Inside MKE VMS: Successful founders power Milwaukee Venture Mentoring Service

Milwaukee Venture Mentoring Service (MKE VMS) brings together successful local founders who have built, scaled, and exited companies and now volunteer to work with founders navigating similar challenges.

Supported by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and based on the MIT Venture Mentoring Service model, MKE VMS connects a select group of high-growth, revenue-generating startups with teams of seasoned entrepreneurs and executives. Rather than relying on one-to-one advising, the program uses a team-based approach, pairing founders with multiple mentors whose combined experience spans industries and functional areas.

The result is an ongoing, relationship-driven model that provides founders with practical guidance as they navigate growth, hiring, strategy, and scaling decisions.

This article is the first in a three-part series highlighting a few of the mentors behind MKE VMS and the experience they bring to the program.

Meet Harshad Shah

Shah began his career working on large computer systems at Honeywell before moving into roles with Ford Motor Company and Chrysler, where he was introduced to factory automation. After relocating to the Milwaukee area in the early 1970s, he launched his first business.

That company, focused on electrical peak demand control, served many notable local companies, including Johnson Controls and Allis-Chalmers. Shah sold the business in 1987.

Shah then built a second company in enterprise asset management software, which he later sold to a Boston-based private equity firm in 2022. Today, he remains active as an advisor and mentor, working with early-stage companies in the U.S. and abroad.

Reflecting on why he chooses to mentor, Shah said, “At this stage in my career, I felt I could still contribute in a meaningful way. Mentoring startups allows me to share my experience, help founders avoid common pitfalls and support their growth. It’s especially rewarding to see these companies progress and succeed.”

Shah appreciates the team-based structure of the MKE VMS.

“VMS’s team mentorship approach is a strong model,” Shah said. “Mentors bring experience from a wide range of industries and functional areas, which is incredibly valuable for startups facing diverse challenges.”

For founders, that collective experience often functions as an informal advisory board, offering insight that can be difficult to access elsewhere.

“Mentorship has the greatest impact during the early stages of a startup,” Shah said. “Experienced, well-rounded mentors can help entrepreneurs navigate growth, avoid missteps and stay focused on what matters most.”

Programs like MKE VMS are designed for companies that have moved beyond the idea stage and are working to scale. Participation is selective, with a focus on revenue-generating startups that can benefit from experienced, operator-led guidance.

For Shah, the value of that guidance is rooted in a lesson he has carried throughout his own career.

“Always look for and hire people smarter than you to fill in your missing skills,” he said. “We all have areas of business development where we need help. The key is recognizing those gaps and surrounding yourself with the right people.”

Shah is one of several experienced founders contributing to MKE VMS, each bringing a distinct perspective shaped by years of building and scaling companies. As Milwaukee continues to grow its base of scalable startups, this group of mentors is helping ensure founders have access to the experience needed to navigate that path.