ARE You a first-time entrepreneur Looking to launch A SCALABLE BUSINESS?
But not sure
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Where to start
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How to test your idea
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How to build your MVP
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Which business model might work
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How to design your go-to-market strategy
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If you should bring on a co-founder
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How much equity to grant to whom
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Which role to hire first
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Where to find advisors
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How to create a financial forecast
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Which funding might work for your business
You came to the right place!
"Nothing gives me more joy than seeing founders have breakthroughs, get their first paying customers, raise funding, and build their dream company while enjoying the journey"
Hi I'm Anne Cocquyt
I’ve helped over 150 first-time entrepreneurs launch their startups.
I combine Silicon Valley startup advice with proven coaching methodologies to help you unlock your full potential as a founder. I share my network, shortcuts, copy-paste templates, relevant content, and practical tips, tricks and methods that have proven to accelerate first-time entrepreneurs on their journey to launch. Together, we figure out the best fundraising strategy.
I do this because I’ve been there, done that - from consumer products to digital health and AI - I’m a serial entrepreneur with successful exit, fundraising, and investing experience.
That's also why I wrote the book DARE TO LAUNCH and founded the GUILD Academy, a unique entrepreneurship program that helps first-time female entrepreneurs launch their business Silicon-Valley Style.
WHat do you need?
Take me by the hand and show me what I need to do next to build a scalable company
I want a group experience with a deadline and access to investors
I'm a self-starter, just give me a guide and inspiring case studies I can relate to
8-week program to launch and take action
GUILD ACADEMY
Step-By-Step guide to LAUNCH
Get my
Book
Dare To Launch:
A Bible For Women Entrepreneurs Starting Businesses
"Dare to Launch is a must-read for entrepreneurs of all ages, industries and backgrounds. It provides time-tested, easy-to-implement guidance from one of the leading educators in entrepreneurship today."
- Denise Brosseau, CEO, Thought Leadership Lab
"Everything you need to launch and fund your business”
- Nicole Quinn, General Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners
"Anne is your friend, your advisor, and she’ll kick your butt on your entrepreneurial journey.”
- Maaike Doyer, investor & founder Epic Angels
LET'S WORK TOGETHER
"I had a coaching session with Anne to brainstorm on a new idea in a completely new domain for me: healthcare. In less than 45 minutes, Anne helped me strategize a 6-month plan, shared resources I need to read and follow, advised on potential partnerships and potential acquisitions, ways how to differentiate and monetize the idea. There is no way I could have figured all this information just by google search, it only comes from years of experience in the field. The session was invaluable, thank you Anne!"
Lirida Kercelli, Founder and CEO of Learnable
"Major thanks and kudos to Anne Cocquyt for her brilliant insights! Anne has a way of getting to the core in record time. She can spot the genius and shift the thought that's in the way of that genius without missing a beat. Don't talk to her if you don't want to be seen -- do talk to her if you want to be empowered, inspired, and find a way back to your best self!"
Lila Z Rose, Author
"All those years I dreamed of using my skills to start my own company, but I hadn't the slightest clue as to how to get started. Launching a company felt risky, daunting, complicated...surely not something I could do. Fast forward to today and in just eight weeks I went from idea to launching a public benefit corporation called Cruce, all thanks to the GUILD Academy and Anne Cocquyt's coaching. While the GUILD Academy walked me through the basic steps of launching a company and facilitated introductions to needed collaborators and advisors, Anne's personal coaching helped me overcome the limiting beliefs (e.g. you can't launch a company while raising two young kids) that had always held me back.
A huge thank you to Anne and everyone at the GUILD for helping me realize my dream!
Chelsey Glasson, Founder of Crucé
"Anne, I wanted to thank you again for your time and insights on our call together yesterday morning. You offered me so many smart takeaways. My brain has been buzzing since! Looking into Guild Pro membership now."
Marnie Madras, Maternity Subscription Box Founder
The Startup journey
Starting a company is a crazy journey of ups and downs.
Launching a company is an emotionally stressful process: You take risks, build something out of nothing and you put yourself out there.
Startup founders are like athletes who power through these ups and downs: Many burn out, the best look for support from those who can coach them and change the odds of reaching the finish line.
As a serial entrepreneur and startup coach, I help you uncover your talents, trust them, use them to find the answers and as a startup advisor, I point you to the right resources you need to be successful.
