Allan Von Schenkel

Program Builder & Startup Advisor

I design and operate accelerator programs—curriculum, cohort operations, and partner ecosystems—supported by events, communications, and KPIs that ensure momentum and outcomes.

FOCUS:

Program Design • Partnerships • Founder Execution • Storytelling • Systems & KPIs • Building Startups

TECHNOLOGY:

Marketing • Software Development • UI|UX Design • Automation

CONTACT

ACCELERATOR SYSTEM

The following is my process for building an accelerator program that scales early stage startups.

Q1 — FOUNDATION & PIPELINE

This quarter establishes the program thesis and pipeline, with clear selection criteria and early founder outputs—so teams enter the program aligned and ready to execute.

Ships This Quarter

Program thesis + selection rubric
Partner map (labs, faculty, industry, investors)
Intake funnel + screening workflow
First publication (newsletter/report/announcement)

Founder Outputs

Problem definition + discovery evidence
Prototype plan + validation plan
Team roles + gaps

Cadence + KPIs

Weekly

Ops standup
Founder check-ins
Pipeline review

Monthly

Partner outreach targets
Event calendar lock

KPIsApplications, qualified leads, mentor commitments, discovery interviews

Q2 — BUILD & VALIDATE

This quarter drives customer discovery and MVP validation, with weekly checkpoints and evidence-backed decisions—so teams prove demand before investing deeper.

Ships This Quarter

Cohort kickoff moment + comms kit
Mentor network embedded into workflow
Curriculum milestone map
Community touchpoint (show-and-tell / lab tour / roundtable)

Founder Outputs

Prototype v1 + validation results
Business model v1 + pricing hypothesis
Constraints map (IP/regulatory/manufacturing as relevant)

Cadence + KPIs

Weekly

Mentor office hours
Milestone checks
Risk review

Monthly

Progress review
Partner intros

KPIsMilestone completion, mentor engagement, partner intros, pilot conversations

Q3 — COMMERCIALIZE & CAPITAL READINESS

This quarter focuses on shipping, early traction, and repeatable go-to-market execution—so teams convert validation into revenue and momentum.

Ships This Quarter

Outreach series (industry + investor activation)
Visibility package (founder stories, progress highlights)
Demo Day plan (invite list, sponsor packages, run-of-show)

Founder Outputs

Pilot plan + pilot pipeline
GTM narrative + sales collateral draft
Fundraising readiness (deck v1, model, target list)

Cadence + KPIs

Weekly

Pilot review
Pitch practice
Blocker removal

Monthly

Partner/investor roundtables
Pipeline review

KPIsPilots in motion, investor meetings, sponsor commitments, conversion funnel

Q4 — SHOWCASE & FLYWHEEL

This quarter tightens metrics, storytelling, and operating cadence for growth—so teams are prepared for fundraising, partnerships, or scaled execution.

Ships This Quarter

Demo Day / Showcase
Outcomes report (what shipped, what changed)
Alumni flywheel (mentor conversion + referrals)
Next-year thesis refresh + intake prep

Founder Outputs

Final pitch + evidence package
90-day post-program execution plan

Cadence + KPIs

Quarterly

Outcomes review
Next cohort planning

KPIsShowcase mix/attendance, follow-on meetings, pilots closed, next cohort pipeline

Core Cadence

This system defines how the program actually runs—cadence, governance, measurement, and expectations—so execution stays consistent across teams and issues surface early.

WEEKLY

Run team standup: set priorities, resolve blockers, review program health
Conduct founder check-ins: capture progress and needs
Run partner touchpoints: schedule mentors, log follow-ups
Publish 1–3 posts/week tied to milestones

MONTHLY

Review pipeline and intake (applications, sourcing, referrals)
Review KPI dashboard and document operating notes
Run mentor/partner sessions and publish stakeholder updates
Publish website and ecosystem updates (events, announcements, highlights)

QUARTERLY

Run program retrospective and lock operating adjustments
Conduct board & committee review (progress, risks, decisions)
Publish outcomes report (newsletter/insight report, partner update)
Refine roadmap for next quarter

Governance & Decisions

Decisions are made in the smallest forum capable of resolving them, with escalation only when necessary.

