This page is for Cornell eLab and Praxis Center founders looking for free GTM feedback from a B2B SaaS marketing operator with five startup VP of Marketing roles.

For Cornell eLab Founders

You built something through Cornell eLab that's ready for market. Let's build the B2B marketing story and GTM motion around who's actually buying it.

Free 30-60 minute GTM session for Cornell eLab founders. Honest feedback on your positioning, messaging, and early pipeline. No prep required. No pitch from me.

Request Your Free Session

Why this exists

I got help early. This is how I return it.

I have been VP of Marketing at five early-stage startups. Every one of them was built by people sharper than me on the technical side. What I could do that they couldn't, at least not yet, was take a complex product and turn it into a message that made a buyer say yes.

People gave me their time when I needed it most. That changed where I ended up. These sessions are how I build the bridge behind me.

The session is free because I think the right way to work with early-stage founders is to be useful before anything else. Some of those conversations turn into ongoing work. Most don't, and that's fine. The goal is that you leave with something you can act on that week.

If you're a Cornell eLab or Praxis Center founder trying to figure out how to sell what you've built, that's the conversation I want to have.

Who this is for

Built for the Cornell eLab founder profile

You finished eLab with a validated idea and a first pipeline, but conversion is inconsistent eLab pushes you hard on customer discovery and business model validation. The next step, building a repeatable commercial motion from that validation, is a different skill set. That's where this session helps.
You're building B2B software and your ICP spans multiple industries Cornell founders often come out of eLab with strong technology and broad market appeal. Narrowing to the specific buyer profile that converts fastest is the most valuable GTM work you can do at this stage.
You've been through the Cornell pitch circuit and you're ready to build pipeline, not just pitch Winning competitions and pitching to investors builds confidence. Building a pipeline requires a different story, aimed at a different person. This session is about that transition.
You're pre-Series A or just post-seed and haven't made your first marketing hire yet You don't need a marketing team yet. You need someone who has been in this seat and will tell you what they actually see in your commercial approach.

If you're a Cornell eLab or Praxis Center founder and at least two of those land, this session was built for you.

What we cover

30-60 minutes. One problem. Real feedback. Really free.

Positioning and messagingWhy your current language isn't turning technical depth into buyer urgency, and what to change first.

ICP sharpnessWhether your ideal customer is actually buyable at your stage, or whether you're aimed at a segment that can't move fast enough to matter right now.

Early pipeline structureHow you're generating demand, where the drop-off is, and what a realistic first GTM motion looks like with what you actually have.

First marketing hireWhether you're ready to hire, what to look for, and how to avoid the hire that looks right on paper and sets you back six months.

Your specific questionBring the thing that's been sitting on your whiteboard for three weeks. That's usually where we start.

No prep required. No slides. No pitch deck. Just show up and we'll dig in.

The Cornell ecosystem

A few companies with Cornell roots

Cornell alumni have founded companies across enterprise tech, logistics, and consumer platforms. A few standouts from the ecosystem.

Lyft

Rideshare platform co-founded by Cornell alum John Zimmer. Went public in 2019 and became the second-largest rideshare company in the US.

Cornell Alumni

Wayfair

Online home goods retailer co-founded by Cornell alumni Niraj Shah and Steve Conine. Grew to $14B in annual revenue and went public in 2014.

Cornell Alumni

Rosie

Online grocery ordering platform for regional grocery chains. Cornell eLab alumni company that expanded to 31 US states and partnered with hundreds of retailers.

Cornell eLab

Hyro

Voice AI platform for healthcare, raised $45M to scale AI-powered patient communication for health systems. Cornell Tech alumni company.

Cornell Tech

About Tom

Five startups. Marketing Leadership.

Cornell produces founders across engineering, business, hotel administration, and the arts, which means the eLab cohort is more diverse than most accelerator programs. The commercial challenge tends to be the same regardless of background: you know the problem, you've validated the demand, and the pipeline isn't converting as consistently as it should. Getting the commercial story tight is what changes that.

I've been VP of Marketing at five B2B SaaS startups, from pre-revenue through Series B. The job was always the same: take a technically strong product, figure out who actually needs to buy it, and build the smallest marketing motion that proves the thesis before you scale it.

I run a Portfolio CMO practice with a small number of Series A and B companies. The free sessions sit outside that. No sales agenda.

More about my background

What comes after

Most sessions end at the session.

The session stands on its own. You'll leave with feedback you can act on. No follow-up pitch, no invoice.

A small number of founders want to keep going after the session. Some are trying to hire their first marketing leader and want a thought partner through that process. Some are a few months from a Series A and need someone in the room while they build the GTM motion. For those conversations, I work as an advisor or a senior marketing leader embedded in the business on a part-time basis, without the overhead of a full-time executive hire.

If that's relevant after we talk, I'll tell you what it looks like. If it's not, the session still stands. More on how I work with founders.

Common questions

Frequently asked

Is this really free for Cornell eLab and Praxis Center founders? What's the catch?

Yes. Fully free. No invoice at the end, no pitch. I do a small number of these for founders in programs like Cornell eLab because the conversations are useful to both of us. You leave with something concrete. I stay sharp on what early-stage founders are dealing with. The only ask is a real question.

I just graduated from eLab. Is this the right time for a GTM conversation?

Post-eLab is the right time. You've done the customer discovery and business validation work. Now the question is how to build a pipeline motion that repeats. That transition from validation to consistent commercial traction is where most founders need the most help.

How is this different from the mentorship Cornell eLab and the Praxis Center already provide?

eLab's mentors cover a wide range: customer discovery, fundraising, business model, product development. This session is specifically about GTM: your ICP, your positioning, and your first pipeline motion. I've been VP of Marketing at five startups. If the question is about selling what you've built, this is where you get depth.

I'm building B2B or enterprise software through the Praxis Center. Is that your focus?

Yes. B2B and enterprise software is where I've spent my career. The Praxis Center focuses on engineering and physical science startups, which often means long buying cycles and technical buyers who require a different commercial story than typical SaaS. Getting that story right is the exact work this session is for.

What's the difference between this session and working with you as an ongoing advisor after eLab?

The session is one conversation. You bring a problem, I give honest feedback, you leave with something concrete. Ongoing advisory work means I'm embedded part-time: team meetings, GTM strategy over months, accountable to pipeline. The session is the starting point. Advisory is for founders who want to keep going.

I heard about this through Cornell eLab or the Praxis Center. What happens when I reach out?

Send one sentence on what you're building and one sentence on what you want to think through. I'll reply within 48 hours. The session is 30-60 minutes over video call. No deck, no prep.