Become a PayPal mentor

Become a vital part of a woman's business success story.

Our Mentoring Women in Business programme connects women entrepreneurs in low and middle income countries with experienced business professionals from around the world. Over 6 months, mentors and mentees collaborate online, with mentors supporting mentees to achieve their business goals and enhance their wealth, independence, and financial security. 

As a mentor, you’ll play a pivotal role in an entrepreneur’s growth during a critical stage of her business. You might work with a shoe designer from Vietnam, a tech start-up founder from Pakistan, a wine producer from South Africa, or a travel agency owner from Kenya. 

By sharing your expertise, you’ll help boost her confidence, develop her skills, improve her business performance, and make a lasting impact on her life, family, and community. 

We welcome mentors from diverse backgrounds and value every prospective mentor’s interest. We know potential mentors sometimes worry about time constraints or feel they might not have enough to offer, but rest assured, the commitment is manageable and flexible, and everyone has something to offer! Your two hours a month could be the key to unlocking a world of opportunities for a woman entrepreneur. 

We are now accepting mentor applications from PayPal employees. Apply by 6 March!

Become a mentor

Apply to join the next cohort!

Apply now
A Black woman entrepreneur sits on a sofa smiling. She is wearing fashionable large-framed glasses, has purple lipstick on, and is wearing a white double-breasted blazer trimmed with black.
 

Explore the experiences of past mentors and mentees

Over 12,000 people have taken part in the Mentoring programme – as mentors and mentees – since its launch in 2010.

Read their stories

Benefits of being a mentor 

Enjoy a rewarding experience that allows you to: 

  • Share your experience and expertise with another person to support their own journey 
  • Enhance your leadership, problem solving and communication skills 
  • Gain insights into different cultures and industries 
  • Understand challenges faced by women in low and middle income countries 
  • Inspire and motivate others, making a lasting impact on a business’s growth 

Completing the programme also earns you a certificate from Cherie Blair CBE KC, access to valuable resources and our online community, and more. 

Join a community of leaders who are making a global impact, and discover how rewarding it can be to lift women up while gaining new perspectives and skills along the way.  

Of mentors graduating in 2024...

97% gained knowledge of a new culture.

96% were satisfied or very satisfied with their mentoring relationship.

95% gained personal satisfaction or fulfilment from the programme.

95% gained skills, including leadership, communication and problem-solving.

Prachi and Samantha’s story: mentoring is a key ingredient for mutual success

Prachi Robinson, a baker who lives in Hyderabad, India, had ambitions to set up her own bakery. She had fantastic ideas and delicious products in the pipeline, but wanted the support of mentor to guide her through planning and launching. In May 2023, she joined our Mentoring Women in Business programme, where we matched her with Samantha McGrane, an Enterprise Sales Manager at PayPal in Dublin, Ireland – one of our programme’s partners. Together, they worked to support Prachi to step into entrepreneurship and launch P.A.L’s Pâtisserie, with a host of achievements under their belts.

Read their story
Prachi Robinson, a woman entrepreneur from India stands in the middle of a kitchen. She is smiling at the camera, with one hand resting on an oven and the other on a countertop.

Eligibility 

Location: Anywhere in the world.

Professional Experience: Minimum 5 years in business. 

Language: Fluent in English. 

Commitment: Able to engage for 6 months.

Sharing expertise: Willing to mentor a woman entrepreneur in launching, developing, or growing her business. 

Affiliation: An employee at PayPal.

Mentor Expectations 

Monthly meetings: Minimum of 2 hours online with mentee. 

Training: Complete 1.5 hours of pre-matching training. 

Surveys: Participate in interim and end-of-programme surveys. 

Code of conduct: Adhere to our Mentoring Women in Business programme guidelines. 

Making your application

Complete the online application form, which takes around 20 minutes. We aim to process and respond back to applications within seven working days.

If you have any technical issues, get in touch with us.

Please download and read the following before applying:

It's funny that in moments where you think that you're giving, you're actually receiving.

Samantha McGrane, Enterprise Sales Manager, PayPal, Ireland

Partner with us

Want your whole team to benefit from being mentors? Learn how your company can become a corporate Mentoring partner, nominating staff to serve as mentors to women entrepreneurs in low and middle income countries. By partnering with us, you'll develop your workforce, boost employee engagement and play a pivotal role in advancing gender equality.

Learn more
Prachi Robinson, a woman entrepreneur from India is typing on her laptop and smiling.

Read success stories from women entrepreneurs who were mentored by PayPal employees...