Connect With a Mentor

All DU students are welcome to talk to one of our mentors about business ideas. No matter where you are in your process, from initial brainstorming to detailed planning, you can talk it through with one of our experts.

How it works: Choose one of the mentors, email directly or if they have a booking link, pick a date and time, and to schedule a Zoom meeting.

Questions? Contact john.sebesta@du.edu.

Filter the mentors by subject matter expertise:

Joshua Ross
Director of Entrepreneurship@DU
Areas of Expertise: Strategy, business model planning, blockchain, information technology, app development, crypto, artificial intelligence

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Melissa Archpru Akaka, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Marketing; Co-Director, Consumer Insights and Business Innovation Center; Faculty Advisor, Entrepreneurship@DU
Areas of Expertise: Consumer validation, marketing research and branding

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Jack Buffington
Program Director and Assistant Professor of the Practice, Supply Chain Management
Areas of Expertise: Supply chain, sourcing

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Rolfe Larson
Adjunct Professor, Nonprofit Leadership Program
Areas of Expertise: Nonprofit leadership

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Aaron Duncan

Aaron Duncan
Program Director, Digital Leadership Program; Teaching Assistant Professor Department of Marketing

Areas of Expertise: Market segmentation

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Andrew Matranga
Adjunct Faculty, Office of Entrepreneurship; Teaching Associate Professor, Department of Media, Film & Journalism Studies; Brand Journalist, StickerGiant.com
Areas of Expertise: Branding, public relations

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Phil McCarthy
Executive in Residence; Adjunct Faculty
Areas of Expertise: Pitching, public speaking, sourcing, supply chain, leadership, sports

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Neil Pollard
Assistant Teaching Professor, Entrepreneurship
Areas of Expertise: Strategy, business model planning, prototyping, product design, breakeven analysis, startup financials

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Bill Powell
Executive in Residence; Adjunct Faculty
Areas of Expertise: Strategy, business model planning, pitching, public speaking, traditional financing, investments

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Cami Powell

Cami Powell
Adjunct Professor, Entrepreneurship
Areas of Expertise: Accounting

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Marcus McCarty

Marcus McCarty
Chief Legal Officer, Trax Retail
Areas of Expertise: Legal formation

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Will Alverson

Will Alverson
Founder, Consultant
Areas of Expertise: Go-to-market

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Stephen Adele

Stephan Adele
Adjunct Professor; Strategic Advisor
Areas of Expertise: Go-to-market

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Matt McCall

Matt McCall
Founding Partner, FORGE Capital
Areas of Expertise: Strategy, business model planning, pitching, public speaking, traditional financing

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Sebesta-John(3)

John Sebesta
Koch Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship; Professor of the practice at the Daniels College of Business; Adjunct Faculty
Areas of Expertise: Strategy, business model planning, social entrepreneurship, break even analysis, startup financials, impact investment, non-traditional financing

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Bruce Klaw

Bruce Klaw
Department Chair of Business Ethics & Legal Studies
Areas of Expertise: Teaming agreements

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Janey Carpenter

Janey Carpenter
Adjunct Faculty, Korbel School of International Students; Daniels College of Business
Areas of Expertise: Social entrepreneurship

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Michael Myers

Michael Myers
Academic Director for Denver MBA; Digital Marketing Professor
Areas of Expertise: Digital marketing, social media, branding

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Patrick Orr

Patrick Orr
Director, Global Experiential Operations; Adjunct Professor
Areas of Expertise: Design thinking

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Scott Orgel

Scott Orgel
Founder, Kids Play Denver; Adjunct Professor
Areas of Expertise:

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Colleen Reilly

Colleen Reilly
Wellbeing Expert; Adjuct Professor
Areas of Expertise:

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Chennelle Diong
CEO & Founder, GoodLove Foods
Areas of Expertise: Branding

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Josh Cashman

Josh Cashman
Principal, iCubed
Areas of Expertise: Impact investment/non-traditional financing, e-commerce

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Michael Caston
Professor of Practice Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Director Innovation Labs, Director Innovation & Entrepreneurship Living Learning Community, Adjunct Prof. of Business, Faculty Advisor to Entrepreneurship Program
Areas of Expertise: Prototyping, product design

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Sarah Laughlin
Chief of Staff, Atom Computing
Areas of Expertise: Go-to market, e-commerce

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Allie Lawn headshot

Allie Lawn
Director of Innovation and Partnerships, VentureFuel
Areas of Expertise: Market research, customer validation

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Dan Zuch

Dan Zuch
Executive in Residence, Department of Marketing; Adjunct Faculty
Areas of Expertise: Sales

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Matt Rutherford

Matt Rutherford
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science
Areas of Expertise: App development, software

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Leo Dixon

Leo Dixon
Teaching Assistant Professor, Department of Business Information and Analytics
Areas of Expertise: Data analytics, understanding your data, app development, artificial intelligence

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Become a Mentor

Are you interested in supporting our community of entrepreneurs? There are amazing opportunities to work with our students and use your experience and expertise to help them develop their ideas and innovations.

If you’re interested in contributing as a mentor, please contact joshua.ross@du.edu.