STARTUP BOARDS

THE HEALTH CAPTAINS COLLEGE

Governance Academy – Startup Boards Division

Professional Governance for Health Innovation Ventures

Purpose

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 – 6 to 9 months (Hybrid: In-person + Digital)
Format:

  • Executive Modules (2–3 days each)

  • 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 101 – 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

 

AFFILIATES TO THE CLUB

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