Question 1

What is a free GTM session for university founders?

Accepted Answer

A free 30-60 minute video call with Tom Berger, a 5x startup VP of Marketing, focused on your specific go-to-market challenges. No prep required, no pitch, no invoice. Sessions cover B2B positioning, ICP sharpness, early pipeline structure, and first marketing hire decisions.

Question 2

Which university accelerator and incubator programs are eligible?

Accepted Answer

27 programs are currently listed, including Stanford StartX, MIT Sandbox, Harvard Innovation Labs, Berkeley SkyDeck, Carnegie Mellon Swartz Center, Johns Hopkins FastForward, Wharton Venture Lab, Northwestern The Garage, UChicago Polsky Center, Cornell eLab, Michigan Zell Lurie Institute, Yale Ventures, Princeton Keller Center, UT Austin Texas Venture Labs, UCLA Anderson Venture Accelerator, USC Viterbi Startup Garage, Duke I&E, Georgia Tech CREATE-X, Purdue Foundry, UVA Darden i.Lab, UW CoMotion, ASU Edson Institute, and University of Illinois EnterpriseWorks.

Question 3

What stage should I be at to request a session?

Accepted Answer

Pre-seed through early Series A. The sessions are most useful when you have a product in development or early market, at least one or two customer conversations underway, and a specific go-to-market question you haven't been able to resolve. You don't need a marketing plan or a deck.

Question 4

Is Tom Berger affiliated with these university programs?

Accepted Answer

Tom Berger is a CMU alum and works independently as a Portfolio CMO. These sessions are offered directly to founders, not through official university partnerships. Some program coordinators have been notified of the offer. Tom is actively seeking to formalize relationships with program directors at each institution.

Question 5

What is a Portfolio CMO?

Accepted Answer

A Portfolio CMO is a senior marketing leader who works embedded in a small number of Series A and B companies at a time, operating as a part-time member of the leadership team rather than a traditional consultant or fractional executive. Tom Berger's free sessions are separate from his paid Portfolio CMO engagements.

Free GTM sessions for university startup founders

Every major program. One offer.

Select a program to learn more and request a session

DC & Mid-Atlantic

New York

Northeast

Midwest

Southeast

West Coast

South & Southwest

Not sure which program page to start with?