STARTUP BOARDS

THE HEALTH CAPTAINS COLLEGE

Governance Academy

Startup Boards Division

Purpose

Professional Governance for Health Innovation Ventures

To professionalize governance in early-stage health ventures by equipping founders, investors, and board members with the frameworks, tools, and leadership mindset needed to build high-performing, trustworthy, and mission-aligned Startup Boards—supporting innovation, compliance, capital efficiency, and growth from Day 1.

CURRICULUM

Curriculum Structure

Duration: Modular (Hybrid: In-person + Digital) & Format:

• Executive Modules

• Startup board simulations and case studies

• Founders & funders roundtables

• Expert legal and investment briefings

• Final Capstone: Startup Board Governance Blueprint

Core Modules

Module 1:

Startup Boards – Structures, Roles, and Legal Basics

• Why boards matter in early-stage health ventures

• Fiduciary duties, advisory roles, and hybrid governance

• Board composition, charters, and bylaws

• Legal responsibilities in pre-seed to Series A

Outcome: Clarity on governance essentials and legal foundations for early-stage boards.

Module 2:

Scaling Governance with Growth

• Governance needs across the startup lifecycle

• Building a board that evolves with traction, product, and capital

• Committees, board ops, and decision rights

• Investor protections vs. founder agility

Outcome: Support founders and advisors in adapting governance to growth and complexity.

Module 3:

Founder–Investor Board Dynamics

• Power balance and trust-building between founders, investors, and independent members

• Term sheets, board seats, observer roles

• Handling conflict, performance issues, and strategy pivots

• Protecting mission, vision, and integrity at board level

Outcome: Enable productive, transparent boardroom cultures that align capital and purpose.

Module 4:

Regulation, Compliance & Risk in Health Startups

• Key regulatory pathways: MDR/IVDR, FDA, GDPR, HIPAA

• Data privacy, cybersecurity, and liability exposure

• Clinical validation and ethical oversight

• Governance in regulated tech, diagnostics, and therapeutics

Outcome: Build awareness of regulatory risk and help boards proactively support compliance strategy.

Module 5:

Mentoring, Advisory Boards & Strategic Networks

• Differentiating between governance and mentorship

• Building advisory boards that add credibility and insight

• Connecting to scientific, policy, and clinical advisors

• Leveraging incubators, accelerators, and ecosystems

Outcome: Help founders build high-impact external advisory networks without compromising governance clarity.

Startup Governance Simulation Lab

Lab: Startup Boardroom Scenarios

• Simulated board meetings for Series A/B healthtech startup

• Real-world issues: funding crises, product delays, founder burnout, ethical dilemmas

• Role-playing founders, investors, advisors, and observers

• Board diagnostics and debrief

Outcome: Hands-on learning to improve board effectiveness, decision-making, and collaboration.

Capstone Project: Startup Board Governance Blueprint

Each participant develops a practical governance tool or artifact, such as:

• Board charter and operating manual

• Governance readiness checklist for Series A

• Founder–board communication strategy

• Advisory board selection and onboarding plan

• Compliance and regulatory risk map

Target Audience

• Startup founders and CEOs in healthtech, biotech, digital health, medtech

• Angel and seed investors with board roles

• Startup board members, mentors, and independent directors

• Health startup accelerators, incubators, and venture studios

Delivery Model

• Hybrid: Flagship modules hosted at leading innovation hubs (e.g., Berlin, Zürich, Copenhagen, Boston) with online intensives

• Faculty: Experienced founders, investors, legal and compliance experts, board chairs

• Interactive clinics, founder panels, legal Q&A, mock boards

• Network integration with THE HEALTH CAPTAINS Ecosystem

Outcomes & Certification

• Executive Certificate: “Certified Startup Board Leader – Health Innovation Governance”

• Exclusive Alumni Membership in THE HEALTH CAPTAINS CLUB

  • Entry into the Startup & Innovation Board Circle

  • Ongoing access to mentoring, board opportunities, and ecosystem partnerships

  • Participation in founder–board roundtables and innovation leadership events

“WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WE DON’T KNOW”

EXPLORING THE UNEXPLORED

LEADERSHIP FOR EXPLORING SUSTAINABLE HEALTH

“360º NEXT GENERATION SUSTAINABLE VALUE-BASED LIFECARE POWERED BY NEW INNOVATIONS AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND THE SUPER-CONVERGENCE IN MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES NAVIGATING US TOGETHER TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE HEALTH INDUSTRY”

WELCOME ABOARD