Support systems for founders and entrepreneurs are key to attracting, retaining, and accelerating cleantech startups. Mentorship is an essential ingredient to that support. There is substantial regional support for entrepreneurs from partners like LaunchMN, Forge North, and statewide entrepreneurial support organizations. However, cleantech and energy startups face unique challenges, including significant capital requirements and long time horizons for energy innovation, that benefit from experts and leaders in those fields.
Mentorship guidance that is effectively matched with an entrepreneur’s needs along that pathway can help immensely. One study that looked at technology businesses in New York found that 33% of startups with strong mentoring connections went on to be top performers, compared to only 10% of other companies in the study. We also know that having a mentor increases the chance that a small business will survive. However, it is not just about having any arbitrary mentor. The entrepreneurial journey requires specific types of mentor support at different stages, from ideation to pilot demonstration to market entry and growth.
Mentorship can also help increase the diversity of our entrepreneurial and energy worlds. Women and people of color may not see representation of themselves in these less diverse fields, but mentors can help navigate barriers and ease feelings of isolation. Relationships between mentors and mentees with similar and differing backgrounds can both be beneficial.
As previous mentees gain experience and success, they often feel inspired to share their insights as new mentors. This remarkable cycle of mentees becoming new mentors can be just one of many avenues toward increasing representation in entrepreneurship and the energy industry at-large. This is an important goal for Grid Catalyst as outlined in the Equity and Access roadmap, developed by the Center for Economic Inclusion and bolstered by their Cleantech Innovation Pathways program.
My experience with mentoring started when I was a few years into my career, and my first meaningful mentor was a previous supervisor of mine. A more experienced engineer with a passion for onboarding new graduates, she advocated for me and helped me navigate the beginning of my career in a male-dominated manufacturing firm. I was also part of a formal technical mentorship program and, most recently, a formal mentoring program for public policy graduate students. I learned different things from each mentor, but they all had one thing in common: they each helped me navigate transitions in my career, providing me with the courage, expertise, and networks that helped me get to where I am. For entrepreneurs who navigate challenging transitions throughout the startup pathway, it’s easy to understand how mentors are essential to the support system. The question is, will you be a part of it?
The startup ecosystem in Minnesota is rich with talented entrepreneurs, and our northern climate makes cleantech innovation incredibly challenging and exciting. We are also rich in subject matter expertise. Not only are we home to 16 Fortune 500 companies, but we also have small business owners and successful entrepreneurs who have experience with a founder’s pathway. Our clean energy business sector is especially strong, employing over 62,000 Minnesotans and growing. Adjacent to that business space, we have investors, lawyers, academics, technical experts, and more. All with something to contribute to the cleantech innovation ecosystem. So ask yourself: what lived experiences, insights, networks, or resource connections do you have to offer to entrepreneurs who might be just starting or who might be looking for support in a new part of their pathway?
As part of cultivating the energy innovation ecosystem, Grid Catalyst is launching its new mentorship program with a seed I helped plant while working for the organization as a program fellow in 2022. If you want to collaborate with them and the startup ecosystem, complete this form to start the conversation with their team.
Now is the time to invest in up-and-coming cleantech and energy innovators; mentorship can be a meaningful way to help.
Blog Addition from Grid Catalyst
Grid Catalyst has now launched a new mentorship program, which Sarah Komoroski helped design during her time as a Program Fellow. We welcome energy and cleantech industry professionals and members of our startup ecosystem to consider lending their time and expertise to support up and coming founders and startups. Submit your interest today to support our 2025 PowerNorth Incubator program.
