By: Bianca Buliga, Content Curator It all started with a powerful dialogue at SOCAP15 – a circle of program managers gathered in San Francisco from accelerators and incubators far and wide, dissecting the possibilities of resource-pooling to fortify a mentorship network for aspiring entrepreneurs. During this stimulating idea exchange, an intriguing question was posed: “What if we could, with a little collective effort, dig canals connecting our mentor networks in a pool so as to increase positive entrepreneurial outcomes across the impact sector?” Contributing to this insightful conversation was C’pher Gresham, SEED SPOT’s Director of Expansion. In a recent article titled “How Can We Make Mentoring Better for Social Entrepreneurs?” C’pher investigates the practice of mentorship, the various styles of successful mentorship, and suggestions for how to keep mentors engaged in the crucial work they do. Posted to Conveners.org, a backbone organization building connection, cooperation, and collaboration within the impact ecosystem, C’pher begins by reflecting back on that initial gathering when the entrepreneurship paradigm was radically shifted. For any accelerator and incubator hoping to provide local entrepreneurs with a sustainable support system, C’pher asserts that “mentors constitute a core competitive advantage”, offering an unbeatable value proposition with their diverse backgrounds, interests, and unique insights. However, while applying their constructive experience and knowledge base, it is ESSENTIAL to be cognizant of each mentor’s time and expectations. To maintain a healthy and functional mentor network, priority must be placed on respecting each mentor’s limited availability, offering ongoing trainings, and hosting mentor-only networking…
Read More: Digging Networking Canals to Create Mentor Pools
