Structured business mentoring for established companies looking to scale.
Grab the handle bars and get ready to ride. This 20 week accelerator program is for existing businesses who are serious about growth and scale. Whether you're preparing to raise funding, attract strategic partners or optimize your business plan, this program's comprehensive, yet flexible curriculum will give you the tools to succeed.
Each SDSI Accelerator company is paired with a team of mentors, tailored to their business needs. By the end of the 20 week program you’ll have received close to 100 hours of direct, hands on mentoring from experienced professionals helping you to address your business challenges. You can also expect to have refined business pitches suitable for all business situations along with experience presenting about your business and fielding questions from a room of professionals. The SDSI Accelerator program is focused on the path to success and guiding growing companies towards their goals.
*This program is conducted digitally via Zoom and is open to all Sports and Active Lifestyle companies, regardless of location.
Start Your Application Here
We conduct two classes of the SDSI Accelerator per year. Start the application process now to get in the running for the next scheduled cohort.
Who Should Apply?
Acceptance into the SDSI Accelerator program is determined by a multi-step process consisting of qualification, application and live presentation. Final acceptance is decided collectively by the SDSI mentor group. The ideal candidate for the Accelerator program fits the following criteria, however, the applications for each cohort are measured against each other with the top strongest companies gaining final acceptance.
Existing business with product or service in market, completion of a successful crowdfunding campaign or significant product validation (such as a non-monetized user base, or commitments from strategic partners)
Ideally 500k – 5M in revenue
Relevant to the Sports, Active Lifestyle and Healthy Living market
Committed and coachable entrepreneur
“SDSI Mentoring was an amazing experience for us...this was by far the most hands-on and rewarding experience personally. We got incredibly deep and useful insights from qualified mentors that contributed to a strong growth strategy that will help us scale the business for years to come.”
We’ve been helping Sports and Active Lifestyle companies find the path to success since 2008.
How Does it Work?
Companies who are accepted are paired with a mentoring team which includes; a Business Advisor, Finance Mentor and Marketing Mentor. Additional domain experts may be added to the team as needed. Entrepreneurs establish their goals for the program with their mentor team at the start of the 20 weeks, then the entrepreneur and their mentor team work together weekly towards achieving those goals. Every six weeks the cohort comes together, mentors and entrepreneurs alike, for a milestone panel to gain additional insight from mentors, practice fielding questions, as well as work on concisely speaking about business plans.
SDSI Accelerator Program's Milestones
1. Intake Panel – Confirms acceptance into the SDSI Accelerator Program. Preliminarily accepted applicants present their 15-Minute business business plan to potential mentors, followed by 10 minutes of Q&A focused on evaluating coachability, business model viability and market opportunity.
If accepted, a mentoring team for each company will be formed including: a Business Advisor who will lead the mentoring team, a marketing domain expert, a finance domain expert and a legal advisor. Additional domain experts can be added as needed.
2. 15 Minute Presentation – After working with their mentor team, SDSI Accelerator participants present a short “Elevator or Cocktail Party Pitch” and their refined 15-Minute business presentation to the mentor group. The Presentation is scored by all in attendance, as well as followed by live Q&A and feedback. Feedback and scoring is curated and returned to each business team to continue refinement of the business plan.
3. Workshop Panel – There are two options for how to use this panel. The mentor group will determine if the entrepreneur needs further presentation practice and would like to present their 15 minute business plan deck again for feedback, or the group can choose a challenge or issue to workshop with additional mentors. At this point in the process, it's expected that the business plans are in their strongest form and the company is ready to move on to working on the 5 Minute Quick Pitch.
4. Quick Pitch / Elevator Pitch Panel – At this final milestone of the program it is expected that the entrepreneur can articulate all aspects of their business clearly and can present an intriguing 5-Minute business presentation that will entice listeners to want to hear more. The format will be similar to Milestones #2 with Q&A and discussion with the larger mentor group. Success will be judged on articulation, passion, clarity and demonstrated knowledge of all aspects of the business.
5. Final Review - After the final panel, entrepreneurs will submit their 15-Minute business presentation, 5-Minute quick pitch, Due Diligence sign off and final Executive Summary for internal review by SDSI, with help of your mentor team lead. Once all materials are reviewed and approved, you’ll be awarded your SDSI Accelerator Graduate badge and officially join the ranks of the SDSI membership for the rest of the year.
Though every company works with the same business plan decks, the pace and focus of study is determined by each mentoring team and is tailored to the needs of the specific entrepreneur or company. Common goals addressed in this program are preparing for investment, planning for strategic growth, developing sales strategies and teams, developing launch plans or new markets and much more. We have a deep and varied pool of mentors, including specific domain experts that can be added to a team to contribute to a specific need or goal.
Application windows, Intake panel and Milestone panel dates for the current and upcoming cohorts of the SDSI Accelerator Program.
What Does it Cost?
SDSI's Accelerator Program is not an incubator. We do not guarantee funding, take a percentage of your company or provide office space. The Accelerator program is pure, business mentorship that is driven by our our mentors desire to give back and support growing companies. This access to some of the best minds in SAL comes with a year-long membership to SDSI and starts at $3,500. Once the 20 weeks of the program concludes, you still have a year from the day you joined to take advantage of the power of the SDSI network.
Just a few benefits of membership include:
• Access to nearly 50+ C-level executives on the SDSI Advisory Board
• Marketing and exposure to SDSI members and SAL industry at large
• Business introductions that lead to new partnerships and/or accelerate your growth
• Programs and events providing education, elite level networking
• Access to new technology and talent
• Advocacy on behalf of the industry
The SDSI Accelerator is supported by:
A few more details...
Clarification on funding
The SDSI Accelerator is not a funding program and does not guarantee funding. It is a mentoring program that prepares companies to be better positioned for success.
Disclosure and Confidentiality
The SDSI Accelerator process is about your business, not your technology. We will not ask you to disclose any proprietary information about your technology or invention; however NO ONE INVOLVED IN SDSI– EITHER IN THE PREPARATION PHASE OR AT THE PANEL PRESENTATIONS – WILL SIGN A NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT. The SDSI team and mentors have agreed, in writing, to maintain the highest standards of integrity with regard to your business activities.
Diversity and Inclusivity Statement
SDSI welcomes all. We know that for our industry to thrive, all perspectives need a seat at the table. We actively seek strategies and partnerships that support diversity in the Sports and Active Lifestyle Business population.
Program Contact
Dana Rowley
Dana@sdsportinnovators.com
