NOBODY MAKES IT ALONE.
WE'LL HELP YOU GET THERE,
TOGETHER
The Violet Society is a pre-accelerator
for female & non-binary startup founders
THE FOUNDER FELLOWSHIP
Join the fully remote Summer 2020 Founder Fellowship program for...
Accountability
Community
Mentorship
Growth
With a small, 12-person batch size, you'll make lifelong friends through both work and play.
We'll help you stay on track every week with check-ins, masterminds, and group co-working sessions.
We believe that coaching is for everyone and help you understand yourself to become a better leader.
The Violet Society is a pre-accelerator
for female & non-binary startup founders
THE FOUNDER FELLOWSHIP
Join the fully remote Fellowship program for...
Community
With a small, 12-16 person batch, you'll make lifelong friends through work and play.
Accountability
We'll help you stay on track every week with check-ins and co-working sessions.
Mentorship
In an intimate environment, learn from accomplished Founders & VCs off-the-record.
Growth
Coaching is for everyone. We help you get to know yourself to become a better leader.
PARTNERS
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Application Deadlines: Friday May 15 (Regular)
Sunday, 12-5pm PST:
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Co-working session with other fellows
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Accountability check-ins
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Targeted 1-on-1 with a mentor Founder, VC, or Violet team member
Tuesday, 6:00-8:30pm PST:
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Interactive workshop about critical topics, for example:
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"Conducting user interviews"
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"Finance & legal 101"
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"Creating a compelling pitch deck"
-
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Peer problem-solving sessions in smaller groups
Thursday, 6:00-8:30pm PST:
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Intimate fireside chat with a mentor to learn from their experiences
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Mastermind session focused on targeted peer advice
Ongoing:
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Vibrant Slack community to share resources, advice, and questions
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Social events with the cohort & other Violet alumni
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
WEEK 1
Get to know yourself & other fellows
Set goals for the program
WEEKS 2-4
Defining the problem
Customer Discovery
Building an MVP
WEEKS 8-9
Finance & Legal basics
Funding options
Preparing for fundraising
WEEK 10
Final pitch preparation
Showcase to investors, founders, family, and friends
WEEKS 5-7
Defining the customer
Sales and marketing
Growth and utilizing data
Our Alumni Love Us
"Violet provides you with an amazing group of cheerleaders as you start out on your journey as a founder! It’s a no-brainer decision; the support system and the wealth of information I learned from other founders was invaluable."
"Through The Violet Society Fellowship, I was connected to Julia, another Violet who wound up being an ideal co-founder match for me. Knowing she was also in Violet gave me more confidence and trust that she embodied values The Violet Society stands by."
"I'm so grateful to have had The Violet Society over the last 10 weeks. I tend to be pretty exhausted after my typical workday, but I have looked forward to my Monday nights with Violet. Violet has been so many things - founder therapy, a place to make new badass friends, a way to broaden my professional network, and so much more."
Our Mentors & Speakers
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I have to be running my startup full-time?
No! The Fellowship is purposely made to help early-stage founders take their side hustle and turn it into their main focus. You're welcome to join if you're working on your startup full-time or on the side.
Should I join with my co-founders? Do we all have to be female or non-binary?
The Fellowship is meant to help an individual. You may be a solo founder, you may be working with female/non-binary cofounder(s), or you may be working with a male cofounder, but the program works best if only 1 person from a founding team is enrolled in Violet. We strive to create a safe space where you can be vulnerable and honest about any challenges you're facing, including co-founder issues.
What's the time commitment?
The program will take up about 10 hours per week and be hosted in the PST time zone (GMT-7). We think the best experiences are high-touch, thus we keep each batch small and ensure that you spend a lot of time improving your startup & developing strong bonds with each other.
What do you look for in applicants?
The Fellowship is about helping you grow both personally and professionally. We look for high-potential people who are looking for a support system who can help them grow. Fellows are selected based on how well they express our core values: Integrity, Generosity, and Ambition.
Integrity: Above all, it's important that you are a trustworthy and reliable person. As entrepreneurs, we also have a responsibility to build ethical and sustainable businesses.
Generosity: Violet is all about giving back; we'll all achieve more by helping one another & sharing our resources with each other.
Ambition: Violet members are committed to using our talents and abilities to make a positive impact on the world. One person can change everything -- why not you?
How much does the program cost?
The program costs $300 for 100+ hours of hands-on mentorship, connection, training, and support. Your experience will include informational workshops and confidential talks with accomplished mentors, resources & advice from peers, a personal and emotional support system, and access to our tight-knit alumni community with 90+ talented people in tech. We have a limited number of need-based scholarships available for members who need it.
Do I need to finish my MVP to apply?
No, but we do expect you to apply with a solid idea. Violet works best if you know the business idea you want to work on, so you can make the most of the 10 weeks of the program. Don't worry if you haven't built much of it, but do try and think about your MVP as you write the application.
What stage is your sweet spot?
We are open to founders who are anywhere from idea-stage to post-launch with paying customers. A lot of content is focused on creating a strong foundation to build a sustainable high-growth company. We typically don't look at companies who have already raised over $500K in VC funding because there are more advanced programs and resources for them. We're helping you build a strong business and prepare to hit $100K in annual revenue, join a program like Y Combinator/500 Startups/Techstars, or raise an institutional Pre-Seed/Seed round.