The 2025 Stern Venture Fellows wrapped up their summer accelerator program last week with a high-energy final showcase and an intimate conversation with SVF founder David Ko, CEO of Calm, who provided individualized tactical feedback. The event was the culmination of 9 weeks of milestone-based startup sprints that pushed the Fellows to sharpen their approaches to leveraging AI tools, refining their business models, and developing go-to-market strategies.
Founder Pitches and Real-Time Coaching from David Ko
The day began with each Fellow pitching their venture to David Ko. From better wearable health data to outpatient stroke monitoring to innovative non-alcoholic beverages, the cohort received guidance that fell into several buckets:
- Product-Market Fit & Conversion Metrics: For B2B2C companies exploring early pilots, focus on sharpening market fit, user behavior metrics, and sales funnel efficiency.
- Clinical & Institutional Credibility: For ventures selling to enterprise health clients, build trust through validation, academic partnerships, and early proof-of-concept evidence.
- Brand & Packaging Strategy: CPG products win by emphasizing storytelling, visual identity, and positioning for shelf appeal and differentiation.
- Strategic Growth & Distribution: As an early-stage venture, when you have a big potential partnership, prioritize nailing that partnership before scaling to others.
Closing Insights and Community Connection
In his closing remarks, Ko urged founders to study the playbooks of best-in-class competitors, to be intentional and concise with every ask, and to be thoughtful about hiring early teams. He also encouraged the strategic use of AI to speed decision-making and reinforced the importance of giving back to the startup community — a sentiment echoed later that evening when SVF alumni joined 2025 Fellows for a lively networking mixer.
Get Involved
The Berkley Center for Entrepreneurship thrives because of the community that surrounds it. Want to help shape the next generation of founders? Get involved by mentoring a startup, acting as a coach, or serving as a subject-matter consultant. You can also keep up with founder programs, events, and resources by signing up for our newsletter as we head into an exciting fall season of workshops and events.
Tips & takeaways
- Be generous by sharing upside to attract A-players, but move quickly if someone isn’t a fit.
- Pick advisors who invest in you so they’re in it for the long haul.
- Use AI to speed up smart decisions—from testing ad copy to exploring new markets—so you know what works before you scale.
- Study the winners in your space so well that you can adapt their best moves to your own playbook.
