Mentor network

Experienced people
who've already built.

Every Aeroventure student is matched one-on-one with a mentor from our network of founders, operators, investors, and domain experts. They provide advising, honest feedback, and industry guidance throughout your program.

30+

Active mentors

01

Get accepted

Aeroventure reviews your application and selects the next cohort of student founders.

02

We match you

Based on your idea, industry, and goals, we pair you with a mentor whose background aligns.

03

Start building

Meet at least every two weeks — in person or over video — for 1:1s, feedback, and strategy.

Featured mentors

A sample of who you might work with

OK

Oliver-Werner Kneittinger

International Business & Public Relations

Best for students building ventures with a global market or cross-cultural outreach angle

EB

Exavier Brumfield

Managing Director & Business Strategist

Best for students ready to think seriously about operations, business structure, and long-term positioning

FV

Frederik Van Moer

Angel Investor & Board Mentor

Best for students who want to understand how investors evaluate companies and what makes a venture fundable

FE

Dr. Felix Eisenhut

Strategic Marketing & Radiology

Best for students building at the intersection of healthcare, medical technology, or wellness

Your matched mentor depends on your venture focus and goals — you'll meet them after you're accepted.

For potential mentors

How much time does it take?

We offer three commitment tracks. Choose what fits your schedule — you can always increase involvement later.

Track A

Light

~2 hrs / month

One session per month with your matched student. Best for mentors with limited availability who still want to make a meaningful contribution.

Track BMost common

Standard

~4 hrs / month

Bi-weekly 1:1 sessions with your student throughout the cohort. This is the default track and what most students are matched against.

Track C

Active

~6–8 hrs / month

Bi-weekly 1:1s plus optional involvement in cohort events, workshops, and Demo Day. Best for mentors who want deeper engagement.

Oliver-Werner Kneittinger

Oliver-Werner Kneittinger

International Business & Public Relations

Best for students building ventures with a global market or cross-cultural outreach angle

EntrepreneurshipMarketing

Oliver brings deep experience in international business and public relations, helping student founders think globally from day one — from cross-border market strategy to brand communication that resonates across cultures.

Nathaniel Niyazov

Nathaniel Niyazov

SaaS & E-Commerce Specialist

Best for students launching e-commerce stores, subscription services, or software products

EntrepreneurshipEngineering

Nathaniel has built and launched SaaS products and e-commerce businesses, navigating everything from product-market fit to paid acquisition. He helps student founders move fast, validate early, and avoid common early-stage mistakes.

Glenn Leibowitz

Glenn Leibowitz

Finance & Consulting

Best for students who need to understand their unit economics, pricing model, or early client contracts

FinanceEntrepreneurship

Glenn brings expertise in financial analysis, business consulting, and strategic advisory. He helps student founders build solid financial foundations — from understanding unit economics to structuring early client engagements.

Yash Patel

Yash Patel

Aerospace Engineer & Photographer

Best for students building technical or hardware products where visual communication and brand identity matter

EngineeringDesign

Yash combines aerospace engineering with a creative eye for visual storytelling. He advises student founders at the intersection of technical product development and brand identity — helping them communicate complex ideas clearly.

Shawn Roscoe

Shawn Roscoe

Public Safety & Search and Rescue

Best for students working on community safety, emergency services, or high-stakes mission-driven ventures

Nonprofit / Social ImpactEngineering

Shawn brings field-tested experience in public safety and search and rescue operations. He advises student founders working on safety-critical products and community impact ventures where mission and execution have real stakes.

Tom Rein

Tom Rein

Youth Entrepreneur & Engineer

Best for students building in aerospace, drones, UAVs, or hardware-focused technical ventures

EngineeringEntrepreneurship

Tom is a young entrepreneur and engineer specializing in the low altitude economy — drones, UAVs, and emerging aerial markets. He brings firsthand experience building ventures in aerospace and mentors students on technical entrepreneurship.

Manuel Allinger

Manuel Allinger

Real Estate & Geotechnics

Best for students working in real estate, property technology, or physical infrastructure

FinanceEngineering

Manuel spans real estate development and geotechnical engineering. He helps student founders understand land, infrastructure, and property markets — and how to build ventures that are grounded in the physical world.

