Residency
Grid110’s Residency program is a three-month program designed to help entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of their ventures focus on the fundamental parts of building a successful, sustainable business. We’re looking for entrepreneurs that have moved past the initial idea stage and identify in (or in-between) one of the following stages:
Proof of concept, prototype or minimum viable product (MVP) with some early validation.
Post-launch product or service with evidence of traction (customers, revenue and/or funding) looking to accelerate to the next stage of growth.
Whether a company is seeking to validate the foundational elements of their business or to grow users, revenue, employees, or investment (or all of the above), this cohort-based program is centered around defining and refining these milestones, and addressing specific needs through weekly roundtables, 1:1 mentoring, and skills development sessions from experts/entrepreneurs-in-residence (EIRs) and visiting domain experts. Founders are also part of smaller accountability groups where they tackle challenges together by sharing knowledge and resources with one another. We start with 4 weeks of Core Fundamentals and then move into focused sessions around various business concepts.
Grid110 companies have gone on to expand their teams in Los Angeles, raise venture capital funding, increase revenue, and join top accelerator programs including Techstars and YCombinator.
What does the Residency Program include?
The Program
The cohort will meet once per week in the evenings. Our program is structured to enable founders to focus on day-to-day business operations, while layering in critical support where needed. The weekly sessions tackle topics such as (but not limited to):
Core Fundamentals: problem/solution validation, value proposition, customer personas, prioritization, pitching, storytelling.
Startup Leadership: prioritization, hiring, developing team culture, founder self care.
Financials: building/reviewing financial models, growth vs. scale, KPIs for fundraising.
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.
Program Perks
A thriving community of passionate, diverse and generous entrepreneurs.
Grid110 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 thousands of dollars.
No cost, no equity taken.
PROGRAM DATES
Check back soon for THE NEXT program dates
Meet the Summer 2021 cohort of Grid110! Click on the picture for a little insight into who they are.
FAQS
Our program runs for 12 weeks, meeting once a week on Thursday evenings. All sessions will be hosted virtually (via Zoom) to comply with local COVID-19 health & safety requirements.
Yes. As our focus on supporting the Los Angeles community, founders should already be based in the greater Los Angeles region.
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, Grid110 does not take equity in or provide funding to any company.
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 proof of concept, prototype or MVP with some early validation (customers, revenue, or funding). 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 hello@grid110.org for more information.
Below are some sections that we want to highlight in our application to help you prepare.
Essay Questions (Required)
1. Community Question - How do you see yourself engaging and contributing to our community or tell us in what ways you have cultivated and engaged your own community? (max 900 characters, ~150 words)
2. List 5 interesting facts that someone wouldn’t know by reading your Linkedin/Resume. (no word limit)
Video Component
Optional, but Recommended: Introduce yourself and your company. What would you want the companies in your cohort to know about you? (2 minutes)
For the last year, our two programs (I2P and Residency) have met together for session taking place during the first 4 weeks. Our Winter 2021 cohort was the first iteration of merging the two programs together into a single blended cohort for all 12 weeks. Given the success we've seen with the range of companies working together, we've decided to continue with this blended cohort model. Founders that are past the initial idea stage are welcome to apply to the Residency Program. We are accepting the same number of companies (~20) for this program as we have for the two previously separate programs combined.
Contact us with any further questions and we'll get back to you shortly!
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
We have 200 startups in our portfolio, varying in size, industry, and mission. We take pride in connecting these entrepreneurs to mentors, critical resources and community. Learn more about the Grid110 Impact.
“During and after Grid110, I finally felt understood and empowered. There is a sense of camaraderie that I have never experienced. This lovely feeling is not exclusive to being a student because I continue to feel supported a few years after. I am so thankful!” - Meymuna Hussein- Cattan, Flavors from Afar
“For me, Grid110 was a mini business school, it gave me confidence in the way I was doing some things and the structure for improving others.” - Chelsey Bartrum, Starling Jewelry and Heirloom Revival
“We received excellent advice and help in developing our product to fit the right target demographic. We found Grid110’s guidance and expertise in the areas where we didn’t have the resources the most valuable.”
- Chris Ellis, Audio Cardio
“I feel like I truly began to learn exactly how to “talk about my startup,” how to pitch, distill the message, and keep it simple yet intriguing. I credit Grid110 for helping me craft the pitch that ultimately got us into Techstars LA.” - Kim Stiefel, Repeat
“Once you become a Griddie, you automatically get plugged in to a great network that you can rely on and trust. I’ve never experienced anything like it, and I am genuinely grateful to be part of such a community.” - Ezinne Iroanya-Adeoye, SKNMUSE
“There are so many challenges as an early-stage founder and not enough time to fix everything. But Grid110 helped me understand where I should [prioritize] my time, which is on making the best product I can to serve my customers.” - Steve Dypiangco, Dadventures
Read more about our alumni through our featured Founder Stories!
ALUMNI
