The Global Founders' Skills Accelerator (GFSA) is a 3-month summer program that provides funding, mentoring, and skills training to top student startups from MIT and other international schools. It is housed at MIT's Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship and aims to scale the impact of student ventures. The unstructured predecessor helped startups like Locu, while GFSA has expanded globally to work with teams from China, Germany, and more. The 2014 program aimed to support even bigger ideas with 12 MIT teams and 4 international teams participating in customer development training, mentorship, and pitching opportunities.

1. Kyle Judah
Program Director &
Entrepreneur in Residence at

2. What is the Global Founders’ Skills
Accelerator?
• 3 month summer Accelerator
program for the top student
startups from across MIT
• Housed in Martin Trust Center
for MIT Entrepreneurship
• Funded by private donations
• Global perspective for new
venture

4. History of GFSA
Unstructured program created teams
like Locu (acq. for $75M) –
what could structure & rigor do?
Founders’ Skills Accelerator in 2012
Social Impact (WiCare, WeCyclers,
SasaAfrica)

5. History of GFSA
GFSA goes Global in 2013
China, Germany, Canada, Scotland,
Russia, Turkey

6. Future of GFSA
GFSA shoots for the moon in 2014
The market wants big ideas, we’ll give
them big ideas
Scaling impact at MIT, refining impact
abroad
12 MIT Teams, 4 International
More structure allows for earlier

7. Benefits of GFSA
Monthly Stipend of
$2,000/founder
Up to $20,000 EQUITY FREE
Personalized mentors
Finishing School & Launchpad
Pathway into Techstars, YC, Lemnos
Labs

8. Recruiting Teams
• Done from feeder programs (classes,
competitions)
• Promoted for 2 months across campus
• Reach out to entrepreneurial faculty
• Getting off our side of campus
• Multiple info sessions, different times
of the day, different locations

9. Application Process
Application Process: 1 month long
1st Round: Over 50 faculty, alums,
entrepreneurs review & vote on
applications. No Trust Center Staff
2nd Round (40): Get to know the teams
off paper. 30 min interviews
Final Round(20): 30 min pitch and Q&A
in front of Selection Committee (GFSA
team, rotating faculty, rotating GFSA

10. Accelerator Structure
Bill Aulet’s Disciplined
Entrepreneurship
• June – Customer/Market Dev &
Team
• July – Build it, Biz Model &
Financials
• August – Iterate, Pilot, Sell it
• September – Pitch it
2 Speaker Sessions a week
1 hr ‘Partner Meeting’ every 2 weeks

11. Mentors
Selecting Speakers for Mon/Thurs
sessions:
-Depending on topic, vary experience
(Peer to Peer, Venture Coach, EIR)
-Make sure lessons are practical &
valuable, not just stories. Get feedback
after every speaker
-75/25 ratio in entrepreneurs to faculty
speakers
Selecting Board Members:

12. Kyle Judah
Program Director & EIR
KJudah@mit.edu
Slideshare.net/KyleJudah
KyleJudah EshipMIT