EIRs in Action: How Experienced Entrepreneurs Guide Startups in Accelerators

"What does an EIR even do, again?" We sit down with 2 of our EIRs to answer that question.

If you follow us on Linkedin, you might have already met some of the Entrepreneurs-In-Residences (EIRs) we’ve brought on for the Biodiversity Accelerator+ (See here: 1/2). But what role does an EIR play in a programme like this? How do they bring value to our founders, and how do we distinguish them from the Coaches and Knowledge Mentors we’ve mentioned before, too?

Being an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) is an exciting and dynamic role that pairs them directly with early-stage startups, navigate through the weeds of building a business, and focus on what really matters. They act as trusted guides to help founders synthesize learnings from the sessions with subject-matter experts, including leading tech strategists, lawyers, pricing consultants, and more (Our programme can be intense!), to clarify critical priorities and double down on them.

Pictured above: Matt working with Dunya Analytics founder Megan Pillsbury, and Silverstrand Account Manager Nishant Chopra.

To give you a deeper glimpse into the EIR role, we caught up with two of our EIRs: Returning EIR Gerald Tock, CEO of Kommunity Ventures (and working with 3T this year), as well as Matt Bachle, CEO of Grade (and who is working with Dunya Analytics).

Gerald describes himself as a “husband-parent-entrepreneur-investor” who is passionate about designing systems that enable people and businesses to thrive. At Kommunity Ventures, he leads strategy execution and provides hands-on support to help startups scale effectively - including taking on fractional business development and finance roles. He has, for example, stayed on as an advisor with 2023 BA+ company Nika.Eco!

He is also an Edmund Hillary Fellow, and founded a social video game company which was acquired by an ASX-listed company in 2017. A man of many hats, “Being a parent means I naturally think of how to leverage my energy output,” he told us.

Matt brings an equally dynamic portfolio of experience to the table, with a focus on product development. Running a digital product agency for over 12 years, he has honed his expertise in helping businesses—both startups and large corporations—develop and build complex digital products and platforms. He’s also cut his teeth as a founder, investor, and mentor at numerous respected programmes including Carbon 13 and the Ocean Impact Organisation.

“I set up the business from my spare room, mainly so I could be around my young kids (who are all growing up fast!) and realised what we did was unique and resonated with lots of partners,” he shared.

Tell us more about your experience as an EIR. How and what have you worked on with your BA+ companies?

Gerald: What I enjoy most about being an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) is the opportunity to connect deeply with founders. I love uncovering their motivations and understanding how they think about the various layers of their business—customers, partners, technology, strategy, and team development.

The insights allow me to tailor the next steps of the business to align with the founder’s strengths, making execution more seamless. One of the most exciting moments is when either the founder(s) or/and I realize something we hadn’t considered, but that turns out to be critical piece of the strategy. These "aha" moments, especially early on, require humility and ultimately shape the founder’s perspective as the business grows. It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of that process.

Matt: It's quite humbling to provide help in this capacity! I've mentored on a few programs, but what I love about the Silverstrand program is that we're so closely embedded with our founder. She's running a tight team and I really just enjoy acting as a foil to her who's outside of her business, to give her some context and perspective.

What do you think is important about the role of an EIR?

Matt: I try to ensure that I’m always available to his founder, not just to give advice but also to provide encouragement. I try to ensure I’m providing alternate views on things, but also cheerleading at the right times. Having been in the trenches myself before, I’ve made plenty of my own mistakes. I try to share those that I feel allow Megan to consider all the options available to her for any big decision.

Gerald: Absolutely - it’s about leveraging our experience to help founders navigate their journey, with all its ups and downs.

Pictured above: Gerald and Ian’s first meeting in Singapore last month, and meeting up in Japan after the commencement of the online programme

We're just over one month in, and we think it's important to celebrate the wins - big and small. What's one thing you've achieved with your BA+ company that you're both proud of?

Gerald: I’m currently supporting 3T, and one of the most pivotal moments for me was understanding Ian’s mindset and how that translated to his workflow. After just two sessions, Ian had already developed several evaluation tools to qualify stakeholder alignment across different categories. That tool will be instrumental in shaping how 3T approaches stakeholder engagement—something that is essential to their foundation as a project developer. Seeing that clarity unfold early in the process was a proud moment for me and I think him as well.

Matt: Megan and I have been working on some product decisions that were swirling around a bit. I've been in the trenches before and made my own mistakes, so I try to share those that I feel allow Megan to consider all the options available to her for any big decision. I’m looking forward to seeing Dunya's continued growth... They’ve just closed their $1.2M seed round, and I’m excited to hear all about their trip to Cali for COP!

Final Thoughts

The EIR role is one of mentorship, strategy, and most importantly, partnership. By building deep relationships with the founders they mentor, EIRs like Gerald and Matt play a crucial role in helping early-stage startups, overcoming challenges and seize opportunities.

We are deeply thankful for all the EIRs who have joined us for past editions and present. Thank you for sharing the wisdom of your own experiences so generously - we look forward to more great things ahead!