I believe that startup founders need both: The coach who challenges you to perform and the startup advisor who connects you to the right people and resources at the right time.
Step-By-Step guide
Get my Book
Hear what otherS say
"I have been coached by Anne years ago when I was an Executive in a company but also very recently when I just launched my first business. I keep coming back to her because of her caliber. Her experience as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, community builder, and business coach is simply amazing."
Claire Saccoccini, Founder at The Graceful app
"Having a consult with Anne provided me with an inner awareness of what I really wanted and a structure of how to march forward. It was beyond thorough. She provided me with tools, language, and ideas that I didn't even know I needed. Also, I'm glad to have taken advantage of her as a resource because she has set me up with knowledge of how to best present myself and not lose myself in the process. In the past, I have consulted with other people, but nothing like this."
Tasha Jackson, Psychotherapist evaluating a startup idea
"I’ve been in the business world for over 5 years now and I’ve come across different courses and programs that aim to help founders to build and grow their business.
After going through the GUILD summer academy, I can definitely say that the GUILD is amazingly different!
The modules contain just the right amount of material and information you need to go through every phase of building a startup. There are lots of added benefits like the community of supportive and inspiring founders, 4-week sprints, and amazing events with thought leaders.
My 1:1 session with Anne really helped me streamline and define my interest and passion. I can’t recommend the GUILD Academy enough and Anne is just wonderful!
Oh, and I got to know the GUILD via a recommendation. Goes to show how much members really value what the GUILD offers."
January Edwards, GUILD Academy Participant
"Before the coaching call I was a bit anxious to speak with Anne, I had already rescheduled our meeting once and was starting the busiest work week of the year. I was running on 5 hours of sleep and felt guilty pulling myself away from my job.
After the call I was beaming with energy (smiling!), and felt so much clarity with where I wanted to go with my business- and how I was going to get there. Anne helped me break down actionable steps towards a launch, what once seemed like mountains to climb, and I could even start this week. Thank you!"
Madeline McKinnon, Entrepreneur in the GUILD Academy
"I booked Anne for a reason few of you probably will: To get some granular feedback on my consulting platform NeedHop because she’s exploded with bookings in a week’s time! I wanted to understand what was working for her and what we could do. But in that conversation, it became clear to me why so many people are booking her: She had fantastic, no nonsense startup advice. If you are thinking of building something or in the early stages, you won’t regret booking her time. You will regret it if you don’t do it immediately because she’s one of our most popular mentors and books up quickly!"
Sarah Lacy, Founder and CEO Chairman Mom
"The 1:1 sessions with Anne were invaluable to get the feedback I needed on my pitch and progress. I'll definitely refer back to the learnings from the GUILD academy often as I progress with my business. It's been one of the best decisions I've made. Thank you GUILD academy!"
Lirida Kercelli, Founder of Learnable
"Anne is so incredibly knowledgeable. I came into our meeting thinking that I was going to go in a certain direction with my business. I left our conversation with 4 other great options for other directions I could take. I really feel like my horizon was expanded by talking to Anne."
Courtney Flynn, CEO Supply Chain Savvy
MEET ANNE,
Inspirational
THE
speaker
“Thanks to the awesome panel and Anne's outstanding facilitation!”
"Thank you so much for the interesting hour! Very insightful and powerful"
"What a great and inspiring presentation just now at Hilton, SF! Makes me want to be an Angel investor now :-)"
"You were a guest lecture during our entrepreneurship module in the USA for St Gallen University. My colleague and I were very inspired by the topic and decided to write our master thesis with the topic Challenges Women Entrepreneurs Face during Early Funding Stages and Strategies to Overcome Them."
ABOUT ANNE
Anne Cocquyt is a serial entrepreneur with a great passion for new ideas and helping people achieve their career goals and launch their dream businesses. Anne used to work for Fortune 500 companies in senior roles in innovation, oversaw international multi-million dollar projects in IT and switched multiple times in her career between corporate roles and entrepreneurial endeavors, small businesses and non-profit organizations. She mentored rapid prototyping classes at the University of San Francisco, business model innovation at California College of the Arts, startups at Singularity University and is a lead mentor at the German Accelerator and Founder Institute, she's on the advisory board of digital health startups, a fund and a change maker community. Anne also invested in a small product startup and sold the company. She invests in consumer product startups, social enterprises and clean tech. She is the founder of the GUILD, the global AI-powered networking platform for innovators and entrepreneurs.
