CFE Startup Consultant
Helping founders figure out if the idea is real before they build it
- Role
- Startup consultant & teaching assistant
- Timeline
- Ongoing · 3 founders at a time
- Product type
- Advisory
What is it
An advisory practice that grew out of my TA role at Michigan's Center for Entrepreneurship. I work with student founders on customer discovery, validating the problem, and planning a first version. It also includes a consulting engagement with Warmilu, a neonatal-care startup, that became a full internship.
Why I built it
I was already doing this informally between classes, helping people turn a vague idea into something they could actually test. Making it a standing practice just meant admitting it was the work I liked most. I take three founders at a time.
What makes it interesting
I've worked with 150+ students, and the most useful outcome isn't always a launch. One founder killed their idea after discovery interviews and moved to a problem with real evidence behind it, which saved them months. Seeing the same blind spots come up in conversation after conversation is what eventually turned into Venture Vitals. On the Warmilu side, the consulting work became an internship where I rebuilt their site through InSite Webdesign and supported a UNICEF partnership that brought in $50K.
Outcomes
- 150+ students mentored
- 3 founders advised at a time, ongoing
- Warmilu: UNICEF partnership behind $50K in funding