Alyssa Kate Wong

Alyssa Kate Wong

Economics & Theatre

Best for students who want to sharpen their pitch delivery and build fluency in market economics

FinanceMarketing

Alyssa brings a rare combination of economic analysis and performance arts. She coaches student founders on storytelling, presence, and pitch delivery — while grounding them in the market fundamentals that shape every business decision.

Exavier Brumfield

Exavier Brumfield

Managing Director & Business Strategist

Best for students ready to think seriously about operations, business structure, and long-term positioning

EntrepreneurshipFinance

Exavier is a managing director with deep expertise in business strategy and organizational leadership. He advises student founders on executive thinking — how to build durable operations and position a venture for long-term growth.

Tom Walker

Tom Walker

Security & Aviation

Best for students building in aviation, physical security, defense, or compliance-heavy industries

EngineeringNonprofit / Social Impact

Tom brings decades of experience in security and aviation, advising student founders on industries where safety, compliance, and trust are non-negotiable. He helps students in aviation, defense, and critical infrastructure think through risk from day one.

Kyle J. Ginavan

Kyle J. Ginavan

Smart Technology & Insurance Distribution

Best for students building in InsurTech, data-driven distribution, or tech-enabled financial services

EntrepreneurshipFinance

Kyle operates at the intersection of smart technology and insurance distribution — two industries being rapidly reshaped by data and automation. He advises student founders on InsurTech, distribution strategy, and how emerging technology transforms traditional markets.

Ethan Strong

Ethan Strong

Business Management & Communications

Best for students who need help with team dynamics, stakeholder communication, or day-to-day operations

EntrepreneurshipMarketing

Ethan brings experience in business management and communications, helping student founders develop the organizational and interpersonal skills that separate good ideas from successful ventures. He advises on team dynamics, stakeholder communication, and running a business day-to-day.

Shani Cohen

Shani Cohen

Real Estate & AI Consultant

Best for students applying AI to real estate, property management, or traditional asset-heavy markets

FinanceEngineering

Shani works at the intersection of real estate and artificial intelligence, advising businesses on how to apply AI to transform traditional industries. She helps student founders understand how emerging technology creates opportunity in asset-heavy markets — and how to build products that solve real-world problems.

Robert Fox

Robert Fox

Law Enforcement & Information Systems

Best for students building civic technology, information systems, or public safety products

EngineeringNonprofit / Social Impact

Robert brings a career in law enforcement combined with expertise in information systems, advising student founders on security, data integrity, and the operational rigor required in high-stakes environments. He helps students building in public safety, civic tech, and information infrastructure think through compliance and trust from day one.

Mara Visentin

Mara Visentin

Finance & Environmental Science

Best for students building sustainability, clean energy, or ESG-aligned ventures

FinanceNonprofit / Social Impact

Mara bridges financial analysis and environmental science, advising student founders at the intersection of sustainability and business. She helps students building in clean energy, environmental impact, and ESG-driven markets understand both the science and the economics behind their ventures.

Tanner Derderian

Tanner Derderian

MBA & Business Consultant

Best for students who want rigorous business model pressure-testing and strategic clarity on their venture

EntrepreneurshipFinance

Tanner holds an MBA and brings hands-on consulting experience across strategy, operations, and business development. He helps student founders think through their business models rigorously, pressure-test their assumptions, and build with the discipline of a trained strategist.

Matthew Choe

Matthew Choe

Finance & Economics · Emory University

Best for students who need financial modeling, market sizing, or data-driven analysis for their venture

FinanceEntrepreneurship

Matthew studies finance and economics at Emory University, bringing an academically rigorous and analytically sharp perspective to early-stage ventures. He helps student founders understand financial modeling, market economics, and how to make data-driven decisions from day one.

Danny Wilson

Danny Wilson

Client Relationship Manager

Best for students focused on customer retention, client relationships, or building service-based businesses

EntrepreneurshipMarketing

Danny specializes in building and sustaining client relationships across complex organizations. He advises student founders on customer success, retention strategy, and how to turn early customers into long-term advocates — the foundation of any durable business.

Imran Siddiqui

Imran Siddiqui

Economics & Molecular Engineering

Best for students working in biotech, materials science, or science-driven deep technology ventures

EngineeringFinance

Imran bridges economics and molecular engineering — two fields that increasingly intersect in biotech, materials science, and deep tech startups. He advises student founders on the business models behind science-driven ventures and how to think about commercializing hard technology.