Weekly: operational decisions and execution blockers
Monthly: resource allocation, pipeline quality, partner commitments
Quarterly: strategy, outcomes, and governance decisions
Ad hoc: critical founder support escalations

Decision & Governance Rhythm

Weekly operational decisions handled by the program team
Monthly progress reviews with advisors and partners
Quarterly leadership checkpoints for strategy and resourcing
Clear escalation paths for founder, partner, or program risks

Measurement & Feedback Loops

Metrics exist to inform action, not to report activity.

Founder progress: milestones, risks, readiness
Ecosystem activity: mentors engaged, partner participation, events
Visibility: content cadence, publications, attendance
Outcomes: pilots, funding readiness, intros, demos

Mission & Thesis

Who the program serves and what it produces.

Target founders and stage (e.g. pre-seed, seed, growth)
Program thesis: problem space, geography, or vertical
Outcomes: companies built, capital raised, jobs created, retention

Intake & Selection

How companies enter; what is evaluated.

Application and referral pipeline
Selection criteria: team, traction, fit with thesis
Review process and decision forum
Offer and onboarding

12-Month Structure

High-level phases across the year.

Q1: Alignment, intake, kickoff
Q2: Delivery, validation, first home event
Q3: Commercialization, mid-cycle governance
Q4: Showcase, outcomes, next-year planning

Outcomes + KPI Tree

Inputs, outputs, and outcomes.

Inputs: cohort size, mentor hours, partner touchpoints
Outputs: milestones, pilots, demos, funding readiness
Outcomes: capital raised, jobs, retention, follow-on participation

Q1 Align & Build the Pipeline

This playbook translates program expectations into concrete founder actions by quarter—so teams know what to focus on, what to ship, and how progress will be evaluated.

Founders align with program thesis, scope, and operating context.

Advising Priorities

Stakeholder and ecosystem mapping
Goals and milestone alignment
Mentor/partner matching and commitments
First checkpoint deliverables

Founder Outputs

Clarity on thesis and goals
Intake and selection alignment
Checkpoint-ready deliverables

Q2 Validate & Pilot

Founders validate problem-solution fit and run discovery with advising cadence.

Advising Priorities

Founder and customer discovery cadence
Problem validation workshops
Partner and mentor input loops
Pilot and pipeline calibration

Founder Outputs

Validation evidence and learnings
Pilot and partner intros
30/60/90 check-in readiness

Q3 Execute & Scale

Founders execute on GTM, commercialization, and investor readiness.

Advising Priorities

Milestone delivery and reviews
GTM and launch execution
Product and traction reviews
Commercialization and narrative execution

Founder Outputs

Commercialization milestones
Investor narrative and materials
Mid-cycle review readiness

Q4 Showcase & Iterate

Founders showcase outcomes, close feedback loops, and plan continuity.

Advising Priorities

Demo day and showcase prep
Outcomes summary and continuity planning
Alumni and next-step planning
Retro and iteration input

Founder Outputs

Showcase and investor meetings
Outcomes summary
Continuity and next-step plan

Q1 — Foundation & Pipeline

This track reflects how companies are expected to operate inside the program—covering execution focus, outputs, and operating cadence—so founder effort maps directly to outcomes.

Set thesis, align stakeholders, build pipeline.

Ships

Program thesis + selection rubric
Partner map
Intake funnel + screening workflow

Founder Outputs

Problem definition + discovery evidence
Prototype plan
Team roles + gaps

Cadence + KPIs

Weekly: ops standup, founder check-ins
Monthly: partner outreach, event calendar

Q2 — Build & Validate

Move teams into execution: validation, prototype progress.

Ships

Cohort kickoff + comms kit
Mentor network in workflow
Curriculum milestone map

Founder Outputs

Prototype v1 + validation results
Business model v1
Constraints map

Cadence + KPIs

Weekly: mentor office hours, milestone checks
Monthly: progress review, partner intros

Q3 — Commercialize & Capital Readiness

Convert progress into traction: pilots, GTM readiness, investor materials.

