Mentorship
I was honored to be one of the panelists at the third annual IBM Executive Breakfast. This event brought an inspiring group of women together to discuss their experiences working in a male dominated business world and also providing stories about the value of diversity. It was wonderful to hear the other panelists’ advice and to know that there are women out there climbing the career ladder. Needless to say the morning was an empowering one, and worth the short break from the busy days of a startup CEO.
Leadership, mentorship, and gamifying career goals were some of the main topics. As a woman entrepreneur, my perspective was very different from others on the panel who currently work in larger corporate environments. For me, mentorship is not just one person or just one type of person. It is collecting the perfect group of people that offer a variety of viewpoints from different industries to benefit me in every aspect of my company. My group of mentors and advisors is very diverse including many men, which offers yet another viewpoint that I highly value.
Mentorship and sponsorship are necessary almost everyday as the CEO of a startup, so networking is key. June Grant, one of the other women on the panel, mentioned that she sets goals for networking events like a game that she wants to win. I also gamify mentorship in that way by creating a target list, and the list just keeps getting bigger and more audacious.
My advice to you is to be PROACTIVE. Start your mentor list by attending activities for girls in your desired career. Begin by talking to your teachers and looking up local colleges that often host these events. Consider attending a camp such as Berkeley’s Girls in Engineering summer camp or look into targeted programs such as the Perry Initiative. Once you start the process, you connect with peers and mentors that you will learn from and be positively influenced by.