2026 ENTREPRENEURS & INVESTORS IN RESIDENCE

Our Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs) and Investors in Residence (IIRs) are deeply embedded in the VILLAGEx 2026 cohort experience. They work closely with founders, offering hands-on guidance, strategic insight, and direct access to networks.

ENTREPRENEURS IN RESIDENCE (EIRs)

MEET OUR VILLAGE OF MENTORS

• Kwamena Aidoo, Managing Director, Corridor Ventures

• Frank Alfieri, Managing Director, EMA International

• Matthew Allan, Sr. Product Owner, POOLCORP

• Matthew Armstrong, SparkBridge Strategy

• Steve Bachmann, Managing Partner, Artis Partners

• Robin Barnes, Senior Advisor, Julep Consulting

• Prithwee Bhat, Executive, Innotech Frontier, Inc.

• Will Bishop, Partner, Phelps Dunbar LLP

• Joe Bonavita, ED, JPMorgan Chase & Co.

• Vicki Briggs, Executive Chair, Bioceptive

• Joe Brinz, Founder, EIS

• Owen Brown, Founder and CEO, SRE Partners

• Jimmy Cash, Area VP, Johnson & Johnson

• Leslie Campisi, Co-Founder, Beginners

• Jane Cooper, Owner, Grande Krewe Fine Wine and Spirits, President, JLC

• Patrick Comer, CEO, Cint, Founder, Lucid

• Christa Cotton, Founder and CEO, El Guapo

• Tom Daly, VP of Corporate Benefits, NFP

• David Dart, CFO, Proof, Operating Advisor, Blue Heron Capital

• Jeanne Davids, Founder, CEO, Outer Aisle

• David Decuir, CEO and Founder, iCAN Technologies

• Andrew Dunn, Head of Data, Hello Gravel

• Hugh Evans, Founder, 3D Ventures

• Logan Farley, VP of Operations, IngestRonnie Harper, CEO, My Sports Dietitian

• Julian Herbert, Chief Product Officer, DoseSpot

• Leo Holzenthal, CEO, MSB Consulting Engineers

• Maureen Huguley, Co-Owner, Forman Huguley Consulting

• Jeremy Hunnewell, CFO, Blue Cypress

• Corey James, Chief of Staff, Survival and Flourishing Corp.

• Alex Jagodzinski, Director of Digital Solutions, Get Online NOLA

• Josh Johnston, Founder and CEO, TrayAway

• Abbey Kish, Pitch Coach

• Amber Kodish, GTM Leader, NVIDIA

• Diego Llaneza, Innovation Manager, New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

• Kate Lingoni, Fractional COO, BonBon Strategic

• Sanjay Manchanda, CMO, Vendasta

• John Marshall, CEO, Series Next Solutions

• Chris Meaux, Founder and CEO, QiMana Inc., Founder, Waitr

• Dan Meth, CEO, Ingest

• Robert McAlister, Lead Advisor, Foundry Financial

• Stephen Morel, Founder, JurisDeed

• Sean Peoples, Carmigo

• Diego Pinzon, CEO, DAWn Audio

• Andy Quick, Chief AI Advisor, Entergy

• Sydni Raymond, Director of Marketing, French Quarter Festivals

• Trey Richoux, Director of Innovation, MC Bank

• John Roberts, Managing Partner, Boot64 Ventures

• John Ross, VP of Marketing, PosiGen

• Kelly Schexnaildre, Founder, Merf’s Condiments

• Will Scott, CEO and Co-Founder, Search Influence

• Kristina Sanderson, Principal Strategist, Clique Marketing

• Shoban Pattam, Software Architect, nThrive

• Soumitra Sengupta, Venture Partner, Elevate Capital

• Claire Smith, Founder, Hilight

• Christy Swann, Founder and CEO, R-Coast

• Bailey Surtees, CEO, Kubanda Cryotherapy

• Ramin Tabib, President, Santiago Consulting Company

• Camille Terk, Owner, Terk Consulting LLC

• Corey Tisdale, Managing Principal, Build with Shift, Founder, BBQ Guys

• Elizabeth Tilton, Founder, Oyster Sunday, Founder, OS Benefits

• Marianne Van Meter, Managing Director, Legacy Capital LLC

• Lucy Warburton, Head of Product, RentCheck

• Andrew Warmath, Founder and CEO, Carmigo

• Josh Webb, Managing Director, Vici Partners

• Lydia Winkler, Co-Founder and Advisor, RentCheck

• Justin Wohlstadter, Founder and CEO, Waldo

• Anne Wylde Serpente, Founder, Annem Academy

OUR MENTOR MENU

Mentors have the opportunity to give their time and expertise to help founders thrive.

MENTOR

8-12+ Hours

Basic mentoring requires a commitment of 8-12 hours over the course of our 4-month accelerator program. Each mentor in our general pool remains open to meetings with founders throughout the program, which can include any of the following engagements:

+ Facilitating an Accelerator Workshop - for example, giving a talk or hosting a session at Kickoff, a Lunch and Learn, or a Breakfast Roundtable

+ Hosting Office Hours - structured blocks of mentoring on a designated day where a mentor hosts 45-minute meetings with founders to advise on a specified area of expertise

+ Sustained Mentorship - meeting 1:1 regularly with founders to solve specific problems facing their ventures

ADVISORY BOARD

12-16+ Hours

Advisory Board Members are required to commit 12-16 hours over our 4-month accelerator program. Advisory boards will consist of 4-5 advisors who will meet monthly with up to 3 companies for 60-minute board meetings, which are run by the founder. Advisory board members should be prepared to provide general business expertise, milestone accountability, and track progress throughout the program.

INVESTOR IN RESIDENCE

25+ hours

The majority of IIR involvement occurs during the second half of the program. IIRs are required to commit a minimum of 25 hours over the course of the program to assist companies in becoming “capital ready.” This means working with founders on aspects such as:

• Assist founders in deck creation and preparation for investor pitches

• Leading pitch groups, including facilitating pitch rehearsal and giving feedback to both individual companies and small groups

• Helping founders identify what investors would be most successful for their venture, and making those introductions when needed

• Facilitating cohort training/workshops on topics such as term sheet creation, due diligence processes, data room organization, and valuation

ENTREPRENEUR IN RESIDENCE

60+ hours

EIRs are the “quarterbacks” throughout the program and give a minimum of 60 hours over the course of the accelerator. They lead in selection, program development, and catalyze resources for the companies. We strive to maintain a 4:1 company-to-EIR ratio in our program. EIRs maintain a sustained engagement post-program with the founders of their companies throughout the capital-raising process.

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MENTOR?