Eric Zhang

Eric Zhang

Economics & Finance · NYU

Best for students who want economic frameworks and analytical rigor applied to their business decisions

FinanceEntrepreneurship

Eric studies economics at NYU and brings an analytical, research-grounded perspective to early-stage ventures. He advises student founders on economic modeling, market sizing, and the financial frameworks that turn a good idea into a defensible business.

Niamh Craven

Niamh Craven

Business Development & Digital Construction

Best for students building digital tools or data solutions for construction, real estate, or infrastructure

EntrepreneurshipEngineering

Niamh specializes in business development, digital construction, and data solutions — helping organizations modernize how they plan, build, and operate. She advises student founders on leveraging data and digital tools to create competitive advantages in construction, real estate, and infrastructure markets.

Monte J. Chambers

Monte J. Chambers

Consultant & Public Speaker

Best for students who want to improve pitch delivery, public speaking, or how they communicate their brand

EntrepreneurshipMarketing

Monte is a seasoned consultant and public speaker who helps leaders and founders communicate with clarity, conviction, and impact. He advises student founders on presentation skills, personal brand, and how to command a room — whether pitching investors or speaking to customers.

Joyce Wang

Joyce Wang

Business & Entrepreneurship Advisor

Best for early-stage student founders who need help turning a rough idea into an actual offer and first sale

Entrepreneurship

Joyce works with early-stage founders on the practical fundamentals of building a business from scratch — clarifying the value proposition, identifying the first customer, and taking concrete steps toward revenue.

Sophie Rokshar

Sophie Rokshar

Strategy & Operations Advisor

Best for students who want structured strategic thinking and an advisor who will challenge their reasoning

Entrepreneurship

Sophie helps student founders think rigorously about their assumptions, build structured plans, and develop the discipline and accountability habits that separate serious entrepreneurs from casual ones.

Tiffany Liu

Tiffany Liu

Growth & Customer Acquisition Advisor

Best for students building consumer or service businesses who need to figure out how to find and keep customers

Entrepreneurship

Tiffany focuses on the early-stage growth challenges that trip up most first-time founders — finding the right first customer, building a repeatable acquisition process, and understanding what drives retention and word of mouth.

Shawn Bodmann

Shawn Bodmann

Energy Solutions & Consulting

Best for students building in clean energy, grid infrastructure, or the energy transition

EntrepreneurshipEngineering

Shawn specializes in energy solutions and consulting, helping organizations navigate the transition to sustainable energy systems. He advises student founders on building ventures in the energy sector — from clean tech and grid infrastructure to energy efficiency and resource management.

Damian Chang

Damian Chang

Real Estate & Private Equity

Best for students building ventures they eventually want to attract outside investment or capital for

FinanceEntrepreneurship

Damian brings hands-on experience in real estate and private equity alongside early-stage startup exposure. He advises student founders on investment fundamentals, deal structures, and how to think about building ventures that attract serious capital from day one.

Frederik Van Moer

Frederik Van Moer

Angel Investor & Board Mentor

Best for students who want to understand how investors evaluate companies and what makes a venture fundable

EntrepreneurshipFinance

Frederik is an angel investor and board-level mentor with experience advising early-stage ventures on strategy, growth, and governance. He helps student founders think like investors — understanding what drives funding decisions and how to build companies that attract capital and scale.

Dr. Felix Eisenhut

Dr. Felix Eisenhut

Strategic Marketing & Radiology

Best for students building at the intersection of healthcare, medical technology, or wellness

EntrepreneurshipMarketing

Dr. Eisenhut brings a rare combination of medical expertise as a radiologist and strategic marketing acumen. He advises student founders on building ventures at the intersection of healthcare and business — from go-to-market strategy to navigating the complexities of the medical industry.

M. Erkan Ustaoglu

M. Erkan Ustaoglu

Founder & CEO · LOOP 3D

Best for students building hardware products, 3D technology, or physical manufacturing ventures

EntrepreneurshipEngineering

Erkan is the Founder and CEO of LOOP 3D, bringing entrepreneurial leadership and deep expertise in 3D technology and product development. He advises student founders on building hardware and technology ventures — from concept to commercialization.

Join our network

Interested in mentoring?

If you're a founder, operator, or domain expert and want to mentor a student-owned venture from idea to first sale, we'd love to hear from you.

·

All mentors are screened before joining the network

·

No unsupervised 1:1 contact with students

·

Every mentor signs a code of conduct

·

Structured session agendas — you're guided, not guessing