Better governed startups
build
better businesses
We help founders and investors create enduring companies through agile governance
Our free Founder Assessment helps you assess the factors driving your company's success and benchmarks you against other startups.
Is your startup poised for success or failure?
See sample Founder Assessment
We help
startups build
better businesses
through agile governance
Founders & CEOs, see how you compare against others, and identify opportunities to strengthen business performance, and increase the likelihood of M&A or fundraising success.
Are you poised for success or failure?
Smart, Agile Governance for Startups
Our SAGES methodology equip startups and investors with methods for better governance, and agile decision-making.
We takes an evolutionary approach, so that governance is relevant at each stage of the company’s growth.
In short, we help startups make smarter, faster and ethical decisions.
Enhancing Startup Performance
We help you implement processes, policies and practices that are:
Smart: effective and ethical
Agile: nimble and efficient
Evolutionary: appropriate to your stage and company
360 Governance Assessments
Our Governance Assessments provide a 360 review on governance effectiveness and alignment across People, Partners and Process:
Actionable Assessments
We provide expert-led assessments, including our Board 360 Assessment and Cofounder Assessment, with tailored feedback and recommendations on how to improve your company's performance.
Here are 3 examples of “gaps” identified by our Board 360 Assessment
Governance Report
The output of the SAGES Assessments are reports broken down by Governance Effectiveness and Alignment, together with recommended actions.
The SAGES reports is based on:
Each founder, CEO or board member completing an online SAGES assessment
A SAGES expert interview of each person
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OUR OFFERINGS
SAGES Assessments
SAGES Training
Rapid and accurate diagnostics, insights and recommended actions that improve business performance and help attract investment
- Free Startup Benchmarking. For companies interested in a rapid benchmarking against peers
- SAGES Core Health Check. A light touch analysis working with CEOs, for companies and investors as part of due diligence or annual monitoring.
- SAGES Core & 360. A comprehensive analysis, recommended actions and coaching support for companies (seed to Series C) and their investors, who are: in due diligence, reviewing their governance effectiveness, preparing for investment rounds or M&A, undergoing leadership changes, or expanding rapidly.
Training for company and investor staff on building value adding governance in startups
- Masterclass Series: “Governance for Fundraising & Growth”. For companies and investors interested in learning about how to build governance in early-stage companies
- SAGES Partnerships. For investors interested in adopting SAGES tools to monitor, assess and strengthen governance in their portfolio companies
If you are a portfolio owner and wish to know more about our SAGES Assessment or
governance services, please contact us at
info@agilegovernanceplatform.com.
Members
Join Us
We are in the process of building out our Agile Governance Platform for independent board members, advisors and coaches
If you are interested in offering services to our customer base, apply here.
About Us
Our mission is to enable early and growth stage companies to build enduring businesses and startup ecosystems through innovations in their governance.
The world is counting on high impact companies to make a key contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and AGP will help create a new ecosystem around governance for startups and growth-stage companies.
The Agile Governance Platform (AGP) supports good governance and effective decision-making practices in early stage and high growth companies by designing and implementing the SAGES approach.
AGP was started in 2022 by three principals who collectively have more than 70 years of experience in senior management and on boards of companies on four continents around the world in developed and emerging economies.
Sam Parker
Guildford, UK
Sam has held a number of senior management, CEO and Board roles for international companies and not-for-profits, and advised multiple early stage, impact focused enterprises in emerging markets, with a particular focus on water and sanitation, energy, SME finance and agriculture. Sam has coached the boards and senior management of over 150 enterprises, with a special focus on developing governance that empowers, while building clear and compelling business strategies.
Marc Herson
New York City, USA
Marc is a VC investor, coach, and operator with 20+ years of experience at startups and organizations like Softbank, Sony and Endeavor. He heads Endeavor Harvest’s VC Fund and actively invests in startups in Africa and the US. He began his career as an attorney and holds an MBA from INSEAD, a Coaching Certification from Fielding University, and a Certificate in Mediation from Harvard Law School, and has coached at Harvard, Red Bull and many startups on decision-making, mental health and conflict.
David Porteous
Greater Boston, USA
David is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur who has founded and led four successful organizations on two different continents. Each one serves a wider purpose of promoting a path to human flourishing in its own niche. In addition to the organizations he has started up, David has been involved in the design, setup and management of numerous public and private organizations across multiple countries. David holds a PhD from Yale.
Sam Parker
Guildford, UK
Sam has held a number of senior management, CEO and Board roles for international companies and not-for-profits, and advised multiple early stage, impact focused enterprises in emerging markets, with a particular focus on water and sanitation, energy, SME finance and agriculture. Sam has coached the boards and senior management of over 150 enterprises, with a special focus on developing governance that empowers, while building clear and compelling business strategies.
Marc Herson
New York City, USA
Marc is a VC investor, coach, and operator with 20+ years of experience at startups and organizations like Softbank, Sony and Endeavor. He heads Endeavor Harvest’s VC Fund and actively invests in startups in Africa and the US. He began his career as an attorney and holds an MBA from INSEAD, a Coaching Certification from Fielding University, and a Certificate in Mediation from Harvard Law School, and has coached at Harvard, Red Bull and many startups on decision-making, mental health, conflict and performance.
David Porteous
Greater Boston, USA
David is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur who has founded and led four successful organizations on two different continents. Each one serves a wider purpose of promoting a path to human flourishing in its own niche. In addition to the organizations he has started up, David has been involved in the design, setup and management of numerous public and private organizations across multiple countries. David holds a PhD from Yale.
