Mentor in Residence – Emerging Brand Retail Accelerator

Program Overview:

The Emerging Brand Retail Accelerator, made possible by funding from Walmart through the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity, provides tailored education, mentorship, and resources that prepare diverse founders to breakthrough and succeed in mass retail. Ultimately, we aim to leverage the power of business ownership to build a more inclusive and equitable economy.

This intensive virtual 10-week accelerator is designed for emerging consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail brands looking to launch into the world of retail. The program seeks a Mentor-In-Residence to provide mentorship on launching a brand to a diverse cohort of retail companies that span across several industries including food & beverage, apparel, and beauty.

Position Overview:

To support the ventures accepted into the 10-week program, SEED SPOT seeks a Mentor-In-Residence (MIR) that brings the retail expertise necessary to launch brands. The MIR will work with 20-22 retail brand founders throughout the 10-week program to offer strategic guidance and industry-specific expertise to participating startups. As a mentor, you will help founders navigate the unique challenges of launching a retail brand such as identifying a buyer, exploring distribution channels, refining their branding and positions, reaching target customers, and more.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Mentorship and Office Hours: Hold 4 hours of office hours with the ventures on your calendar each week to address key topics such as sales and marketing strategies, and product development. Maintain a meeting log of office hours taken and provide updates to the VP of Programs on office hour trends as necessary.
• Provide Resources: Maintain a resource log of links, organizations, and contacts you can share with the cohort and proactively identify resources for cohort members.
• Facilitate with SEED SPOT: Facilitate 10 workshops, each 1 hour long, for the program. Topics will likely include: 1) Sales, 2) Hosting an open Q&A on your area of expertise, 3) Marketing. Topics will be finalized with the Mentor-In-Residence’s expertise and schedule in mind.
• Networking and Community Building: Help build a supportive, collaborative environment within the accelerator by inviting 5-7 industry experts from your network to the retail buyer pitch sessions. Buyers provide feedback on the venture’s pitch and may span across apparel, food & beverage, and beauty. Additionally, amplify the SEED SPOT community as a collaborator on the SEED SPOT blog by writing at least one newsletter feature or blog post.
• Collaboration with SEED SPOT: This position will be a part of the SEED SPOT Programs team and is expected to show up for our entrepreneurs and team in a professional and collaborative manner, including maintaining consistent and prompt communication. After the program ends, you will also join a SEED SPOT team meeting to recap the program and provide insights.

Key Qualifications:
• Industry expertise: 5+ years of experience in building and scaling a retail brand.
• Experience as a retail buyer or pitching to retail buyers. Experience selling a product through mass retail channels both online and big box stores.
• Mentorship experience: Demonstrated experience mentoring or advising early-stage startups, ideally by leading a team or advising in an accelerator or venture-building program.
• Networked in the field: Strong connections to retail buyers, retail founders, and experts in topics that support the growth of retail brands.
• Effective Communicator and Coach: Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to listen, encourage and amplify founders, and provide constructive feedback.
• Passion for Innovation: A commitment to supporting mission-driven ventures and diverse founders that are building incredible brands.

Reporting:

This role will report to SEED SPOT’s VP of Programs

Compensation and Commitment:
• Location: Remote
• Commitment: ~10 hours weekly, 10 weeks (August 4 – October 8, 2025)
• Stipend: $6000

While we are actively hiring for this role, we also have a variety of mentor-based opportunities available throughout the year. If you’re passionate about supporting retail founders, fostering growth, and building community, we’d love to connect and find the right fit for you—even if this particular role isn’t a match.

About SEED SPOT:

SEED SPOT was founded in 2012 to empower entrepreneurs to launch and scale ventures that positively impact lives through new services, products, or technologies. Business ownership is directly correlated with decreased income inequality and is among the most powerful pathways to the long-term social and economic well-being of BIPOC and women+ communities (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2020). However, deep-rooted structural inequities, such as lack of access to expert mentorship and financial capital, cause underrepresented entrepreneurs to face significant barriers to building generational wealth and community prosperity through business ownership.

By equipping underrepresented entrepreneurs with tactical education, expert networks, culturally responsive mentorship, and non-predatory capital, SEED SPOT directly addresses the primary barriers to business ownership. Since 2012, we have served over 4,500 entrepreneurs, 89% of whom are BIPOC, women+, and underrepresented founders. Collectively, these entrepreneurs have generated over $399M in revenue, raised $196M in capital, and created over 9,700 jobs.

Learn more about SEED SPOT’s impact by visiting the website and Impact Report.

Equal Opportunity Employer: SEED SPOT is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace and we hire the most qualified candidates without regard for age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, language differences, nationality or national origin, family or marital status, physical, mental, and developmental abilities (or the perception of a disability), genetic information, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, skin color, social or economic class, education, work and behavioral styles, political affiliation, military service, caste, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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