Professional Development Opportunity
BMoM Mentor Upskilling Program
Improve Your Mentoring Practices to Elevate Impact
PROGRAM FORMAT
Two-Part Cohort Program
DELIVERY
Live Virtual Sessions + Recorded Practice
The Berkeley Method of Mentoring
The Berkeley Method of Mentoring (BMoM) is an extension of the award-winning Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship (BMoE), developed at the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (SCET) at UC Berkeley. The BMoM builds on foundational BMoE concepts to go beyond individual founders and teams to elevate entire entrepreneurial ecosystems.
The BMoM is both a methodology for maximizing the impact of mentoring in entrepreneurship and innovation settings, and a system for training and upskilling mentors and coaches to create and sustain the best outcomes for all stakeholders.
Why Does Mentoring Need a Method?
There is currently a “hole” in the fabric of innovation and entrepreneurship (I&E) education and training. Around the world, almost all startup incubators, accelerators, and I&E programs include some element of “mentoring,” based on the valid expectation and hope that less experienced innovators can benefit from interacting with more experienced practitioners. But few of these programs pause to ask what really makes mentoring effective, and why. They also typically do not implement systems designed to increase positive impact. Frequently their systems focus only on matching and managing meetings – making sure mentor-to-mentee communication occurs – without structuring or setting up those interactions to increase the likelihood of success for all parties.
Focusing on its mission to empower innovators to positively impact the world, SCET delivers the BMoM to fill this gap identified in the realm of I&E education and training, to scale SCET’s own positive impact on this world.
Why This Program?
The BMoM Mentor Upskilling Program addresses a global need for increasing startup and founder mentoring excellence. Around the world, entrepreneurship programs and startup incubators rely on mentors, yet few pause to ask what really makes mentoring effective. This hands-on program, based on principles of experiential learning, helps participants become more thoughtful and effective guides for startup founders — offering a structured approach and an engaging interactive environment for developing real mentoring skills.
What You'll Learn
Teaching vs. Coaching vs. Mentoring
Key distinctions between pedagogical approaches
Goals & Effectiveness
Primary and secondary goals for effective startup & founder mentoring
Best Practices & Pitfalls
Recommended practices and common mistakes to avoid
Mentoring Modes
Journey, Snapshot, Event-based, and more
Session Design
Structuring mentoring sessions for maximum impact
Program Structure
1
Mindsets, Frameworks &
Recommended Practices
Two 60–90 minute sessions with an expert teacher/facilitator in a cohort of peers. Build the mental models, vocabulary, and structured frameworks for effective mentoring.
2
Real-World Practice
Participants record mentoring sessions and receive detailed debriefs, feedback, and coaching. Note: for maximum effectiveness, mentees should also receive some initial BMoM-focused preparation.
Who Should Attend?
The program is built for anyone mentoring or coaching founders. It is ideal for:
Incubator & Accelerator Leaders
Corporate Innovation Leads
Educators & Faculty
Experienced Entrepreneurs
To get the most out of the program, participants should have some prior personal experience giving or receiving mentoring in the context of launching new businesses.
Elevate Your Mentoring Practice with a UC Berkeley SCET Certificate
Contact Us
Mark Searle
Lecturer & Head of Mentoring Excellence, SCET
msearle@berkeley.edu