Celebrating our newest graduate mentees & mentors!

Today, our latest cohort of 48 mentees and mentors graduate from our gold-accredited Mentoring Women in Business programme. Working together for a year, they’ve achieved fantastic personal and professional development as well as tremendous business growth for the mentees: certain cause to celebrate.

We are honoured to welcome Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, to give an inspiring commencement speech at today’s online ceremony, alongside our founder Cherie Blair CBE KC.

Our Mentoring programme connects ambitious women entrepreneurs in low and middle income countries with professional mentors from around the world. Over twelve months, they work together to problem-solve, grow and share skills, and progress towards the mentee’s business goals.

Having supported 6,000 mentees to start and build their businesses so far, our programme is boosting entrepreneurship and catalysing economic equality for women across the world.

Mentee outcomes

Our mentees come from all over the world and can work in any industry. In this cohort we have welcomed 24 mentees from 10 different countries, with businesses spanning 12 sectors.

Through working with their mentors, these women achieved a number of fantastic outcomes:

• 76% implemented a new business plan or strategy
• 57% implemented a new communications or marketing strategy
• 57% created new or different products or services
• 38% entered new markets
• 29% actually launched their businesses with their mentor’s support

Mentor outcomes

Mentees are not the only ones who benefit from our programme and the impact that mentorship can have on businesses and lives. Their mentors—the majority of whom are members of the workforces of our partners like PayPal, DHL Express and Bank of America—build skills and knowledge that are vital to leadership development and feed back into their work at their companies. This cohort’s mentors are no exception.

Through working with their mentees, mentors have built skills and knowledge in a wide range of areas:

• 100% gained knowledge of a new culture
• 95% developed their listening skills
• 90% learned about doing business in a new sector or market
• 90% developed their communication skills
• 86% improved their ability to be flexible
• 86% developed their leadership skills
• 86% built problem-solving skills
• 81% improved their management abilities

Crucially, over seven out of 10 mentors in this intake feel that their performance at work has already improved as a result of the programme.

Global impact

The Mentoring Women in Business programme’s mission extends far beyond individual development, acting as a global catalyst for change in business environments. The programme not only equips women entrepreneurs to succeed in their won businesses but also encourages them to act as leaders in their industries and communities and pave the way for future generations of women.

With such incredible and promising outcomes to celebrate, we congratulate our graduates – we wish you every bit of luck and success in your journeys!