs.

  • Workshops, office hours, events, and a network of founders that you continue to have access to post-program.

  • Gain direct feedback from leading innovators, entrepreneurs, mentors, & advisors.

  • Receive perks and discounts from our partner companies valued at $60k+.

  • No cost, no equity taken.

  • $25,000 non-dilutive grant

Who is the program for?

Friends & Family is for promising founders with innovative products in market, a clear value proposition, and ambition to become a leader in their category. The ideal company is working on the business full-time and eager to learn from leading entrepreneurs and investors. We value inclusivity and encourage founders from all backgrounds to apply.

We look for companies with at least an MVP (an early product that customers can use) with signs of engagement. Most companies selected for the program will be live with their product or service, but we will make exceptions for promising products/founders. 

The ideal profile for a cohort member is:

  • Founders who are seeking professional development opportunities

  • Leaders who are seeking to develop relationships with startups and the investment community

  • Product in market

  • Initial customer feedback

  • Raised less than $250k from any source

  • Businesses legally incorporated in the US or Puerto Rico

Winter 2023 Program Dates

  • Applications Open: September 1, 2022

    • Virtual Info Session #1: September 6th @ 4pm PST | WATCH THE RECORDING

    • Virtual Info Session #2: September 20th @ 4pm

  • Applications Close: September 30, 2022 at 5pm PST

  • Program: January 2023 - April 2023.

Meet the inagural Friends & Family Winter 2022 Cohort! View this video for a little insight into who they are.

FAQS

Our program runs for 12 weeks, meeting once a week on Thursdays 4-6pm PST. All sessions will be hosted virtually (via Zoom).

Businesses legally incorporated in the United States or Puerto Rico are eligible to apply.

Each week consists of 2 hours of facilitated sessions plus assignments, office hours, accountability groups, and occasional workshops. Like anything, you get out what you put in. This program is specifically designed to allow you to focus on running the day to day operations of your business, while layering in support where needed to help you meet key milestones.

The program is free for all accepted companies. Companies must go through an application process to be eligible for this program. To add, we do not take equity in companies. Selected participants will receive a $25,000 cash grant to help offset startup costs and serve as their “Friends & Family” round.

We welcome applications from any field, sector, or industry. Knowledge and skills taught and reviewed during the program are applicable and transferable to ideas form all sectors & industries. While most businesses are tech enabled, you do not necessarily need to be a “tech company” to be considered. Our companies range across various types of products/services: SaaS, mobile apps, e-commerce, CPG, food, social enterprises, fashion, B2B software, health/wellness, AI, sports, beauty.

We do look for companies that have at least a minimal viable product (MVP) with some early signs of engagement. The majority of companies selected for the program are live with their product or service, but we have made exceptions for promising products/founders.

Mentors and advisors come from various fields and have many years experience. They will give you insights into multiple subjects including but not limited to lean business, problem/solution identification and validation, customer discovery, digital marketing, sales strategy, fundraising, pitching and much more.

As this program is focused on founders, only the founder and one additional co-founder are invited to participate in the weekly programming. If your team has more than two members, please contact us for more information.

Below are some sections that we want to highlight in our application to help you prepare.

Essay Questions (Required)

1. One of our central tenets is to foster a thriving, inviting & inclusive community of entrepreneurs. How do you and your company engage with your community?

2. Why are you interested in the F&F program and how will it help you achieve your upcoming goals in the next 3-6 months?

3. How will you use $25,000 to take your company to the next level?

4. What is your long-term vision (i.e. 5-10 years) for you, your team and this company?

Required Video Component

In 2 - 4 minutes total, please address both of the following 2 prompts: 1. Introduce yourself and tell us about your company.

2. How does your lived experience serve as a competitive advantage for your company?

Contact us with any further questions and we'll get back to you shortly!