Mentors and experts-in-residence give an accelerator more time than any line item in the program budget. The thank-you that lands is rarely a Visa card, it is a piece of program-branded apparel that the mentor keeps and wears for the next two years. Here is how to set up the mentor and EIR gear shop without ordering 50 polos in mixed sizes.
The cohort hoodie identifies the founder with the batch. Putting a mentor in the same hoodie reads as if the mentor was in the cohort, which is the wrong signal in every direction. Mentors and EIRs need their own gear category.
The common pattern is to give mentors and EIRs a polo or quarter-zip with the program logo and a small "Mentor" or "EIR" identifier on the sleeve. This reads professional, signals the role correctly, and works for the post-program networking circuit where mentors keep showing up at other accelerator events.
The other reason to keep mentor gear separate is sizing. Mentors are often older and less aligned with the unisex youth-fitted hoodie that works for the cohort. Polos and quarter-zips have a more inclusive size range and look right on a wider age range.
Most accelerators settle on one of two anchor pieces for mentors.
Polo shirt: Embroidered logo on the chest, mentor identifier on the sleeve. Works for accelerators in warm climates (Austin, Miami, Bay Area) and for B2B and enterprise-focused programs. Mentor wears the polo to the program-hosted events and to their own customer meetings.
Quarter-zip pullover: Embroidered logo on the chest, mentor identifier on the sleeve. Works for programs in colder climates (Boston, Chicago, NYC) and for tech-focused programs where the quarter-zip is closer to default-dress.
Some programs run both as separate SKUs and let mentors pick. See the polo catalog and quarter-zip catalog for the styles that ship in our network.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Almost every accelerator gives mentor gear away rather than charging for it. The mentor invested 10 to 40 hours into the cohort over 12 weeks. A $40 polo is a small thank-you in return.
Two ways to do it:
Bulk comp. Program orders one polo per mentor in advance, ships to the program address, distributes at the mentor dinner or final cohort event. Works for in-person mentor models.
Per-mentor comp code. Mentors get an email with a comp code, pick their own size, and the gear ships to the mentor address. Works for remote-mentor and distributed programs.
For accelerators that want mentors to feel like they have a recurring relationship with the program, the per-mentor comp code at the end of each cohort cycle is the move that sticks. Mentor gets a new piece of gear each batch they support.
Larger accelerators run multiple mentor tiers and the gear can reflect that. The structure most programs land on:
| Role | Gear | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly mentor | Polo or quarter-zip | Once per cohort cycle |
| EIR (Expert in Residence) | Hoodie + polo + tee | Once per program year |
| Long-term advisor | Hoodie + EIR-style polo + annual gift | Annual |
| Office hours guest | T-shirt + program tote | One-time per session |
This structure spreads the budget across the tier system and gives the longer-tenured advisors something more meaningful than what a one-time guest gets. The shop can carry every tier as separate SKUs and the program controls who can access each via discount codes.
Polos, quarter-zips, and tees branded for your mentor program. No inventory, no minimum, ships direct.
Start FreeNo. Mentors and EIRs should have separate gear, usually a polo or quarter-zip with a mentor identifier on the sleeve. Putting mentors in the cohort hoodie sends the wrong role signal.
Programs typically run 1 to 3 mentors per founder. A 20-founder cohort might have 25 to 40 active mentors and 5 to 10 EIRs. Budget at the mentor head count, not the cohort size.
Yes. Founder-name and mentor-name embroidery is available on the sleeve or chest. Mentor name on the sleeve at 2 inches reads cleanly and most mentors appreciate the personalization.
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