Entrepreneurs in San Diego can now get two for the price of one when it comes to seeking out expert advice and other business help thanks to a formal alliance announced July 17.

Connect, a group that fosters budding entrepreneurships, and the Chairmen’s RoundTable, a group that pairs executive mentors with young but established small-business owners, announced this week that the two organizations will immediately start cross-promoting each other. By cross-promoting each other, the groups hope to encourage more participation in free mentorship programs, workshops and seminars.

The portion of Connect activities that will be most heavily promoted by the Chairmen’s RoundTable will be the Springboard program, which targets startups in the fields of high-tech and life sciences.

“We couldn’t be more pleased than to partner with the Chairmen’s RoundTable,” said Springboard Director Michael Coleman. “Our organizations have mutually beneficial missions and this alliance will help not only our two organizations, but the San Diego business community as well.”

Tom Dorosewicz, the chairman of the Chairmen’s RoundTable, also sees the alliance as a win-win deal.

“We are focused on providing no-cost mentoring services from highly experienced CEOs to established companies that have reached a strategic crossroads in their business,” Dorosewicz said. “However, we often come into contact with early stage companies that are ideal candidates for the Connect Springboard program. Through this partnership, we can offer an excellent alternative to those businesses that the Chairmen’s RoundTable isn’t equipped to mentor. Conversely, for companies who have moved beyond the range of Connect Springboard’s focus, the Chairmen’s RoundTable may be best positioned to provide the perspective they are seeking.”

The alliance will be renewed on an annual basis.

— Jessica Long