This page is for UVA Darden i.Lab founders looking for free GTM feedback from a B2B SaaS marketing operator with five startup VP of Marketing roles.

For UVA Darden i.Lab Founders

You're building through the UVA Darden i.Lab with Charlottesville's tight-knit entrepreneurial community behind you. Let's make sure the B2B marketing story is just as strong.

Free 30-60 minute GTM session for UVA Darden i.Lab 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 Darden i.Lab 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 Darden i.Lab founder profile

You came through the i.Lab summer program with a validated idea and you're ready for market The Darden i.Lab's intensive summer incubator gives you mentorship and a strong Mid-Atlantic network. Now the question is what does the repeatable commercial motion look like beyond the program.
You're building B2B software or enterprise tech and the buying process is more complex than expected Charlottesville and the greater Virginia market have significant enterprise and government buyers. Getting the commercial story right for those markets requires a different approach than most SaaS playbooks describe.
You have UVA alumni network access but conversion is inconsistent The Darden and UVA alumni networks open doors. What happens once you're through them depends on how well you've sharpened the commercial story and the pipeline motion.
You're pre-Series A and don't have a marketing leader yet You need someone who has built from zero and will give you an honest, specific read on your commercial approach.

If you're a Darden i.Lab 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 UVA ecosystem

A few companies with UVA roots

UVA alumni have built significant companies across enterprise tech, consumer products, and health. A few standouts.

NorthStar Asset Management

Institutional asset management firm co-founded by Darden MBA alumni. Grew into a significant alternative investment platform before merging with Colony Capital.

Darden Alumni

AgroSpheres

Biodegradable pesticide delivery platform founded by UVA students through the i.Lab. Raises funding to bring sustainable crop protection to commercial agriculture markets.

Darden i.Lab

WillowTree

Digital product agency and software development firm founded by UVA alumni. Grew to 1,000+ employees before being acquired by TELUS International for $1.2B.

UVA Alumni

Cvillian

Civic engagement platform and digital services startup built through the UVA entrepreneurial ecosystem in Charlottesville.

UVA Ecosystem

About Tom

Five startups. Marketing Leadership.

UVA and Darden produce founders with a strong combination of business rigor and regional roots. The Mid-Atlantic corridor from Charlottesville to DC is an underappreciated B2B market: government contractors, health systems, financial services, and enterprise software buyers all within driving distance. The Darden i.Lab sits at the entry point of that opportunity. This session is my contribution to what that community is building.

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 UVA Darden i.Lab founders? What's the catch?

Yes. Fully free. No invoice, no pitch. I do a small number of these for founders in programs like the Darden i.Lab because the conversations are useful to both of us. I'm based in the DC/Baltimore region and deeply invested in the Mid-Atlantic startup ecosystem. The only ask is a real question.

I just finished the Darden i.Lab summer program. Is this the right time for a GTM conversation?

Post-i.Lab is the right time. You've done the intensive validation work. Now the question is how to build a commercial motion that repeats beyond the Charlottesville community. This session helps you get the pipeline structure right while the learning is fresh.

How is this different from the mentorship the Darden i.Lab already provides?

The i.Lab's mentors and advisors cover a wide range: business model, fundraising, team building, customer discovery. 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 targeting enterprise or government buyers in the Mid-Atlantic. Is that your wheelhouse?

Yes. The DC to Charlottesville corridor is full of enterprise and government buyers with long buying cycles, complex procurement, and multi-stakeholder sales processes. Getting the commercial story right for those buyers is exactly what this session is for.

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

The session is one conversation. You bring a problem, I give honest feedback, you leave with something concrete. 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 the Darden i.Lab. 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.