IDEX 3.0 A new chapter

mobilizing human capital to build a conscious world that benefits people, the planet, and animals.

I am a misfit. Let us start from there.

Many branded me as “controversial,” and I found little support among my peers, teachers, and professors. Lonely and egged by my father, I decided to do social activism online and explore social entrepreneurship.

IDEX Journey

I still remember the day when I applied for IDEX July 2014 cohort. I was a darn activist coming out of an engineering college, like every other brown person, not knowing what the future held for me.

IDEX has gone through a lot. I would say many phases - some good and some not so good. Many IDEX alums felt disconnected and even disappointed with what the fellowship offered. FULL STOP! IDEX changed my life.

Though during the fellowship, I had a tough time. My first placement organization was terrible, then I had an accident that led to a head injury, and my smartphone got stolen on the Bangalore bus. I then joined Accion as an IDEX fellow after the first failed placement. I met the incredible team at Gray Matters Capital, Unitus Capital, Unitus Seed Fund, and Accion. I miss the Richmond Road office.

Fri, Nov 20, 2015, I wrote an email to IDEX. The title was “Isn't it beautiful?”.

“Isn't it beautiful?- just think? - we are part of global movement- a movement to bring global consciousness.”

I never imagined I would take over the IDEX one day, reviving it from the ashes. It is an emotional thing because IDEX led me to meet my first believer, Bob Pattilo, join Gray Matters, failing to build Wings Learning Centre (my first entrepreneurial stint), getting a stint to launch edLABS within Gray Matters, thanks to Bob again, moving to Indonesia for the time being and then launching Beyond Impact Fund II in 2022 with an incredible leader and fund manager, Claire Smith as a Partner in the fund.

In 2021, I started writing on substack, a monthly newsletter, First Followers

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, covering impact investing, venture capital, innovative financing instruments, and venture building. Subsequently, in 2022, I launched a cohort-based educational fellowship called First Followers Fellowship (FFF) for next-gen underrepresented first-time fund managers. FFF did the first cohort in 2022. For more, learn about the fellowship here.

IDEX Impact

Since 2010, IDEX has served as a launch pad and human capital investor for over 300 fellows from over 35 countries.

IDEX 3.0

Four months ago, Erika Norwood, the founder of IDEX, decided to pass on the bait to me to revive IDEX and give it a new paint. So, here I am, trying to fulfill my responsibility.

IDEX Accelerator is going to be a talent accelerator that backs talent from across the spectrum that wants to play a pivotal role in reimagining capitalism by being the first followers of conscious & diverse intrapreneurs, venture builders, fund managers (GPs), and capital allocators (LPs). The mission is to mobilize human capital to build a conscious world.

First Followers Fellowship

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, which focuses on diverse aspiring fund managers, will come under the IDEX Accelerator umbrella. IDEX Accelerator will (potentially)

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offer the following two programs. They won’t be fellowship style but more like boot camp/accelerator/cohort-based course style:

1. Impact Investing & Conscious Capitalism - This foundational accelerator boot camp will cover topics like impact financing 101, impact VCs, innovative finance, stoicism, venture building, impact DAOs (Decentralised Autonomous Organizations), impact ventures, certified B-corps, etc.
   Who should apply for this? - Anyone, especially who are early in their career and wants to pivot to building a conscious / impact venture, project, initiative, etc.

2. First Followers Fellowship - aspiring fund managers - This accelerator boot camp will cover topics like how an impact vc fund works?, how to build an impact VC / impact fund?, fundrasing for an impact VC fund, investment thesis, portfolio construction, fund structure, fund model, stoicism, and how to pitch an impact VC/ fund?
   Who should apply for this? - Aspiring fund manager or impact VC professional

The core sessions will be taken by me, coupled with mentors who will give fund manager perspective, limited partner perspective, stoic perspective, impact investor perspective, venture builder perspective, impact VC perspective, impact tech entrepreneur perspective, etc.

IDEX Accelerator will have FIVE core tenants - (1) Learn foundational concepts from mentors, (2) Build a portfolio, (3) Community of conscious next-gen leaders, (4) Fund that will fund the conscious talent, and (5) Experience by working hands-on.

IDEX 3.0 Manifesto

mobilizing human capital to build a conscious world that benefits people, the planet, and animals.

I have some asks

Would you like to mentor? If yes, please fill out this form. You will take one session in English and will be paid a flat fee for a session.

Would you like to join the accelerator? If yes, please fill out this form. This will be SIX weeks paid program with the possibility of having a placement organization where you will intern for 12 weeks.

Like to help, contribute, and partner with IDEX Accelerator, email me at sagar@idexaccelerator.com.

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Sagar Tandon acquired IDEX Accelerator in 2022, a talent accelerator that backs talent from across the spectrum that wants to play a pivotal role in reimagining capitalism. Since 2010, IDEX has served as a launch pad and human capital investor for over 300 fellows from over 35 countries.

For more, contact Sagar Tandon, Managing Partner (Servant) at IDEX Accelerator.

Email id: sagar@idexaccelerator.com
WhatsApp: +44-7783 309071
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagartandon/

Join the movement of humanizing capital by being a first follower of conscious leaders - fund managers, entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and venture builders.

1. First Followers Substack

2. First Followers Fellowship https://firstfollowers.xyz/

3. Subject to change as things progress