GEW 2026 - Scout Pathfinder Academy: Navigating the Capital Stack

Part of Global Entrepreneurship Week Sacramento · Powered by Western Health

​Thursday–Friday, November 19–20, 2026 · 9:00 AM–4:00 PM both days

​Hosted by the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Sacramento State. Attendance format and location details will be confirmed with accepted companies. One registration covers both days.

​Scout Pathfinder Academy builds from the original Pathfinder model: a founder cohort, expert instruction, hands-on work using Scout, and clear assignments that move each company toward an actual funding opportunity. The original program was centered on a five-week NSF SBIR application process. This cohort broadens the scope to help founders navigate the full capital stack: grants, government contracts, venture and angel equity, and lending. The goal is for each company to understand which sources fit its stage, what it needs to become ready, and how to sequence those sources around meaningful business milestones.

​Format

​Same cohort across both days; 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; short teaching blocks followed by exercises using each company's own materials. Initial cohort of 15–20 companies, subject to facilitation capacity and acceptance into the program.

Day 2 — Friday, November 20: Build, Review, and Execute

​9:00–9:30 · Progress review. Share completed work, new evidence, and blockers. Output: revised funding priorities.
​9:30–10:15 · One company, different funding narratives. Adapt the same evidence for a grant reviewer, government buyer, venture investor, and lender. Output: concise, audience-specific funding asks.
​10:15–10:30 · Break.
​10:30–11:30 · Grant and contract execution lab. Turn requirements into a response outline, milestones, budget or pricing, supporting-document checklist, and review schedule. Demonstrate Scout-supported drafting with founder verification of facts and requirements. Output: improved grant concept or contract response plan.
​11:30–12:15 · Venture execution lab. Review pitch structure, traction evidence, fundraising milestones, investor outreach, data-room preparation, and a sample dilution scenario. Practice a concise pitch and investor questions. Output: revised pitch outline, prioritized investor list, and outreach draft.
​12:15–1:00 · Lunch.
​1:00–1:45 · Lending execution lab. Review financial statements, cash-flow forecasts, use of proceeds, existing obligations, and common underwriting questions. Stress-test a sample repayment plan under delayed revenue. Output: lender-readiness checklist and revised financing request.
​1:45–2:45 · Pathway working groups. Companies concentrate on their primary pathway and receive structured peer and facilitator feedback. Output: one reviewed funding asset and a specific list of remaining gaps.
​2:45–3:00 · Break.
​3:00–4:00 · Funding roadmap presentations and next steps. Each company presents its capital need, preferred sources, evidence of fit, and next actions. Output: final 90-day plan, 12-month capital roadmap, and a readiness assessment for follow-on support.
​What participants leave with

​A company-specific capital strategy, a prioritized funding pipeline, one reviewed funding asset, a checklist of missing materials, and an action plan with owners and dates. Progress is measured through readiness and completed work; actual submissions and funding outcomes will depend on opportunity timing and each company's circumstances.

​Companies that attend both days, complete the assignments, and demonstrate a credible funding pathway may be invited to an optional execution cohort in January, with scope and resourcing agreed separately.

​Presented by

​The Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Sacramento State with Scout, which leads the platform and grant-development components; contract, venture, and lending expertise is added where needed. This program is offered as part of the Accelerate California Innovation Hub, a program funded by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA).

​Accessibility: If you need any accommodations, please let us know at least two weeks in advance so we can arrange them.