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Building a company is hard; doing it fast, smart, and sustainably is even harder. The coaches below have helped founders validate ideas, raise capital, hit growth milestones, and navigate pivotal moments across industries and stages. From YC-backed operators and Stanford instructors to deck strategists, D2C founders, and veteran high-performance coaches, this curated list offers a spectrum of expertise so you can find the right fit for your goals, background, and timeline. Get targeted guidance, skip the guesswork, and accelerate your path from idea to impact. See all the Startup Coaches here.
Nick V.
Experience: YC-backed founder and co-founder of Relay Health. Growth operator who’s helped companies move from 0 to high revenue traction and mentored multiple teams into Y Combinator.
Specialties:
- YC applications and interview prep
- 0–1 growth and early GTM
- Founder-led sales and revenue ramp
- Non-traditional founder positioning
- Consulting-to-startup transitions
If you’re aiming for YC or need a path forward, Nick brings a rare blend of operator grit and recruiting-level rigor. He’s helped founders from non-traditional backgrounds break in, and he builds roadmaps with practical execution steps. Expect hands-on guidance, sharp structuring, and network-aware advice tailored to fast-moving early stages.
"Nick has been the most impactful mentor in my career. While preparing for MBB interviews, he helped me build skills in structuring/framing, quickly responding to graphs, and growing my network. Nick then came with timely advice and hard truths when I pivoted my career to start a company. Don’t know many people who care enough to be brutally honest. If you’re looking for confidence in your career, I’d start with Nick!"
- Brice D., Coached by Nick and landed roles at Lucid Software and Pattern.
→ Book a free intro call with Nick
Haitham S.
Experience: Multi-disciplinary founder with training from top colleges like Imperial, Harvard, MIT, and McGill. Raised $500K+ and actively contributes to building international organizations and startup accelerators.
Specialties:
- Healthtech venture design and validation
- Fundraising readiness and lead generation
- Regulated markets and policy navigation
- Academic-to-startup commercialization
- Incubator/accelerator applications
Founders tackling complex and regulated arenas will benefit from Haitham’s rare combination of clinical, policy, and device design experience. He knows what it takes to translate research into revenue and to secure early financing. If you’re first-generation, international, or low-income, his path and perspective make the journey more accessible and actionable.
"Haitham Shoman was a great help to explain my strengths and weaknesses in a very clear way. He was an excellent actor for the scenario situations. I now feel confident to progress in the right direction with his guidance. Thank you again!"
- Naomi, Coached by Haitham
→ Book a free intro call with Haitham
Angela C.
Experience: Stanford Entrepreneurship Instructor and founder of Stanford’s Education Entrepreneurship Hub. Former Deloitte recruiting lead who bootstrapped a future-of-work SaaS to users in 80+ countries. Has coached hundreds into elite programs and firms.
Specialties:
- First-time founder coaching
- Customer discovery and market validation
- MVP design and sustainable business models
- Fundraising strategy and pitch narrative
Angela blends elite institutional insight with operator credibility, making her a standout partner for student and early-career founders. She’s exceptional at turning ambiguity into plan, sharpening positioning under pressure, and elevating mission-driven stories into investor-ready pitches. If you want clarity, confidence, and momentum, her process delivers.
"Working with Angela has been nothing short of life-changing. She has this amazing ability to see beyond my fears and self-doubt, reminding me that my voice is powerful, even though English isn’t my first language. Back home, I felt self-assured, but here, imposter syndrome made me question if I belonged at all. Angela met me with genuine warmth and endless belief in my potential, helping me rediscover the confidence I’d lost. Because of her patience, empathy, and guidance, I now feel empowered to chase dreams I once thought were out of reach."
- Coached by Angela
→ Book a free intro call with Angela
Mattijs B.
Experience: Former D2C startup founder and Bain & Company alum. Advisor to multiple EU D2C brands who has coached 250+ professionals at MBB and been recognized as a Top 50 Leland coach.
Specialties:
- D2C scaling and unit economics
- Paid digital and performance marketing
- Funding strategy for consumer brands
- European market entry and expansion
Consumer founders looking to dial in growth levers and raise capital will find Mattijs both pragmatic and ROI-obsessed. He brings Bain-grade rigor to real-world scaling, with a focus on digital channels that move the needle. If you want clear metrics, sharper funnels, and investor-ready narratives, he’s a strong operator-analyst hybrid.
