Business school starts mentors program

NEW PALTZ, N.Y. » The School of Business at SUNY New Paltz has created a new pilot program to match probono mentors with local entrepreneurs to help them address business challenges, overcome obstacles and reach milestone goals.

The Hudson Valley Mentors program was created in partnership with the Sommer Family Foundation, which made a contribution to the SUNY New Paltz Foundation, according to a press release. Applications are now open to join the initial, free pilot cohort of entrepreneurs, or to join the network of mentors.

“As we look around, Cari (Sommer) and I are excited by the innovation in the Hudson Valley, and believe that connecting experienced entrepreneurs with those starting out on their journey will be critical to advancing business growth and innovation in this area,” Dan Sommer, an ed-tech entrepreneur and founder and chief executive officer of Trilogy and chief executive officer and co-founder of Edge Pathways, said in a statement. “We are delighted to partner with SUNY New

Paltz on this initiative.”

For more information and to apply, visit https:// bit.ly/3kA2P9M.

All applicants must meet certain criteria to be considered for mentorship placement. The criteria include being located in the Hudson Valley, having at least $500 in revenue and being in operation for at least 12 months, having less than $3 million in revenue over 12 months, and having a specific and targeted challenge to focus on.

Successful applicants will be matched with mentors who possess a wide range of skillsets to meet diverse challenges faced by businesses at various stages of development. Mentoring will take place over the course of four to six weeks.

A kick-off panel in conjunction with Venture Fest will take place beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 4. Eliza Edge, a program manager with Hudson Valley Mentors, will moderate the panel and will be joined by business leaders including Leon Green, N. Damali Peterman, Dan Leader and Sommer.

For more information about Venture Fest and to sign up, visit bit.ly/3ebuuNt.