Online Cohort
Start Now
Online cohort access beginning now for selected participants.
- [Online format and session cadence to be confirmed.]
in partnership with
AI Valley × MeritMap Gen 1 starts now. The full group meets in January.
We’re bringing the first participants into the online cohort now, then gathering the full group for an in-person launch in early January. Gen 1 is for ambitious technical people building careers across borders and looking for practical visa-pathway support and a community that understands the stakes.
- Online
- Cohort access begins now for selected participants
- In person
- Full group launch in early January
- Duration
- Four-month minimum.
Up to six months.
Why This Exists
Building the company is only part of the journey
Founders are also building the professional story behind their work.
Over time, the record of what you have done needs to become organized and legible. Not only to you, but to anyone who may one day need to understand it.
- Achievements
- Impact
- Recognition
- Leadership
- Evidence
- Documentation
- Professional positioning
This cohort helps you prepare. It does not assess or determine legal eligibility.
The Journey
Five stages, one pathway
Select a stage to see what it involves.
Understand
Learn the pathways founders commonly explore.
Get oriented to pathways such as O-1A and EB-1A, how they are commonly discussed, and why preparing a professional profile is different from filing a petition.
Identify
Map existing achievements and identify potential gaps.
Take stock of what you have already done. Map achievements, impact, recognition and leadership, then see where the documented story is still thin.
Build
Develop with greater clarity and intention over the cohort experience.
Use the four to six months to build deliberately, with education, practical guidance, ongoing support and a founder community moving alongside you.
Document
Organize the evidence behind the professional story.
Turn scattered proof into an organized, legible record, so the story behind your work is easier to see and easier to review.
Prepare
Prepare for qualified legal evaluation when appropriate.
When the time is right, arrive at a qualified legal evaluation prepared. The cohort helps you prepare. Qualified legal professionals evaluate.
Your Pathway
Build your next move with a clearer plan.
Visa timelines can shape career decisions, travel, and future opportunities.
Through MeritMap, members get tools and practical support to understand their pathway and organize the story and evidence of their work.
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Tools. [MeritMap tools included in Gen 1 to be confirmed.]
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Guidance. [Format and frequency of pathway guidance to be confirmed.]
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Mentoring. [Who mentors, and how often, to be confirmed.]
MeritMap support helps you prepare. It does not guarantee any visa outcome and is not legal representation.
The Oct 28 Webinar
What you will learn
- Date
- October 28, 2026
- Time
- 12:30 PM Eastern Time, US and Canada
- Format
- Live webinar introduction to the cohort, with time for questions and a chance to meet others who may join Gen 1
- Meetup
- October 24 pickleball meetup
- Access
- [Webinar registration link to be provided]
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How the Gen 1 cohort works
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Immigration pathways founders commonly explore
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What achievements and evidence may matter
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What you can begin documenting and developing now
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The difference between profile preparation and legal filing
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What to expect from the online cohort, the January launch and biweekly pickleball meetups
Who It Is For
Built for immigrant founders
This is for immigrant founders and entrepreneurs who are:
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Building a company while navigating your immigration status.
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Exploring O-1A, EB-1A or another long-term pathway.
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Unsure how your achievements may translate into a stronger professional profile.
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Ready to spend the next four to six months building with greater clarity and intention.
What You’ll Experience
A community that rallies
Gen 1 is designed around real relationships, shared progress, and pickleball that keeps the group playing together from the first week to the last.
- Discover
- Oct 24 Meetup
- Oct 28 Webinar
- Enroll
- Online Cohort
- January Launch
- Every Two Weeks
- Closing Celebration
January Launch
Begin Together
A full in-person launch in early January.
- A kickoff dinner and drinks designed to bring the group together.
- Meet the full group.
- Begin the journey together.
Cohort Meetups
Every Two Weeks
Biweekly pickleball meetups, with optional dinners after select sessions.
- Play together.
- Check in on progress.
- Keep relationships active.
- Keep the momentum going.
Closing Celebration
Celebrate Together
A closing celebration with dinner, drinks, and time to recognize the progress made together.
- Dinner and drinks.
- Recognize the progress made together.
The Build
Make Progress
Four to six months of intentional readiness.
- Education.
- Practical guidance.
- Professional-profile development.
- Evidence organization.
- Ongoing support.
