CASE STUDY
YORK UNIVERSITY
A TRUE CULTURE OF COLLABORATION
Tapping Into the Full Potential of Accelerator Culture
Introduction
In the summer of 2018, InFounders partnered with York University to complement their accelerator program with our Mastermind sessions. The success of these Masterminds was so profound that they have become an integral and permanent part of York’s accelerator curriculum. This case study explores how InFounders Masterminds have played a pivotal role in enhancing the entrepreneurial experience at York University.
The Challenge
York University’s accelerator program, an annual four-month intensive initiative, provides aspiring entrepreneurs with the essential support to build and scale their ventures. Before our collaboration, the program had organized peer sessions (CEO roundtables) among its participants. While these sessions were generally valuable, the outcome was not always consistent and the relationships among entrepreneurs remained transactional. There was a collective desire to deepen connections and unlock the full potential of collaboration.
Exchanges vs safe spaces: the InFounders Mastermind difference
Where the previous CEO roundtable felt short, InFounders thrived. Our framework built extremely deep connections among founders, having them bond powerfully from the very start of our sessions. This foundation of care made it a safe and generous space where founders united with compassion and drive. The kickoff meeting itself got participants raving to the program manager about their experience.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. High Engagement
The program manager noted a significantly stronger sense of engagement and team spirit after our Masterminds. This behavior positively impacted the accelerator overall.
2. Participants Being Supportive and Caring
The accelerator staff witnessed a transformation in how participants connected. Many were now helping each other outside of the scope of the accelerator and meeting on their own time to collaborate.
3. Rise in Achievements Among Participants
With a new layer of team spirit and peer support, participants mentioned that their Mastermind significantly helped them achieve their goals faster and more strategically.
4. Building Leadership Skills
InFounders’ framework includes communication and strategic thinking skills building. Participants were shown to have improved connections even with investors and accelerator staff thanks to their progress in those areas
5. Rated Accelerator’s Favorite
Participants rated their InFounders Mastermind as their accelerator’s favorite component. This lead to an increase in applications the following year due to word-of-mouth sharing.
NOW PERMANENT TO YORK UNIVERSITY
With this success, InFounders Masterminds became a permanent component of York University’s entrepreneurship program.
It also became integral to ELLA, the new women’s accelerator York University launched a few years later.
CONCLUSION
InFounders’ partnership with York University since 2018 empowered entrepreneurs to gather around collaboration and innovation as a true team. Unlike typical meetings previously run, Masterminds offered powerful and reliable outcomes. They have become a cornerstone, cultivating deep relationships and peer empowerment.
Masterminds have become permanent to York University’s entrepreneurship program as well as to their women’s accelerator.
York University’s entrepreneurship department saw effortless program expansion and community building, while enabling a significantly richer experience for their participants.
WHY MASTERMINDS
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