We built mission-driven businesses the hard way. Now you don’t have to.
A New Type of Incubator
Traditional incubators put the cart (business) before the horse (person).
We put people first by:
helping you overcome your unique distractions and blind spots, and protect your super-precious founder focus (neurodivergent friendly)
supporting your business goals, rather than pushing you down a singular path of rapid growth, scale, and taking on outside capital
providing customized solutions that work around your schedule, budget, and learning style
connecting you with a supportive and inspiring community of other dreamers and builders making the world a better place
Driven by Research
Beyond survival, your organization can thrive:
Near half (45%) of all entrepreneurial ventures fail due to poor product-market fit. Find fit or pivot early, using the Customer Development model adopted by elite institutions such as Stanford, UC Berkeley, & MIT.
72% of founders struggle with mental health (37% suffer from anxiety, 36% experience burnout, 10% have panic attacks). Minimize stress and support your mental health with a blend of the right tools, skills, and community.
65% of high-potential startups fail due to unresolved tensions and conflicts among co-founders. Find answers to the big questions early on and align your organization’s growth with the needs and aspirations of the founders.
Scale with Grace with our Innovator’s Tool Suite: The Refinery
Save a fortune, endless hours, and untold stress.
The Refinery offers expert guides, tools, and templates to tackle the most pernicious problems at every stage of your organization’s development:
gain a deep understanding of your customer and their relationship to your brand
develop insightful sales & marketing strategies
produce sophisticated financial forecasts & scenario plans
impress and inspire funding partners (investors, lenders, donors)
hire with foresight: delay expensive hires and hire for long term fit
reduce overdependence on the founders and support founder focus
create a culture where people — including yourself — actually want to work
much, much more
Supporting the Full Spectrum of Mission-Driven Founders
Although we have different goals, our paths have a great degree of overlap. Our members help each other by:
exchanging highly valuable expertise
facilitating new connections including co-founders, financial partners, trustworthy professionals, and friends
mentoring and advising on complex challenges
learning and developing new skills together
