For startup founders / accelerators
Reign for startup founders / accelerators. Startup accelerator community + mentor matching.
Accelerators use Salesforce + a Slack workspace + a static program site - no central directory of mentors, alumni lose touch.
Reign + BuddyNext + WB Gamification for an accelerator community: founder profiles, a mentor directory, an alumni network and cohort tracking. Both plugins install free.
Founder profiles, a mentor directory and cohort tracking, free to install. You buy the Reign theme; BuddyNext, WB Gamification and Listora are ours and install free.
- BuddyNext community engine
- WB Gamification points and badges
- Listora directories
Three highlights for startup founders / accelerators.
- 01
Founder profiles with company stage + sector + ask.
- 02
Mentor directory in Listora with availability and expertise filters.
- 03
Alumni group bridges all cohorts - mentor matching ongoing.
What the site looks like on day one.
You launch with cohort or batch groups, a mentor directory, an events calendar and a resource library. Each batch gets its own space, mentors have profiles founders can search, and events carry office hours and demo days. For an accelerator the mentor directory is often the most used feature, because matching is the service being sold.
What a member actually does.
A founder joins with their batch, uses the resources and attends events, and the real value arrives through mentor introductions. Batch groups are intense for a few months and then quieten, which is the natural rhythm. Alumni is where the long-term network lives, and programmes that build that layer end up with something far more valuable than the batch itself.
How this usually makes money.
Accelerators usually fund this as programme infrastructure rather than revenue, replacing separate community, events and directory tools. Where it earns directly it is alumni membership, paid workshops or sponsorship from service providers wanting access to founders. The case internally is consolidation and keeping the alumni network in your own hands.
The mistake to avoid.
Underinvesting in alumni. The batch is intense and then it ends, and a founder with nowhere to go is a relationship you spent months building and then dropped. Alumni is also where your next batch's referrals come from, so it pays for itself.
Startup founder / accelerator-specific questions.
CRM integration?
Yes - Reign + WP Fusion bridges to Salesforce / HubSpot. Founder profile data sync both ways.
Can we separate batches?
Yes, a private group per batch so conversations do not bleed across cohorts, with a shared alumni space they graduate into. Set that structure up before the first batch, because retrofitting it means untangling months of mixed discussion.
How do mentor introductions work?
A searchable mentor directory with profiles and availability, plus messaging or a booking plugin for office hours. The directory saves the programme team from being the switchboard for every introduction, which is usually where their time disappears.
What happens after the programme?
Alumni, and it is the part most programmes underinvest in. A founder who leaves the batch and has nowhere to go is a relationship you spent months building and then dropped. The alumni network is also where your next batch's referrals come from.
Can mentors set their own availability?
Yes, through a booking plugin tied to their profile, which stops the programme team being the switchboard for every introduction. It is usually the single biggest time saving for staff.
Do we need this if we already use Slack?
Slack handles the live chat well. What it does not do is the mentor directory, the events, the resource library or the alumni network, which are the things that outlast the batch.
Buy the theme. Add the plugins free.
BuddyNext, WB Gamification and Listora cost nothing to install, and each has its own Pro plan for later. Running the third-party stack instead? The BuddyPress Community Bundle kit is the packaged route. Or have the Wbcom team install either one for $699 flat.