Mentors

Become a

Bloom Mentor!

Mentoring brings us together – across generation, class, and often race – in a manner that forces us to acknowledge our interdependence, to appreciate, in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words, that ‘we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied to a single garment of destiny.’ In this way, mentoring enables us to participate in the essential but unfinished drama of reinventing community, while reaffirming that there is an important role for each of us in it.

Marc Freedman

Maybe you’ve become an expert in your domain of work, built up a pool of experience worth sharing, had great success in your own field, or had a mentor of your own who helped you. Regardless, mentoring is something you can do that makes a direct difference in someone else’s life and business.

Just as exciting, high quality mentoring has benefits for both mentors and mentees. As you help mentor others, you also have a chance to enhance your leadership and communication skills, build networks, stay up-to-date on the latest innovations and trends in entrepreneurial ecosystems, and shape the people in your global community, all this while giving back and having fun. 

Welcome to our mentor program, we’re glad you’re here!

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All the Bloom mentor information you need in one place!

Click here to head directly to the Become a Mentor form!

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What are the mentorship options?

There are two ways for you to get involved (you can choose both!):

1. Key Mentors: The principal mentor for a team in our programs. You’ll be matched with an enterprise based on your preference and the needs of the business. You will follow the company throughout the 16-week program, meeting (online) 1-2 times per month, and offering support and guidance when needed.
2. Topic Mentors: Topic Mentors support teams in specific areas expertise (e.g. in marketing, HR, etc).  

How much time are we talking about?

You can start contributing from as little as 1-2 hours a month. For a more impactful experience (both for you and the enterprise) we recommend mentors and mentees connect at least twice a month, or more if you have the time and interest. 💪🏾💛

The benefits you get from mentoring!

• Enhancing skills in coaching, counseling, listening, speaking and modeling
• Developing and practicing a more personal style of leadership
• Obtaining a greater understanding of the barriers experienced in startups
• Demonstrating expertise and sharing knowledge, and renewed enthusiasm for the areas you have expertise in
• Increasing generational awareness
• Directly impacting entrepreneurs, teams and small businesses during these challenging times

Responsibilities of Bloom Key Mentors during our Programs

• Join at least one Sprint session to meet the enterprises (preferable)
• Participate at least once in a Mentor Speed Dating session, a rapid series of 20-minute meetings with teams to help find the right mentor-mentee match.
• Provide guidance to enterprises during the accelerator cycles (recommended one hour per two-week cycle to check-in on progress, over 16 weeks).
• Participate in pitch feedback sessions and provide scoring during Sprint and Accelerator Demo Days.
• Guide the enterprise as they develop their budgeting for funds they receive in the program (when applicable).
• Sometimes provide advice and answers to the entrepreneurs, but more often ask good questions to help the entrepreneurs discover the answers that are within them, that they can resolve, and the decisions they need to make 
• Be willing to connect the enterprises with people in your network when appropriate

What Bloom offers mentors

• Access to a wide network of experts, mentors, investors, partners, and more
• Ability to make an impact through the support provided for the teams
• Exposure to new ideas, challenges, and opportunities
• Exposure on Bloom website and social media channels
• Access to Bloom partner opportunities (in development)

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The Mentor Pledge

I am aware of the following responsibilities and expectations and pledge my adherence to them:

1. I commit to doing my best to support my mentees, including:
   1. For Lead Mentors:
      1. 1­-to-1 mentoring at least once every two week cycle during the program phase.
      2. Guide my mentee through the process of building and growing their business and give feedback and guidance on their grant disbursement.
   2. For Topic Mentors:
      1. Spending minimum 1-2 hours per month with your mentee
   3. Responding to mentee inquiries in a timely manner, even if that means letting them know that you’re busy and will follow up with them by a particular day when you’ll have more time
   4. Participation in relevant workshops and special events according to your interests and availability.

2. I commit to making a difference: To support, guide, and be a role model.

3. I commit to encouraging another: By listening, understanding, fostering strengths and showing empathy.

4. I commit to building a mutual relationship: To enter the world of someone else, hearing about new dreams and challenges, sharing my own stories, and respecting the differences between us.

5. I commit to remaining sympathetic: To the storms weathered, to the adversity faced, and to the experiences that occurred long before this entrepreneur entered my life.

6. I commit to realizing that my actions carry new weight and responsibility, that my role can never be taken lightly, that my life may also change with this experience.

Please let us know if you have any questions on any of those points, and we look forward to welcoming you into our growing family of mentors around the world!

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Meet our previous program mentors

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Join our community of mentors

We’re always on the lookout for great experts who want to give back to the community and help young startups improve their ideas and bloom. If this resonates with you, fill out this form and we’ll get in touch soon.

Fill out the form below to register your interest
but make sure to read and agree to The Mentor Pledge first!