UBC Venture Mentoring Service

Trusted Guidance, Lasting Impact

UBC Venture Mentoring Service (UBC VMS) is a confidential mentoring program that connects innovators with a team of experienced volunteer mentors. Grounded in the internationally recognized MIT VMS model, it helps mentees strengthen leadership, sharpen decision making and scale their ventures while supporting the translation of research and innovation into impact.

Free of charge and open to UBC students, faculty, staff, alumni and research partners, UBC VMS is a bridge between campus and community—developing people, building ventures and creating opportunities for collaboration.

Our model

Team-Based Mentoring

Each mentee is paired with a small group of volunteer mentors that offers diverse perspectives, accountability and collective insight. Mentors receive ongoing training and professional development to enhance their coaching skills and strengthen their support for mentees and their ventures.

Confidential & Non-Directive

Mentors help mentees think through decisions rather than providing direct instruction, creating a trusted space for open discussion. All sessions are confidential and guided by a strict code of ethics to ensure objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest.

Long-Term, Light-Touch

UBC VMS provides sustained guidance for mentees and their ventures at every stage, allowing mentees to remain in the program as long as they are active. With mentor meetings held every four to six weeks, participants can balance UBC VMS with other programs that align with their short-term goals.

Building the Person, Not the Business

The program focuses on developing strong founders first. Leadership, resilience and strategic thinking drive lasting success. Ventures may evolve, pivot or grow, but the program’s commitment to supporting the people behind them remains constant.

Our Journey So Far

UBC VMS began as a pilot initiative in 2023, allowing us to learn, test and grow. Over the past two years, our mentors and mentees have built strong relationships, shaped ventures and validated the model. The lessons from this pilot phase have set the foundation for the official launch of a program built on proven success and community growth.

We currently support 15 active mentees with their ventures through a network of 26 trained volunteer mentors.