Are you building a startup?

You know that it’s not only hard, but also extremely lonely.

There is no one to be your sounding board, no one to really share your frustrations, no one that can help your to organize your thoughts, no one to help you build new perspectives, no one to help you shift your mindset, and no one that can share their experience from having gone through it themselves.

Even with a co-founder and a team, it can be hard to openly explore the challenges you’re facing.

With a coach and mentor by your side, you have a safe space to explore anything that is preventing you from moving forward.

This should be an exciting time in your life, you are literally doing one of the hardest things that can be done!

But you don’t have to do it alone, with a coach, mentor, and community by your side, you can not only face your challenges and goals, you can build strategic action plans and accountability to make sure you keep moving forward.

Meet Your Coach and Mentor

Founder Coach

Dar Patel

Dar Patel has over 15 years of experience leading teams and projects in consulting, tech, and finance. She holds a BA in Psychology and an MBA, equipping her with expertise in both human behavior and business strategy.

​​Dar's mission centers on empowering leaders and founders through holistic leadership coaching to achieve excellence. Her approach blends leadership development, team dynamics, and strategic growth, supported by ongoing learning in neuroscience and coaching practices. She excels in guiding clients through ambiguous situations to find clarity and direction.

​​Her philosophy emphasizes the connection between mindset and actions, advocating for innovative approaches and small, consistent steps toward large goals. Dar takes a client-centric approach, designing personalized strategies that drive significant and lasting progress.

Program Details

  • Who is this for: Early Stage Founders

  • Duration: 3 Month Program

  • What is included:

    • 1 Group Coaching Sessions a Month (3 Total)

    • 1 Group Mentoring Session a Month (3 Total)

    • 1 Individual Coaching Session with Dar

    • 1 Individual Mentoring Session with Bing

    • Duration per Session: 60 Minutes

  • Start Date: 6/11/2025

  • Days of Group Sessions:

    • Coaching: Wednesdays (second week of the month)

    • Mentoring: Wednesday (fourth week of the month)

    • ***Detailed schedule listed below.

  • Time of Sessions: 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

  • Hosted: via Zoom

  • Cohort Size: 6 Founders

Founder Mentor

Bing Li

Bing Li is passionate about technology, disruptive innovation, and supporting founders at the earliest stages. She established and led the startup ecosystem at Agora, the global leading RTE (Real-Time Engagement) platform, mentored founders, curated global real-time AI showcases, and partnered with VCs and hackathons to drive innovation. Before that, she managed startup programs at Berkeley SkyDeck, helping founders grow and secure funding. 

As a former founder herself, Bing brings a unique blend of technical expertise, creative thinking, and real-world experience to help early-stage teams move faster with clarity and momentum.

The Pursuit Lab - Get Started Program
$499.00
One time

✓ 5 Workshops and Sessions
✓ Get clear on your market
✓ Strategize on prototype build
✓ Framework for pitching
✓ Advice from former Founder/VC Executive and Founder Coach

Detailed Schedule for Sessions

  • Date: 6/11/2025

    Time: 5:30 - 6:30 PM PST

    Via Zoom

    Focus: Introductions, Setup of Program, Goal Setting, etc

  • Date: 6/18/2025

    Time: 5:30 - 6:30 PM PST

    Via Zoom

    Focus: Product

  • Date: 6/25/2025

    Time: 5:30 - 6:30 PM PST

    Via Zoom

    Focus: Product

  • Date: 7/9/2025

    Time: 5:30 - 6:30 PM PST

    Via Zoom

    Focus: Traction

  • Date: 7/23/2025

    Time: 5:30 - 6:30 PM PST

    Via Zoom

    Focus: Traction

  • Date: 8/6/2025

    Time: 5:30 - 6:30 PM PST

    Via Zoom

    Focus: Pitching

  • Date: 8/20/2025

    Time: 5:30 - 6:30 PM PST

    Via Zoom

    Focus: Pitching

  • Date: 8/27/2025

    Time: 5:30 - 6:30 PM PST

    Via Zoom

    Focus: Reflection on progress

What you get through each session:

✅ Get clear on your challenges or goals

✅ Get to the root of the challenge

✅ Gain clarity on solutions / next steps

✅ Real feedback and advice

✅ An action plan

✅ Accountability with the group

✅ Reflect and monitor progress

✅ Our cohort is your community that is there to support, share insights, resources, and at times to challenge you to push beyond your current perspective.

✅ Additional Support through Email / Slack Channels (for the cohort and founders group)