Press release:
SAN DIEGO – August 7, 2014 — SD Sport Innovators (SDSI), the business accelerator that connects and drives the growth of Southern California’s vibrant sports and active lifestyle (SAL) economy, is now accepting applications for Springboard 2.0, Class 5 from August 1 through September 7.
SDSI’s Springboard 2.0 is a no-cost, four-month intensive business accelerator program, which pairs qualified entrepreneurs with industry veterans for hands on mentoring. The purpose of Springboard is to fine tune a company’s business plan, prepare for capital funding opportunities and better position companies for success.
“The Springboard program has been instrumental in putting our company in the perfect position to raise money,” said Ian Sells, co-founder of 2013 Springboard Graduate Strong Volt, a manufacturer of state-of-the-art portable solar chargers. “We now have a laser focus with our business model and financial analysis. The SDSI mentors went above and beyond to help us perfect our business model and identify our strengths. I would recommend this program to any entrepreneur looking to grow their business and potentially raise investment capital.”
Companies who are accepted convene for each milestone to present their business opportunity to fellow Springboard participants, business advisors and domain experts for feedback. Mentoring occurs in stages starting with the development of the 15-minute investor presentation and then refining the presentation to create a five-minute ‘Quick Pitch’. The culmination of the program, for qualified companies, is the participation in an SDSI Capital Event.
Follow-up opportunities for SDSI Springboard Graduates include consideration to present at investor events such as SDSI Investor Draft, Rock Stars of Innovation as well as FundSourceOR, in collaboration with Outdoor Retailer Summer and Winter Markets.
To date, more than 40 companies have graduated from SDSI Springboard since it became a standalone program from CONNECT in 2011. Recent Springboard graduates include Intelly Surf, Ground-Based Nutrition, FITzee Foods, GrassAds Inc, and Lunatec. While SDSI’s resources are located in Southern California, Springboard is open to companies outside of the region; however travel to San Diego is required.
SDSI’s mentor group is comprised of more than 50 industry veterans and experts who volunteer their time to help guide these up-and-coming sports and actively lifestyle companies to become sustainable businesses that contribute to job creation and the overall health of the business community.
Apply to SDSI Springboard 2.0 at https://sdsportinnovators.org/pages/springboard_about or contact Renne Catalano atrcatalano@connect.org.
Become an SDSI mentor and join the dynamic group of talented industry executives contact Renne Catalano atrcatalano@connect.org.
About SDSI
SD Sport Innovators (SDSI) is a non-profit, business accelerator that connects and drives the growth of Southern California’s vibrant sports economy by offering elite level networking, and innovative programs and services for start-ups, mature companies and service providers. We offer mentoring, education and capital funding opportunities for start-ups; best practice collaboration, access to new technology, and public policy advocacy for mature companies; as well as deal flow to our service providers and the Southern California Investment Community. For more information, visit www.sdsportinnovators.org
