An essential accelerator for founders looking to build systems to strengthen people & culture systems.
This is a paid program, early bird discount available
“Culture isn’t just one aspect of the game, it is the game. In the end, an organization is nothing more than the collective capacity of its people to create value.” Louis V. Gerstner, Jr., Former CEO of IBM Startups at pre-series A/series A are most vulnerable to people-related stresses. These are always costly and very often fatal. In these stages, the startup has moved on from being a ‘group of friends’ but hasn’t yet become a large, well-resourced machine with clear processes and SOPs. Founders in these stages particularly find themselves overstretched between pushing behind growth and managing operations. The startup faces a tension between ‘hustle’ and ‘SOPs’, with no clear path to formalisation. The People & Culture Accelerator by IIMA Ventures at IIM Ahmedabad is a paid program is designed for pre-Series A/Series A startups struggling with challenges related to talent and people-related processes. It includes designed and tested interventions across the spectrum of challenges faced by founders, such as hiring, performance management, building culture, being a leader, etc.
Kickoff with a 3-day residential bootcamp at the IIM Ahmedabad campus in Ahmedabad. Includes masterclasses, workshops and networking sessions by IIMA Ventures’ Partners, IIMA Professors and industry leading subject matter experts. This is where we share the foundational knowledge required for all founders in their people management journey.
Two optional bespoke clinics to aid in diagnosing barriers and enable problem-solving for each participating startup. Based on their needs, startups can choose their problem statement or arrive at one in consultation with IIMA Ventures experts.
12 weekly virtual townhalls for the entire cohort - where we leverage the do it together model of ideating the most effective approaches to unique challenges. These discussions will be curated so as to identify unique challenges and suggest solutions pre-emptively, using peer groups' experiences.
Participants of the People & Culture will be part of an exclusive community of like-minded founders and leaders. This community will be available to share first-hand knowledge, as well as to volunteer to solve unique and contextual people & culture challenges for their peer community members.
The People & Culture accelerator offers participants toolkits to surface their unique people & culture challenges, as well as exhaustive checklists, and hacks to formalise processes and systems as they grow.
Growing as a startup requires founders to mature from innovation / tech experts into leaders with their own leadership styles. The People & Culture accelerator provides founders the opportunity to access coaching related to people & culture leadership.
Finding the right talent, overcoming hiring biases to your advantage, articulating startups’ advantages over competitors to prospective employees, hiring on a budget, and more.
Composites of a “fantastic” offer, structuring ESOPs, “total rewards” and much more.
How to not lose momentum because of attrition, planning better, discerning high value talent, designing seamless exit processes
Strategy-structure & systems-competency-behaviour, formalisation.
Building in role clarity, defining HR’s role. Connecting planning, hiring, and proactive identification of resources to strategy.
Designing processes that work, setting goals and tracking goals, communicating for outcome.
Role evolution through growth, leadership & culture, building strong teams, managing conflict.
Leadership skills: Delegation, people skills, managing difficult conversations, crisis management.
When to look for a co-founder, onboarding and building synergy with co-founders, equity splits
HR tech, AI, and managing “WFH” behaviour lags
We will engage in collaborative ideation to address your organization’s specific people and culture-related challenges
The People & Culture Accelerator is designed for founders of startups at pre-series A/series-A stages, ideally with a team size of up to 30 employees.
If you are a people & culture leader in the indicated growth stage and the above challenges are pressing pain points for you – we encourage you to apply.
The accelerator starts with a 3-day bootcamp on April 9, 10 and 11, 2025, followed by 12 weekly virtual sessions
The accelerator starts with a 3-day intensive bootcamp on the IIMA Campus. After that, the accelerator offers 12 weeks of intensive online se
The People & Culture Accelerator is designed for founders of startups at pre-series A/series-A stages, ideally with a team size of up to 30 employees. We believe a team of up to 30 members would draw most from the accelerator’s offerings. However, this is an indicative number; if you are in the indicated growth stage and the above challenges are pressing pain points for you – we encourage you to apply.
The accelerator is designed as a hybrid learning program to accommodate Founders with busy schedules. The 3-day bootcamp is in person, at the IIM Ahmedabad campus. The program fees cover accommodation for the bootcamp. After the bootcamp, one-on-one deep dives & collaborative People Cafes will be held remotely. If participants are in Ahmedabad after the Bootcamp, they are most welcome to meet us at the office on campus.
The total cost is INR 99,000, including accommodation during the 3-day bootcamp.
Early Bird Discount is available.
Founders, co-founders, CXOs, and People & Culture leaders of startups
After submission of the registration form, the startups will undergo a screening process to determine their suitability for the accelerator program.
To register, interested startups must submit an online application. After screening, eligible startups will receive a confirmation email. To secure their spot, they must pay the participation fee within 48 hours of receiving the confirmation email. Failure to pay within the deadline will result in their participation being cancelled.
