Advisors

In addition to a dedicated client liaison working with your company on a weekly basis, connecting you with experienced mentors is one of our highest priorities. We connect you with several types of advisors, including executives from your industry, SAGE Advisors, Scientific Advisory Board, and more.

Innosphere has over 100 advisors who understand the value of giving their time to support high-impact companies, and we are always looking for more.

SAGE Program and Advisors:

Who is SAGE?

Social and Advisory Group for Entrepreneurs (SAGE) is a program specifically designed to provide early stage startups with advisory and mentoring assistance as they prepare themselves to become a sustainable business.  The successful program is made up of highly experienced advisors who are dedicated to helping startups refine business strategies, go-to-market plans and product definitions.

SAGE Advisors

SAGE provides early-stage companies with advisory and mentoring assistance as they prepare themselves to become sustainable businesses. SAGE advisors typically have deep industry, application or functional knowledge that helps to round out the experience of the entrepreneur and their team.

SAGE advisors are asked to be available for at least 12 months, attend one-third of the monthly meetings, and contribute 48 hours of pro-bono service per team engagement.

How does SAGE work?

SAGE is a team-based multi-disciplinary approach for assisting startups gain traction.  Each month, a promising company will give a presentation to SAGE advisors.  Following the presentation, the group provides real time feedback to the presenter, after which an advisory team is created to provide the presenting company with additional advice on an ongoing basis over the next 6 to 12 months.

A complete description of the SAGE advisor roles, responsibilities and expectations can be found in this document.

What kind of startups does SAGE work with?

SAGE targets early stage startups who use technology to innovate in their business model.  Startups come from many sources including universities, community meetups, and the classical garage or basement.  Startups referred to the program are often Innosphere clients or potential clients.  Entrepreneurs do not have to be working on their business full time and are not restricted to Venture Capital companies.  “Bootstrappers” are welcome.  Upon exiting SAGE, startups typically move on to incubators such as the Innosphere or seek Angel funding to move to the next startup stage.

Interested in becoming a SAGE advisor?

Read more details about the Roles, Responsibilities and Expectations of a SAGE Advisor.

Complete an Application Online!

Interested in applying as a SAGE startup?

Send an email to [email protected] or [email protected], or just click below to submit your application!

Complete an Application Online!

Information for existing SAGE advisors!

Fort Collins SAGE meetings take place on Wednesday mornings from 8:00 – 10:30AM in the north conference room at the Innosphere, 320 E. Vine Street, Fort Collins, CO  80524.  These meetings are typically the first Wednesday of each month.

Boulder SAGE meetings take place on Wednesdays afternoons from 4:30 – 7:00PM in the Sievers Room (S228) of the Sustainability, Energy & Environmental Community (SEEC) building on the CU east campus, 4001 Discovery Drive, Boulder, CO 80303.  These meetings are typically the third Wednesday of each month.

NOTE:  All SAGE meetings are being held virtually via Zoom until further notice.  In addition, the Fort Collins SAGE meetings will start at 8:30 rather than 8:00AM.

2020 SAGE Schedule

  • June 3 – 8:30 – 10:30AM – Fort Collins (via Zoom)
  • June 17 – 4:30 – 7:00PM – Boulder (via Zoom)
  • July 1 – 8:30 – 10:30AM – Fort Collins (via Zoom)
  • July 15 – 4:30 – 7:00PM – Boulder (via Zoom)
  • August 5 – 8:30 – 10:30AM – Fort Collins (via Zoom)
  • August 19 – 4:30 – 7:00PM – Boulder (via Zoom)
  • September 2 – 8:30 – 10:30AM – Fort Collins (via Zoom)
  • September 9 – 4:30 – 7:00PM – Boulder (via Zoom)
  • October 7 – 8:30 – 10:30AM – Fort Collins (via Zoom)
  • October 21 – 4:30 – 7:00PM – Boulder (via Zoom)
  • November 4 – 8:00 – 10:30AM – Fort Collins
  • November 18 – 4:30 – 7:00PM – Boulder
  • December 2 – 8:00 – 10:30AM – Fort Collins
  • December 9 – 4:30 – 7:00PM – Boulder

We look forward to seeing you there.

Regards,
Bill Dieterich, Susan Strong, Doug Bartlett & Scott McClure

(Download here)

Dear SAGE Member:

Thank you very much for committing your entrepreneurial expertise to SAGE on behalf of the Innosphere. We are
extremely pleased that you will be sharing your talents with our early stage startup companies in Northern Colorado.
SAGE is a group of interested area business people who come together to assist the Innosphere in advising companies
that might benefit from the guidance of experienced professionals and/or the Innosphere’s other services. The primary
mission of SAGE is to provide select early stage companies with advisory and mentoring assistance.

When a new company presents itself to the Innosphere for membership consideration, SAGE may act as an initial
screening venue. The process will begin with a presentation to SAGE, where the prospective company will have an
opportunity to present its business plan and strategy. Out of this meeting SAGE will make a determination of how (or
if) to move forward with the presenting company.

The mission of SAGE can only be fulfilled through active volunteers willing to contribute both time and energy. By
joining SAGE, you are pledging a 12-month commitment during which time you will attend at minimum 1/3 of the
scheduled meetings and will actively seek to engage as a mentor/advisor with a minimum of one early stage company.
SAGE members are expected to offer mentoring/advising of early stage companies for up to 48 hours over 3 to 18
months on a pro-bono basis. During your ongoing mentoring/advising period and during the regular company
presentations you will attend, SAGE members pledge their timely, honest, and robust inputs in all aspects of the SAGE
program including the feedback forms for initial evaluation and progress reports of mentor/advisor activity.
At these meetings, you may be privy to information that is central to the strategy and business plan of these companies.
By signing this pledge, you hereby agree that information disclosed during SAGE meetings will only be used in
fulfilling SAGE group obligations, that you will be respectful of the content that is presented to you in your capacity as
a SAGE member, and that you will act at all times in a professional manner when it comes to sensitive information.
Again, thank you very much for sharing our mission to develop more successful technology based companies in
Northern Colorado.

DOWNLOAD DOCUMENT

DOWNLOAD HERE

Executive Advisors:

Executive advisors include a group of up to 50 executive level individuals. While typically retired, they are active in supporting the commercialization journey and business group of high-tech CEOs and founders. Executive advisors work with startups and emerging growth companies on unique issues related to being a CEO such as hiring and firing, working with a board of directors, strategy, and accelerating top line revenue growth.

George Hayes – Health Care Advisor

Praful Shah – Angel Advisor

Jim Sergi – Regulatory, Scientific and Medical Advisor

DuWayne Peterson – Angel Investing Advisor

Over 20 years experience in advising, mentoring and investing in startups with emphasis on information technology companies. Vice Chair of the Colorado Angel Investors, and the Fort Collins angel group affiliated with Rockies Ventures Club.