Your guide to Experts-in-Residence
Thinking of booking a session with one of our Experts?
Here’s everything you need to know.
Getting started
To access our Experts-in-Residence service, you must be approved by a member of the Enterprise Lab team.
If you haven’t yet been approved, please check that you meet our eligibility criteria.
If you have been approved, you’ll need to complete the Experts-in-Residence application form so we can add you to our mailing list.
If you haven’t received the application form, please email our Innovation & Entrepreneurship Coordinator, Jessie Gao, and she’ll send it out to you.
Booking a session
We’ll email you every week (usually Monday or Tuesday except for public holidays) with a list of all the available slots that are coming up.
You’ll receive your first email a week after you fill in the application form (response times may be longer during College closures and holiday periods). If you haven’t received an email after that time, please check your spam inbox first, and email us if it’s not there.
While most expert sessions can be booked freely, we recommend that sessions with the same Expert are spaced a few weeks to a month apart. Please ensure you review any specific instructions and share any required materials in advance.
Can't see a specific expert?
If there’s a specific Expert you’d like to connect with, but don’t see on the list, let us know, and we’ll check if they have any slots coming up soon.
Need urgent advice?
If you have something specific or urgent to discuss, please get in touch.
Give us some context (for example, some background and a timeline), and we’ll see if we can help.
We list slots up to one month in advance
You can book via the links on our email, which will take you to the relevant Expert’s Calendly page.
Select a slot, and enter all the details, so we can brief the expert before they meet you.
Slots can go quickly!
Make sure you’ve familiarised yourself with our Experts/have an idea of which subject areas you’d like to learn more about, so you can act quickly.
Please be fair to your other founders and only book sessions that you’ll truly benefit from.
Booking business coaching sessions
These sessions are in high demand, so you can only book ONE Business Coaching session per month, choosing either Anna B Sexton, Janet Murray, or Peter Haycocks.
Please note that you should work with one Business Coach only and continue with the same coach after your first session.
Booking founder mindset & performance coaching sessions
If you’d like support with resilience, decision-making, or navigating the challenges of building a startup, we recommend booking a Founder Mindset & Performance Coaching session.
You’re welcome to try one sessions each with our Founder Mindset & Performance Coaches — Byron McCaughey, Camille Reltien, and Natalie Mizuik — to find the right fit. As you can only book one session per month, please ensure any sessions with a different coach are booked for a subsequent month.
Once you’ve met each coach, please continue working with ONE coach only and limit bookings to one session per month to ensure fair access for all founders.
Session etiquette
Experts-in-Residence is a powerful resource built on generosity and collaboration.
Our experts offer their time voluntarily, so we ask you to acknowledge this by being respectful at all times. Use it wisely — be prepared and stay open to learning.
Need to cancel?
If it’s more than 2 working days from your booking, please cancel using the cancellation link at the bottom of your Calendly confirmation email/invite.
If it’s within 2 working days from your booking, please let us know as soon as possible.
Having tech issues?
We recommend joining your session a few minutes early to avoid any tech issues. If you do encounter a problem, please try to resolve it first.
If you’re unable to do so, let the Expert know by email (their email address is usually listed on their Calendly page or in our emails). If you don’t see any contact info, please email Jessie Gao. Either you or the Expert will send a new meeting invite if needed.
Be on time
If you’re running late, please let the Expert know.
Keep your camera on
If you’re able to, it will help build rapport. If you can’t have your camera on, just let your Expert know as a courtesy.
Want to record the session?
Ask for permission. Our events, talks, and programmes may be recorded, but Expert-in-Residence sessions are private conversations, so you need to ask for consent before recording the Expert’s insights.
Late cancellations & no-shows
Late cancellations and no-shows impact everyone. Experts often prepare in advance and have scheduled time specifically for your session, and it means a fellow founder who needs help misses out.
Founders who accumulate three instances of late cancellations or no-shows within a short period will be temporarily removed from the service.
Due to the volume of bookings we receive, while we do our best to notify you of each instance, it’s up to you to keep track of your cancellations. You’ll be notified once you’ve accumulated at least two instances.
A cancellation is considered late, if it is made less than two working days before your session is due to start.
Making the most of your session
How to get maximum value from your time with your Expert!
Prepare for your session
- Check if you need to send any materials to the expert ahead of your session. If this is a requirement, you’ll find more information on the expert’s Calendly page, your calendar invite, and the reminders we’ll send you via Calendly.
- Make sure you find an appropriate space for your session (quiet with no distractions) where you’ll feel comfortable and can have your camera on.
- Have a clear and realistic idea of what you want to ask the expert. If you’re sending materials in advance, let them know of any specific areas you’d like help with. If you’re meeting with legal experts, be mindful that there’s only so much advice they can reasonably provide in the context of these sessions.
Be punctual
- Sessions are short so every minute counts! Make sure you’ve checked that you can log on to the session and are ready to go at your designated time.
- We appreciate that things happen though, so if you’re running late or are having problems joining the session, please let the expert know directly (their email address will be on their Calendly page). If you can’t find it, please contact Jessie Gao ([email protected]) or Amy McDonnell ([email protected]) and they’ll contact the expert on your behalf.
Makes more notes than you think you'll need!
- It’s easy to think you’ll remember everything you’ve discussed in your session, but you may not be able to take action straightaway, so having a detailed record of ideas, suggestions and important talking points will make sure you have all the info you need and will help you progress further with your venture!
Post-session feedback
Your constructive feedback on the Experts-in-Residence will help us ensure the service is the best it can be. Please use our anonymous feedback form to tell us how your session went.
Keeping in touch
You’re welcome to enquire about further guidance outside the Experts-in-Residence Service, or even hiring them.
Arranging ongoing guidance is your responsibility, but please let us know if you reach any kind of agreement with an Expert.
- Any follow-on arrangement must come from the founder and not the Expert.
- When asking about follow-up discussions, please check how the Expert would like to keep in touch (LinkedIn/Email/WhatsApp).
- If the Expert has agreed to help you outside of session time for no fee, please get in touch with them in a timely fashion and be patient while arranging a time to meet.
