Hivemind Cohort

Join a cohort of like-minded peers to make your ideas a reality!
The Carlsen Center and The Hive are partnering to bring you another Hivemind Cohort for Spring Semester 2024! This year, the program will be hybrid. Some aspects will be virtual, but the program will also take advantage of being able to gather at the Carlsen Center on campus!

The Hivemind Cohort is for students (and recent graduates) who are working on launching their startups. By being an active member of the cohort, the program will connect you to valuable resources, teach important entrepreneurial methods, and facilitate peer interaction and accountability.

The goal of this program is to help you accomplish milestones that you have set for yourself and your business, as well as foster a community of peers that are also launching their startups.

Startup Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility

The Hivemind Cohort will take place over ten weeks split into three 3-week sprints (diverge and converge) that are centered on key milestones to grow and scale your idea/startup. In addition, you will be testing three core assumptions of your startup which are its Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility. At the end of each sprint, all teams will report out/ demo what they have been working on during that time, which provides peer accountability.

The style of the cohort will consist of a content session, hosted by guest speakers/mentors who will offer workshops on actionable information relating to students’ ideas. From concepts like building mission and vision, to workshops on customer development and Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), the Hivemind Cohort is ready to support teams who are eager to build for launch. The cohort will also include weekly check ins/ forums for teams in the cohort to socialize and communicate about their challenges and successes.

Timeline

Launch Weekend (In-Person): Feb. 23rd from 4 to 7 pm and Feb 24th from 9 am to 4 pm)

Weekly Cadence (Feb. 29th through May 3rd) (Founder Forums will be in person)

• Week 1: Feb. 29th (5 to 7 pm) – Founder Forum
• Week 2: Take Action - Meet with Lead and One on One Mentor
• Week 3: Mar. 14th (5 to 7 pm) – Founder Forum
• Week 4: Spring Break
• Week 5: Mar. 28th (5 to 7 pm) – Founder Forum
• Week 6: Take Action - Meet with Lead and One on One Mentor
• Week 7: April 11th (5 to 7 pm) – Founder Forum
• Week 8: Take Action - Meet with Lead and One on One Mentor
• Week 9: April 25th (5 to 7 pm) – Founder Forum
• Week 10: Demo Day During Capital Region Small Business Week

Benefits

As a student in this program, you will receive many benefits but most of all, you will see your ideas come to life. Some of the benefits of the cohort include:

• Access to subject matter experts and one-on-one mentors
• Milestone formation & tracking
• Mastermind discussion
• Community building & support
• Private workshops with experts in different fields
• A mentor from the community
• Team workspace in the Carlsen Center
• Catered content for early-stage startups
• Opportunities to pitch and present to the Sacramento Community

We welcome all students located in the Greater Sacramento Region. You do not have to be a Sacramento State student to participate.

Testimonials

The Hivemind Cohort is a valuable resource for developing the ability to communicate excitement about new technologies using business principles of desirability of the product and feasibility of your business.

Smith Purdum,M.S. Chemistry / Dr. Miller-Schulze research group / FireGression

The experience at Hivemind opened new doors for me and changed my thinking. I was able to come out of my shy shell and open up to others. Networking became a life goal, as if my weakness became a strength. It is no longer threatening to feel underprepared or vulnerable. It is the greatest privilege to tap into the knowledge and experience of others; one never knows the answers that the next conversation might hold and the clarity that comes with them.

On a personal note, mentorship was very big for me. One day I want to be the same. This was an extremely rewarding experience. Thank you for everything!

Vita Kovalyshyn, Geographic Information Science

Traction Obtained

We have seen cohort members go on to:

• Win over $19,000 in Pitch and Startup Competition Winnings
• Over $100,000 in revenue
• Compete in national pitch competitions
• Compete in California State University-wide competitions
• Land jobs at innovative startups, venture firms, and more

More testimonials!

The Hivemind helped me learn the core principles of entrepreneurship, receive mentorship to develop my business, and hear from excellent and diverse guest speakers in the entrepreneurship space. I appreciate the opportunity to apply what I learn to my starting entrepreneurial journey while also engaging with my peers in the cohort.

Amy Luu

I left the program with a fundamental understanding: it's not merely ideas that generate potential value, but rather the identification of pain points, evidence of their existence, and the development of ideas specifically aimed at addressing these pain points that truly create value."

Hashem Jaber

The Hivemind Cohort helped me take my business seriously. It was a great program, and I loved all the friends, mentorships, and connections I made through the program. It doesn't matter where you start, it's what you can learn. The experience was amazing, and I'd love to do it again! If you take the program seriously, you will learn and grow as an entrepreneur and a small business.

Vanessa Vang

The HiveMind was an amazing program and resource. If want to take your idea to the next level take advantage of this great launchpad!

Srinjay Verma, CEO Buzly

Starting a business can be a rollercoaster going from the highs of solving problems to the lows of discovering previously unknown problems. Hivemind provides the support through peers and the Carlsen Center to get through the lows and capitalize on the highs leading one to become an even better person. You would be hard pressed to find a more supportive group of people.

James Gouveia