Ships

Outreach series
Visibility package
Demo Day plan

Founder Outputs

Pilot plan + pipeline
GTM narrative
Fundraising readiness

Cadence + KPIs

Weekly: pilot review, pitch practice
Monthly: roundtables, pipeline review

Q4 — Showcase & Flywheel

Ship outcomes: showcase, publications, next-year pipeline.

Ships

Demo Day / Showcase
Outcomes report
Alumni flywheel
Next-year thesis refresh

Founder Outputs

Final pitch + evidence package
90-day post-program plan

Cadence + KPIs

Quarterly: outcomes review
Next cohort planning

Partners

This system defines how mentors, partners, investors, and resources are integrated into the program—so external support reinforces execution rather than creating noise.

Facilities, mentors, investors, corporates, boards/committees, alumni.

Facilities: space, labs, access
Mentors: domain and functional expertise
Investors: angels, funds, corporate venture

Corporates: pilots, customers, sponsors
Boards & committees: governance, advisory
Alumni: retention, referrals, ongoing engagement

Partnerships

This system defines how mentors, partners, investors, and resources are integrated into the program—so external support reinforces execution rather than creating noise.

Strategic corporate and industry engagement: readiness-gated access, scoped engagements, and artifact-driven outcomes with institutional coordination and quarterly reporting.

Operating principles

Readiness-gated access: partners engage when teams are prepared
Scoped engagements with clear deliverables
Artifact-driven outcomes and accountability
Institutional coordination and single point of contact
Quarterly outcomes reporting and renewal

Engagement channels

Sponsored and collaborative research
Pilots and proof-of-concept projects
Talent pipeline and recruitment
Facilities and resource access
Technology evaluation and IP pathways
Consortia and grant-funded initiatives
Industry convenings and roundtables

Activation

This system defines how mentors, partners, investors, and resources are integrated into the program—so external support reinforces execution rather than creating noise.

When partners engage, why they engage, and the outcomes they enable.

Weekly: mentor matching, office hours, touchpoints
Monthly: partner sessions, stakeholder updates
Quarterly: board/committee reviews, investor updates, alumni touchpoints
Events: demo days, showcases, roundtables

Retention

This system defines how mentors, partners, investors, and resources are integrated into the program—so external support reinforces execution rather than creating noise.

Retention and growth defined—without naming specific organizations.

Retention: companies that stay, hire, and scale in region
Growth: follow-on cohorts, expanded partner base
Metrics: jobs, capital deployed, pipeline quality

Ecosystem Map

The startup ecosystem map shows the relationships between the players and organizations needed to build a startup.

MAP

Program Systems in Action

Operating cadence, founder execution, ecosystem storytelling—systems that run year-round.

PROGRAM OPERATIONS

Cadence, governance, and dashboards that keep the program executing.

Cohort structure + execution cadence
Mentor, partner, and committee coordination
KPI dashboards, reviews, and outcomes tracking

FOUNDER EXECUTION

Stage-based execution support: validation, commercialization, fundraising readiness.

Problem validation and pilot execution
Commercialization pathways and GTM reviews
Narrative + fundraising readiness

ECOSYSTEM ACTIVATION

Partners, mentors, boards, committees—their cadence.

Mentor and partner allocation
Board and committee touchpoints
Alumni and retention pathways

COMMUNICATIONS

Events, publications, and narrative for founder and partner visibility.

Content strategy and original assets
Events, showcases, and keynotes
Media packaging and distribution

Execution Framework: First 90 Days

Execution model to launch and run an accelerator.

30 Days

Align stakeholders
Define cohort thesis
Map partners
Establish KPI dashboard

60 Days

Recruit mentors and partners
Finalize curriculum
Open pipeline intake
Structure sponsorship packages

90 Days

Run first cohort cycle
Host demo day
Publish outcomes
Iterate program design

Show of Work

Portfolios, Tools + Startups Engaged

CONTENT PORTFOLIO

Content strategy, social campaigns, event visibility.

CONTENT PORTFOLIO

VIDEO PORTFOLIO

Keynotes, interviews, sizzles, presentations, event documentation.

VIDEO PORTFOLIO

TOOLBOX

Technology stack I use to build systems and create content.

TOOLBOX