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ElevAsian New Venture Cohort Program

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What to Expect

The Ideation to Venture Launch Program is designed for early-stage founders who want to explore an idea, understand their customers, and shape a venture that can realistically move forward. Over eight (8) sessions, participants work through the key questions every founder faces—from identifying the right problem to presenting their venture with clarity.

Along the way, founders test their thinking, learn from the experiences of other entrepreneurs, and refine the direction of their venture. Optional one-on-one progress checkpoints provide space for focused guidance and feedback as ideas evolve. The program concludes with a venture pitch session where participants share their ideas, receive feedback, and reflect on the progress they have made.

What the Program Includes

01
Eight (8) interactive founder sessions

02
Optional one-on-one venture progress checkpoints

04
Draft pitch feedback before the final presentation

03
Conversations with experienced founders and leaders

05
Final venture pitch session

The ElevAsian New Venture Cohort Program supports founders in the ideation to early-launch stage, who are exploring or developing a new venture. Participants come from diverse professional backgrounds and industries including technology, retail, and service-based businesses. Across our sessions, founders move from early ideas toward a clearer understanding of the problems they aim to solve, the customers they hope to serve, and the value their ventures can create. 

The program emphasizes structured exploration and practical learning, helping founders test assumptions, refine their ideas, and develop ventures that can sustain themselves over time. Between sessions, participants engage in venture progress checkpoints- short advisory conversations designed to support reflection and provide mentorship and targeted guidance as ventures evolve. The program concludes with a venture pitch session where founders present their venture ideas and reflect on the progress they have made throughout the program. The program is led by an MBA instructor, who is an expert in startup underserved entrepreneurs and entrepreneur herself. 

Join the next round of cohorts for the ElevAsian New Venture Cohort Program — Apply today!

Cohort starts January 2027 and deadline to apply ends Dec 2026 (dates subject to change).

More Info
More Info

ElevAsian New Venture Cohort Program Info Session

New!

Thinking about starting a business or growing a new venture? Join us for a free online Info Session to learn about a free educational and mentorship program designed to help underserved entrepreneurs transform ideas into sustainable businesses.

RSVP Here

Sessions take place online Wednesdays from 6:30–8:00 PM EST.

Who Should Apply

Participants may come from a range of industries, including technology, retail, and service-based businesses.

Open to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, and disability.

This program is designed for people who are:

  • a startup or business idea

  • an early-stage venture

  • entrepreneurship as a next step

  • for thoughtful feedback and a community of founders

Meet the Instructor

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Sandhya Balasubramanian is a startup co-founder, entrepreneurship educator, and venture mentor supporting early-stage founders in building and scaling innovation-driven ventures. As a New Venture Advisor with ElevAsian and Assistant Dean at the WPI Business School, she brings deep experience in startup development, ecosystem building, and applied entrepreneurship education.

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First ElevAsian New Venture Cohort Program Results

67

Net Promoter Score

22%

Cohort Members are incorporating their ventures!

  • “My experience in the ElevAsian New Venture Cohort was genuinely impactful. I came in with a coaching business built almost entirely on lived experience and passion, and I leave it with the actual tools to run it like a business: a real value proposition, a pitch I can defend under questioning, and a level of precision about my own pricing, credentials, and numbers that I didn't have going in. The most concrete impact: I am now legally registering my business. ”

    — Chizzy Exe, The Chizzy Exe Brand, 1st ElevAsian New Venture Alum

  • "I'd like you guys to know I appreciate everything that was laid out to us each session. I feel a lot more in control and knowing what the next step better than I did before joining ElevAsian. The program didn't give me the idea — it gave me the sequence. Thank you for everything."

    — Peter Ngo, Raw Juicery Boston, 1st ElevAsian New Venture Alum

  • "I felt very stagnant & was not confident in growing the business to a large market. The various modules instilled the confidence to take-off & think of how I can reach out to my customer base, keep up with the value of their offerings & be competitive."

    — Reema Raghavendra, Speak Easy, 1st ElevAsian New Venture Alum

Discover More About the Program by Downloading Our Brochure

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Open to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, and disability.

Bring Your Ideas to Life

  1. Are you unsure what your next step should be to grow your business?

  2. Do you wish you had access to experienced founders and a community of entrepreneurs to learn from and grow with?

  3. Do you wish you had a space to test ideas and get honest feedback?

  4. Do you feel like you’re figuring everything out on your own?

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