First Round Capital‘s Dorm Room Fund portfolio companies are getting their very own resident advisors, or RAs, for short — and they’re all seasoned entrepreneurs at swiftly growing startups across the country.
The student-run investment firm, soon to be in four cities, is launching a mentorship program to connect its student entrepreneurs with founders from startups like Youtube, Warby Parker and Quora. Almost one-third of the more than 60 advisors are Penn alumni, said Dorm Room Fund director CeCe Cheng.
Philly-based advisors include Curalate cofounder Apu Gupta and Perceptual Networks cofounder Jim Young.
The 20 Dorm Room Fund portfolio companies will be paired with relevant advisors, Cheng said, adding that the Dorm Room Fund team will try to pair student entrepreneurs with mentors from their alma mater.
It won’t be city-specific, Cheng said. For example, a Philly adviser won’t necessarily be paired with a Philly student entrepreneur. That’s an exciting perk of the program, said Justin Meltzer, cofounder of local Dorm Room Fund portfolio company Firefly. Philly’s tech scene can feel small, for better or or worse, he said, so he likes the idea of getting access to experienced entrepreneurs in other markets.
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