"Mattijs was a huge help in my preparation for MBB interviews. His feedback is always detailed and extremely valuable. Mattijs is also very responsive, promptly addressing any questions I had throughout the preparation process. I believe sessions with him will be beneficial not only for the recruitment process but also for my overall professional growth."
- Adrian G., Coached by Mattijs and landed a position at BCG
→ Book a free intro call with Mattijs
Zen L.
Experience: Technology leader and investor with roles across Amazon, AWS Industry Products, and Microsoft Azure (including blockchain initiatives). Ph.D. in HCI and MBA in global business and a seasoned lecturer and industry speaker.
Specialties:
- Product strategy and HCI-informed UX
- ML/AI and cloud-enabled solutions
- Supply chain and manufacturing tech
- Enterprise sales narratives and modernization
- Executive decision-making and scaling
Zen is a trusted ally for technical founders building in AI, cloud, or industrial tech who need to align product, customers, and scale. Her track record spans invention to enterprise transformation, making her adept at pressure-testing roadmaps and sharpening value propositions. Expect candid, strategic guidance for complex products and long-cycle markets.
"Zen is an outstanding advisor for SwapNet. She consistently provides invaluable guidance and support, demonstrating exceptional expertise and dedication. Her deep knowledge and insightful advice have been instrumental in advancing our business growth. Zen’s ability to understand complex situations and offer practical solutions is unparalleled. She is approachable, an excellent communicator, and always dives into important details. She is an exceptional listener who asks challenging questions that inspire me to rethink our decisions and make adjustments. I have greatly benefited from her mentorship and believe she would be a tremendous asset to anyone or any early stage businesses seeking an advisor."
- Xingxing L., Coached by Zen
→ Book a free intro call with Zen
John L.
Experience: Brand strategist who’s helped entrepreneurs raise, sell, and close millions through sales and pitch decks. Helped run a startup incubator, worked in VC, and led a deck and brand agency.
Specialties:
- Investor and sales deck creation
- Brand narrative and positioning
- Customer research and competitive analysis
- 0–1 innovation and presentation structure
When your story must convert, John builds narratives that educate, persuade, and close. He brings clarity and visual precision, turning complex ideas into compelling pitches. If you’re prepping a raise or key enterprise sale, his work is a force multiplier.
"John has been one of my greatest mentors for years. He is so well read which makes him wise beyond years. As a result, he listens. He sees through superfluity and exchanges it for insight and simplicity. When I was building my social venture, he encouraged me all along the way, stepping in just at the perfect time between growing and feeling stuck. I highly recommend him to anyone thinking about coaching."
- Coached by John and landed a role at Anglepoint
→ Book a free intro call with John
Louis S.
Experience: Co-founder and Director of Marketing at Windfall Bio which has raised $37M and earned a Time Best Inventions 2024 nod. Forbes 30 Under 30 and a serial builder with ventures from a sustainable clothing brand to music and events.
Specialties:
- Climate/biotech brand strategy and storytelling
- Fundraising communications and investor outreach
- Early GTM and community-building
- Team building and startup operations
Louis helps founders translate breakthrough tech into human stories that attract capital and customers. He’s lived the zero-to-funded climb in a complex category and knows how to connect mission with market. If you’re crafting a category narrative or preparing for fundraising, his perspective is both creative and commercially grounded.
"Louis stands out as an amazing mentor who truly helps people grow. He's the kind of person who genuinely cares about others and connects with them in a real, meaningful way. His curiosity and intelligence make him someone who can guide people through tough decisions and help them see new possibilities. "
- John S., Coached by Louis and landed a position at Databricks
→ Book a free intro call with Louis
Salima K.
Experience: Operator and VC-experienced leader who has coached several founders. Previously worked across global tech organizations including Microsoft, Twitter and Okta.
