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TiE Silicon Valley University Mentors Program

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TiE Silicon Valley University Mentors Program

The TiE Silicon Valley University Mentors Program helps university founders turn research and early ideas into real startups. Through hands-on mentorship, founder-focused workshops, and Silicon Valley–style execution, teams gain clarity on customers, go-to-market strategy, fundraising, and pitching.

Built for students, researchers, and early-stage teams, the program connects founders with experienced mentors who provide practical guidance, real feedback, and investor-ready preparation—culminating in a Pitch.

Participating Universities:

Past mentors include:

Alina Adams · Ambika Pajjuri · Anita Manwani · Ashwin Ram · Deepa Nagpal · Divya Ashok · Divya Yerraguntla · Holly Uber · Krishna Chittabathini · Minnie Sarwal · Nidhi Gupta · Patrick Cyril · Preetha Ram · Stephanie Bousheri · Zia Rehman

The program is run by Preetha Ram and the University Program Committee.

Program Highlights Sessions Blog:

 

Johan Raval

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Program Highlights

Throughout the program, founders participate in expert-led webinars and workshops covering: transitioning from research to enterprise, building and scaling founding teams, legal fundamentals for startups, early-stage fundraising and investor readiness, pitch preparation and presentation guidelines. The program culminates in Pitch Finals, where startups present to investors, judges, and ecosystem leaders; receiving feedback, visibility, and next-step opportunities.

“This is a very friendly environment. When you’re presenting to the VC, you feel comfortable sharing your pitch because you approach them as a mentor. There’s no need for fear, and you receive helpful advice in a friendly setting.”
Deepak G.
Deepak G.Co-Founder and CEO, Optiwise.ai Inc
“Talking for twenty minutes one-on-one definitely helped me get a lot of perspective on where I am, what I need to do, and what I need to be ready for.”
Suri C.
Suri C.Founding Partner, QuadForte Capital LLC
“We met with one of the VCs. The timing is perfect for us because we are raising our Series A round. The meeting went fantastically well, and the VC was very interested. Now, we are moving to the next stage.”
Sri R.
Sri R.Founder & CEO, Charlee.ai
“This is a very friendly environment. When you’re presenting to the VC, you feel comfortable sharing your pitch because you approach them as a mentor. There’s no need for fear, and you receive helpful advice in a friendly setting.”
Deepak G.
Deepak G.Co-Founder and CEO, Optiwise.ai Inc
“Talking for twenty minutes one-on-one definitely helped me get a lot of perspective on where I am, what I need to do, and what I need to be ready for.”
Suri C.
Suri C.Founding Partner, QuadForte Capital LLC
“We met with one of the VCs. The timing is perfect for us because we are raising our Series A round. The meeting went fantastically well, and the VC was very interested. Now, we are moving to the next stage.”
Sri R.
Sri R.Founder & CEO, Charlee.ai

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