Zero Labs operates Nevada's most active startup accelerator ecosystem. The founders we work with are building companies in the industries you've spent your career in. They don't need generic mentorship. They need people who've already solved the problem they're staring at.
The founders coming through Zero Labs aren't working on theoretical problems. They're working on real ones — the same problems you've spent your career solving. Enterprise sales cycles, legal sign-off processes, unit economics at scale.
You've managed through rebrands, labor shortages, and tech migrations that most founders can't even imagine.
You've navigated regulatory frameworks that take years to understand from the outside.
You know what it takes to move a deal through organizations with dozens of decision-makers.
You've operated inside procurement timelines measured in years, not quarters.
You've built in environments where the cost of getting it wrong is measured differently.
the founders who come through zero labs aren't generalists looking for encouragement. they're sector-specific, technically literate, and working on problems in your industry. the question isn't whether your experience is relevant. it's whether you're willing to share it.
We're not asking for your calendar. We're not asking you to join a board, take a retainer, or sit through quarterly reviews. We're asking for one focused day with a team that's been grinding on a real problem — and needs someone who's already solved it. Each cohort runs 3–4 module days across the program. You can participate in one or all of them.
You meet the founding team. You understand their market, their problem, and where they're stuck. No prep work required, although we will share basic information about the cohort in advance.
Structured problem-solving — not a panel, not a keynote. You're in the room doing actual work with a team that has specific questions for someone with your exact background.
Founders present back what they heard. You react in real time. Some of the best breakthroughs happen in the last 90 minutes.
Some SMEs stay in contact with founding teams long after cohort day. Many don't. Both outcomes are completely fine.
that's all we're asking for.
start the conversationWe'll match you to the right cohort and follow up within a week.
The SME Network isn't a mentorship pool. It's a group of operators, executives, and founders who've built real things in Nevada's core industries.
of SMEs who participate in a single cohort return for a second. That number has held across every program we've run.
We don't need generalists. We need people who've done the specific, difficult, unglamorous work of building something real in one of our core industries.
start the conversationWe review every submission personally and follow up within a week. No automated responses, no drip sequences.