Specialties:
- Founder leadership and org design
- Go-to-market in enterprise and platform ecosystems
- Operator-to-investor perspective on scaling
- Global partnerships and stakeholder management
Salima brings cross-functional depth from big tech and venture, making her a steady guide for founders navigating complexity at scale. If you’re building enterprise-ready products, aligning teams, or preparing to engage investors, she pairs practical instincts with a wide-angle market view.
"Salima is a great listener, a considerate and thoughtful person who exhibits a positive partnership approach as a coach. Her extensive experience in technology and ventures gives her a unique perspective from within the industry benefiting leaders and entrepreneurs to unlock their growth potential."
- Coached by Salima, landed a position at Advantage Capital
→ Book a free intro call with Salima
Dr. Steven C.
Experience: Serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, and USMC veteran. Has built multiple businesses and delivered $3.8B+ in benefits to veterans through advocacy and program leadership.
Specialties:
- Founder mindset and resilience
- Strategic execution and accountability
- Financial independence and business strategy
- Veteran founder transitions and growth
For founders who need to break through barriers, Dr. Steven offers precision coaching forged in real adversity and sustained success. His approach blends discipline with pragmatic tools, helping you execute consistently and scale with confidence. Veteran entrepreneurs and career-transitioning leaders will find a coach who truly gets the journey.
"Steven is an incredible mentor! He's a compassionate and empathetic listener, and during our call, he shared actionable recommendations that I'm going to be able to implement right away. After speaking with him today, I feel much more confident about how I'm going to make some important decisions that I'm going to be facing in the upcoming weeks and months. Thanks again for your leadership Steven, and for inspiring me to commit to a deeper level of introspection. I'll look forward to keeping in touch moving forward!"
- Jeri Lynn, Coached by Steven
→ Book a free intro call with Dr. Steven
Rosie M.
Experience: Founder of Perkies, grown from a Brown class project to national retail distribution (Nordstrom, Target.com, REVOLVE, GoPuff). UCLA Venture Accelerator alum, active mentor, and startup consultant.
Specialties:
- Consumer product development and launch
- Retail readiness and channel expansion
- Brand building on a scrappy budget
- DTC-to-retail scaling and partnerships
Rosie is in the arena daily and brings fresh, practical playbooks for consumer founders. She knows how to validate, build, and earn shelf space. If you’re moving from prototype to purchase order, her guidance shortens the learning curve and amplifies traction.
"Rosie has mentored me and my company since pre-launch, giving me insightful advice and actionable steps to make the launch a success. Since then she has helped with networking, DTC strategy and most recently with my wholesale strategy, going so far as to connect me with buyers. I would, and have, recommend her to other founders for guidance."
- Clara D., Coached by Rosie
→ Book a free intro call with Rosie
Find the Best Coach for Your Entrepreneurship / Startup Journey
Expert, tailored coaching can compress years of trial-and-error into decisive progress. Explore the profiles above and book a free 15-minute intro call to see who fits your stage, goals, and working style, or browse all coaches here.
Not sure where to start? Schedule a free strategy and coach-matching call with the Leland team, we’ll help you find the right partner to build, fund, and scale your venture. Find the right coach and start building your startup today.
Read more:
- The Key Factors Founders Fund Considers for E-Commerce Startups
- Pitching Yourself: Key Tips for Acing VC Interviews
- Venture Capital 101: Understanding the VC Industry Landscape
- Why an MBA is the Best Time to Start a Business
Top Startup Coaches – FAQs
What can a startup coach help me with that I can’t learn from books or accelerators?
- While books, podcasts, and accelerators provide valuable insights, a startup coach offers a unique form of guidance. Coaches can help you validate your idea, refine your go-to-market strategy, prepare for investor pitches, and navigate leadership challenges that are specifically tailored to your background and business model.
When is the right time to start working with a coach?
- There’s no single “right” time, coaches support founders across the journey. At the idea stage, a coach can help you test assumptions. Pre-seed founders often lean on coaches to establish early customer traction. Later-stage founders benefit from strategic coaching around scaling operations, hiring, and sustaining growth.
How do I choose the best startup coach for my goals and background?
- When choosing a startup coach, it's crucial to align their expertise with your most pressing challenges: fundraising, product validation, scaling, or leadership. Look for coaches who have relevant operator or investor experience, as this will ensure they can provide the best support for your goals and background.
