WHO WE WORK WITH
FourthWave is open to technology companies with at least one female or female-identified founder.
BUSINESS RESIDENCY
Sixty percent of selected companies will have their main headquarters located (or be willing to locate) in the greater Sacramento region. Up to forty percent of selected companies may come from other locales.
PROGRAM LOCATION
Our 2023 program will be virtual, with optional face-to-face interactions in Sacramento if/when possible. Our virtual work will utilize today’s best practices for creating an interactive, supportive and educational environment in a virtual setting.
EQUITY
As a non-profit organization, FourthWave is committed to providing exceptional leadership development, insightful mentors and access to funding. FourthWave does not take an equity stake in participating companies, nor do we currently invest in our cohort companies.
OUR APPROACH
The FourthWave accelerator dedicates an equal effort to leadership awareness and coaching, the development of sound startup business fundamentals and a preparedness for external funding. As part of our program, you will engage in a radical new conversation about leadership, build a robust business and attract capital that supports your values.
FourthWave’s leadership philosophy does not focus on what you do, but rather how you do it. We believe leaders act from one of three mindsets:
TO ME
Leaders operating from the To Me mindset believe that things happen to them, requiring them to react. This falls into the realm of “victim” mentality.
BY ME
By Me leaders believe in their own power to create and approach their activities from the mindset of creative action.
THROUGH
ME
Through Me leaders understand that they are a channel for creativity and power and work to call forth life’s highest idea of itself.
Our practices and tools are designed to help entrepreneurs operate as powerful creators in the By Me and Through Me mindsets, and we rely on three foundational programs to introduce our entrepreneurs to this radical new way of leading:
The Enneagram increases self awareness and helps
leaders understand their learning and leadership style.
Conscious Leadership supports leaders and their teams
to be accountable, build trust and create conscious cultures.Growth Catalyst provides tools that infuse authenticity into every
interaction and uses the principles of power to get more done with less force.
Our leadership work is done in both group settings and in one-on-one coaching sessions and makes up a significant portion of the first phase of the FourthWave program.
DEVELOPING SOUND BUSINESS FUNDAMENTALS
Through a series of business assessment processes, you will work with the FourthWave business coaches to assess key areas of your business to prepare you for funding including clear identification of unmet needs, market size, revenue potential, investment return, liquidity horizon, technical strategy, product development risk, intellectual property, and go to market strategies. This work will serve as the foundation for the final phase - funding!
PREPAREDNESS FOR EXTERNAL FUNDING
Funding requires more than just a great pitch deck. The FourthWave Accelerator will assist you in filling the gaps identified through the Sound Business Fundamentals process, help you to identify funding sources specifically for your business, provide insight and feedback on investor messaging and provide opportunities to present to prospective investors.
Program details and requirements can be found here.
Applications for the 2024 program are now closed.
