We've reached the halfway mark of our Clean Energy Tech accelerator, and we're thrilled to bring you some exciting program updates as we wrap up the first half of our inaugural Clean Energy Tech accelerator in collaboration with Chevron and Microsoft!

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🚀  Highlights

• We had an incredible first week, including a welcome kickoff happy hour with the cohort, alumni, mentors, board members and partners for a warm welcome to the DivInc community. We loved seeing everyone in person - Our community showed up & showed out in Houston, as always.
• We've had productive collaborations and working sessions with Headway Labs, Gunderson Dettmer, BreakingBounds, Continuum, General Assembly, Vallure Agency, and more. These interactions have provided founders with eye-opening moments and strategic connections. A special thanks to the Gunderson Dettmer and Headway Labs teams for their dedicated support, covering strategic topics and offering one-on-one meetings with any founder in need.
• The cohort began pitch practice this week and met with SketchDeck who will be designing brand new, professional pitch decks for each company. Get ready to be amazed at Demo Day!

🧠 Curriculum

• In month one, we dove headfirst into Amos Schwartzfarb's LEVERS framework, as we do at the start of every program. By introducing the entire framework early on, founders can utilize it, revisit it, and iterate with it throughout the entire program.

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• Through our Whole Founder Wellness programming and a culture of openness, founders were given the space to express their desires for wellness, wholeness, and diversity in their roles as Clean Energy startup founders. They engaged in deep discussions around their Birkman assessments and participated in insights sessions led by our Houston Program Director, Amanda Moya.

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• Wes Okeke, founder and CEO of Headway Idea Labs, provided invaluable insights to the cohort through a series of live workshops including the Unlock, Explore, and Plan Phases within the Headway Idea Labs' Investor Preparedness Program.

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• We extend our gratitude to our curriculum partners and workshop facilitators, including Sophie Randolph (validating assumptions), Patty Williams-Downs (mission + vision), Wes Okeke (product development), Vi Friebertshauser (design thinking and low code), Forecastr team (financial modeling), Vallure Agency (marketing strategy), Blair Garrou (product market fit), and the Gunderson team (IP + Commercialization Strategy).

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🔎 What’s Coming up next:

• Mercury Day is just around the corner! We're excited to kick off relationship building with our VC partners and focus on building an investable company.

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• We have several facilitated working sessions on the horizon, covering topics such as Fundraising Strategy, Prepping for Due Diligence, Cap Table Basics, When and Why to Raise, Building a Team + Building Trust, and more.

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• Pitch practice is in full swing as we prepare for Demo Day. A special shout-out to Joanna Nathan, who is serving as the cohort's pitch practice coach, ensuring they're ready to shine on the big day!

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We invite you to join us on June 29th for Demo Day, where you'll witness the remarkable growth and innovation of our cohort as they showcase their groundbreaking solutions. RSVP TODAY!