AI Valley × MeritMap gear for cohort members.
[Meetup days, times, locations and the January launch date to be announced.]
The Collaboration
Built together
MeritMap and AI Valley present the cohort. E1B2 is the creative and experience partner orchestrating it.
Pathways And Readiness
- Pathways.
- Readiness.
- Professional-profile development.
- Evidence organization.
- Structured progression.
Community And Momentum
- Community.
- Founder energy.
- Connection.
- Shared experiences.
- Momentum.
Creative And Experience
- Creative direction.
- Experience design.
- Cohort orchestration.
- Editorial system.
- Shared-product world.
What this is and what this is not
What This Is
Preparation with intention
- Founder readiness
- Education
- Practical guidance
- Profile development
- Evidence organization
- Community
- Ongoing support
- Access to qualified legal evaluation when appropriate
What This Is Not
No false promises
- A passive course
- A law firm
- A legal filing service
- A promise of eligibility
- A guarantee of visa approval
Join Gen 1
Build before you file
Your company isn’t the only thing worth building.
- Four-month minimum, up to six months
- Online cohort access now, then the full in-person launch in early January
- Kickoff dinner and drinks, biweekly pickleball and a closing celebration
- MeritMap tools and practical support for your visa pathway
- Access to qualified legal evaluation when appropriate
- AI Valley × MeritMap gear for cohort members
Early bird $7,000$8,000Save $1,000
If visa or travel timelines mean you need to leave early, you won’t be asked to pay for the full cohort. [How an early departure affects payments to be set out in the program terms.]
Before You Rally
AI Valley × MeritMap Gen 1. Four to six months.
Cohort investmentEarly bird pricing
$7,000Regular price $8,000
- Cohort investment
- $8,000 total
- Gen 1 early-bird savings
- $1,000
- Early-bird total
- $7,000
[Early-bird deadline to be confirmed.]
Enroll in Gen 1
Pay the $7,000 USD early-bird cohort fee in one payment. Continue to Stripe to complete checkout securely.
Pay $7,000 USDQuestions
Frequently asked questions
Items in brackets are placeholders pending confirmation from the program team.
Gen 1 is for ambitious technical people building careers across borders and looking for practical visa-pathway support and a community that understands the stakes. It suits people exploring O-1A, EB-1A or another long-term pathway who are ready to spend the next four to six months building with greater clarity and intention.
Four-month minimum, up to six months. The online experience begins now for selected participants, and the full in-person launch takes place in early January.
If visa or travel timelines mean you need to leave early, you won’t be asked to pay for the full cohort.
[How an early departure affects payments to be set out in the program terms.]
The cohort combines education, practical guidance, ongoing support, community, professional-profile development, evidence organization, and access to qualified legal evaluation when appropriate. It begins online for selected participants, gathers the full group for an in-person launch in early January with a kickoff dinner and drinks, keeps everyone connected through biweekly pickleball meetups with optional dinners after select sessions, and closes with a celebration dinner.
[Session cadence, format and cohort calendar to be confirmed by the program team.]
The cohort is designed as preparation, including for people who are still unsure how their achievements may translate into a stronger professional profile. It does not assess, determine or promise eligibility for any pathway.
[Any admission criteria to be confirmed by the program team.]
No. This is not a law firm, not a legal filing service, and not a promise of visa approval. It is a structured readiness community. Where appropriate, participants can access qualified legal evaluation.
[How legal evaluation is accessed, and by whom, to be confirmed.]
Selected participants can begin the online cohort right away. The full group then meets in person for the launch in early January.
[Enrollment window and January launch date to be confirmed.]
Pickleball runs through the whole experience. The October 24 pickleball meetup comes ahead of the October 28 webinar. After the January launch, the group meets for pickleball every two weeks, with optional dinners after select sessions. Gen 1 closes with a celebration: dinner, drinks, and time to recognize the progress made together.
[Meetup days, times, locations and any experience-level notes to be confirmed.]
[Online access steps, welcome communication and first milestones to be confirmed by the program team.]
The cohort investment is $8,000 total. Gen 1 early-bird savings are $1,000, for an early-bird total of $7,000 USD. Pay once through Stripe using any Join Gen 1 button. This is a one-time payment.
[Early-bird deadline and refund policy to be confirmed.]