Program Document

Mentor
Agreement

White Rabbit Accelerator · Cohort 1 · May–August 2026 · Ashland, Oregon

Thank you for giving your time and expertise to the White Rabbit Accelerator. This agreement outlines your role, time commitment, and the mutual expectations between you and the program. Mentors are the heart of what makes this work.

Mentor Profile

1. Mentor Role

As a White Rabbit Accelerator mentor, you will be matched with one or more founders based on your expertise and their needs. Your role is to provide guidance, accountability, honest feedback, and connections — not to run the business for them. Your equity relationship is with White Rabbit Accelerator, not directly with the startup.

Great mentors do these things: listen more than they talk, ask questions that help founders think, share relevant experience without prescribing exact answers, and show up consistently.

2. Time Commitment & Hour Logging

Commit to a minimum of 20 hours of direct advisory time per startup you engage with during the cohort (May 5 – August 8, 2026). Qualifying hours include: 1:1 calls, group sessions, email/message responses, and Demo Day prep. That's roughly 1.5 hours per week — a realistic bar designed to reward genuine contribution, not penalize busy professionals.

Hours must be logged in the program's shared tracking sheet (link provided at onboarding). Unlogged hours may not count toward your equity eligibility. Aim for at least one meaningful touchpoint per week with each assigned founder.

3. Compensation & Community Stake

In exchange for your contributions, you earn a share of the 3% Community Stake the accelerator holds in each startup you meaningfully support. This is a contractual right to future value — no equity units are issued today. There is no cash compensation; this is pure upside if the startup succeeds.

Your share is allocated internally by the Program Directors based on: (a) hours logged + (b) founder feedback/ratings at program end. The mentor pool is capped at approximately 10 per cohort. Mentors who do not reach the 20-hour minimum or receive poor founder ratings receive zero allocation for that startup.

Founder ratings are confidential. Feedback submitted by founders is shared only with the Program Directors — never with mentors directly. This protects founders' ability to give honest input regardless of a mentor's standing in the community.

Internal Payout Policy. All proceeds received by White Rabbit Accelerator from the 3% Community Stake (whether from a Trigger Event or Clean Break buyback) are split as follows:

  • 50% retained by White Rabbit Accelerator.
  • 50% distributed to the qualifying Mentor Pool for that startup.

A mentor qualifies for the pool by: (a) logging 20 or more hours with that startup, and (b) maintaining a minimum 3 out of 5 founder rating. Distribution within the qualifying pool is calculated proportionally using the formula: Hours × Rating. Example: a mentor with 30 hours and a 4/5 rating scores 120 points; a mentor with 20 hours and a 5/5 rating scores 100 points. Each mentor's share equals their points divided by the total pool points.

No Direct Claim Against Founders. Your contractual relationship is with White Rabbit Accelerator only. You have no direct legal claim against any founder or startup for compensation, equity, or damages. All distributions are made at the sole discretion of the Program Directors from proceeds received by White Rabbit Accelerator.

4. Vesting Schedule

Your Community Stake vests on the same milestones as the startup's:

  • 1.5% (your pro-rata share of this half) vests upon Demo Day completion.
  • 1.5% (your pro-rata share of this half) vests upon the earlier of: (a) the startup achieving $5,000 in cumulative gross revenue; or (b) the startup raising $50,000 or more in external funding (grants, angel investment, pre-seed, or equivalent) — within 24 months of Demo Day.
  • If neither milestone is met within 24 months, the second half is forfeited.

Note: If a founder exercises the $6,000 Clean Break buyback, proceeds are distributed to vested mentors by the Program Directors at that time.

5. Quality Control & Mismatch Handling

Founder feedback matters. If a founder formally indicates a mentor's input was not helpful, the program directors may zero or reduce that mentor's allocation for that startup — at director discretion. No hard feelings; this keeps quality high.

Mismatches happen. If a founder requests a reassignment after initial meetings, the accelerator will make reasonable efforts to connect them with another mentor or bring in an alternative. Likewise, if you feel a startup isn't a match for your expertise, notify the program directors early — we'll reassign as needed. Goal: productive relationships, not forced ones.

6. Confidentiality & Code of Conduct

Treat all startup information as confidential — NDA basics apply. Do not share proprietary details of founders' ventures without explicit permission. Disclose any prior relationship with a startup or competing interest to the program directors before engaging. Keep all feedback constructive and professional.

7. Term & Termination

This agreement covers the current cohort plus any follow-on support you choose to provide. Either side may end the relationship with written notice to the program directors. Upon termination, vesting stops accruing — you retain any equity already vested at that point.

Mentor Signature

By signing below, you confirm that you have read and agree to these terms and are excited to help Rogue Valley entrepreneurs grow.