Mentorship Programs in Technology

"I Almost Quit." Not because I wasn’t good enough. Not because I wasn’t ambitious. But because I felt alone. I looked around and saw no one like me. I second-guessed my ideas in meetings. I wondered if I even belonged in this space. And I’m not the only one. Women make up half the workforce but hold less than 30% of technical roles. And here’s the real problem: they’re leaving. 💡 Only 27.6% of the tech workforce is female 💡 Women with mentors are 77% more likely to stay 💡 Formal mentorship programs increase leadership diversity by 20% Here’s what those stats don’t show: 💡 The woman who almost quit because she felt invisible—until someone advocated for her. 💡 The junior engineer who hesitated to speak up in meetings—until a mentor gave her the confidence to own her voice. 💡 The aspiring leader didn’t see anyone who looked like her in the room—until someone pulled up a chair and made space. Mentorship isn’t just about guidance. It’s about belonging. The best mentors don’t just share knowledge—they see potential before it’s proven. They create opportunities, break down barriers, and challenge the biases that hold people back. Because sometimes, all it takes is one person who believes in you to change the trajectory of your career. PS - If you are in a leading position, make sure you make everyone feel seen.

Mentorship changed my life long before I ever called myself a mentor. When I first moved to the U.S., I didn’t have a roadmap. I didn’t know how careers worked here, how to navigate corporate spaces, or how to find opportunities that weren’t visible in my community. What I had were people who took the time to say: “You belong here. Let me show you what’s possible.” That kind of mentorship doesn’t just transfer knowledge. It transfers belief. And belief is powerful. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that mentoring isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating space for someone to see their own potential more clearly than they did before. Sometimes that looks like a conversation after work. Sometimes it’s feedback on a resume. Sometimes it’s introducing someone to a room they didn’t know they could walk into. And sometimes it’s building something bigger. That’s exactly why I started doing this years ago, to make sure that access to career guidance, mentorship, and opportunity isn’t limited to a few people in the right rooms. Today, this community has reached 20,000+ people globally, and the mission remains simple: make sure the next generation doesn’t have to figure everything out alone. The work that some of us are doing doesn’t go unnoticed. Take a look at one of my friends - Mak Ahmad, PhD and his work mentoring sophomore students through MIT’s Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program. The way he describes guiding students through challenges, disagreements, and pressure, and watching them grow in confidence through that process is exactly what mentorship is about. It’s leaders taking the time to invest in the next generation and creating environments where people learn to trust themselves. Mentorship doesn’t have to look like one thing. What matters is that somewhere, someone walks away believing they’re more capable than they thought. And when that happens, the ripple effect can last for years. Let’s keep encouraging mentorship as a way of connection, and change the narrative. #StephSynergy

What I thought was a teachable moment for two software engineering interns turned into a wake-up call for me. I was explaining a complex optimization problem and wrapped up with, “And I’d fix it if I had more time.” One intern asked, “How? What does the solution look like?” I spent 30 minutes walking them through the solution, how I came up with it, and how I’d implement it. Two days later, the interns scheduled a code review with me. They’d put in a couple of 16-hour days and implemented the optimization. That version wasn’t pretty, but after a week and 3 iterations, they had a working implementation. I could have spent the same amount of time teaching them to implement the optimization or implementing it myself. 2 years later, the optimization was deprecated, but the interns had become exceptional software engineers. Make time to develop people on the team because that investment has a higher ROI than most other work you’ll do. Be patient with people who don’t work as fast or do everything right the first, second, and third time. It’s hard to stand back and watch, but that’s how people learn. Pair junior engineers, developers, and data scientists up to do the work with a senior++ mentor doing periodic reviews. Mentor people on real-world problems, even when the complexity exceeds their current capabilities. Teach them, but expect them to struggle with the problem independently before coming to you for help. At the senior++ and manager levels, we transition from software developers to people developers. Mentoring and teaching are capabilities that must be taught and developed, too. Invest in upskilling people making the transition, not just junior-level people.

Never underestimate the role of mentorship in your career growth. Looking back on my journey, I realize that mentorship has been the backbone of my career. I was equipped with degrees and enthusiasm when I entered healthcare, but real-world challenges were daunting. My mentors transformed those challenges into stepping stones. Their mentorship has shaped my path in the following ways: 1️⃣ Guidance in Uncharted Waters: Navigating the complexities of healthcare requires more than just textbooks. My mentors provided invaluable insights that helped me make informed decisions. 2️⃣ Expanding Horizons: Mentorship introduced me to diverse perspectives, broadening my understanding of global healthcare challenges. This has been crucial in my role at Boulevard Group, where inclusivity is key. 3️⃣ Cultivating Leadership Skills: Leadership is about inspiring others. My mentors taught me the importance of leading by example, a lesson I carry into every project. 4️⃣ Encouraging Innovation: As an angel investor, mentorship has encouraged me to support pioneering startups. Innovators need guidance, just as I did. 5️⃣ Building a Network: Mentorship is about building relationships that last a lifetime. The connections I’ve made have been pivotal in my journey, opening doors I never knew existed. _______________________ Mentorship is not a one-way thing. It’s a cycle of giving and receiving. As I continue to grow, I find joy in mentoring others and sharing my lessons. A few thoughts to consider: - Seek mentors who challenge you. - Be open to feedback; it’s a gift. - Pass on the knowledge you gain. Mentorship is a powerful tool for growth. Embrace it and watch your career transform in unexpected ways. Who has been a mentor in your life? Please share your story or tag them below. P.S. Some of our mentees are set for the next mini-MBA at the Tekedia Institute to add business and leadership skills to their clinical skills and acumen. Ikechukwu Okoh Ndubuisi Ekekwe

🌿 The Power of Genuine Mentorship Over the last few years—and more visibly in this past year—I’ve reflected deeply on what truly defines good mentoring. It’s easy to assume that mentorship is about sharing frameworks, introducing contacts, or offering advice on business problems. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned by observing some of the finest leaders I’ve known—people like Pankaj Rai (He/Him/His), Santhosh Cherian, Pramod Chandrasekhar, tatavarthy sekhar, Bharat Joshi Sir, S. A. Anwar Jaffari (Jaff Bhai), Christina Vijaykumar, Aarti Joshi, Aparajit Varkey, Gurpreet Singh sir and Pramila Rayapudi—it’s this: ✨ Real mentorship is a human connection first. I still remember my mentee Neelima Bawa Mishra sharing her experience after a conversation with Pankaj Rai (He/Him/His). She said: "He spent 80% of the time asking personal questions—Who are you as a person? What is happening in your life? What shapes your choices?—and only after truly listening did he move to the business challenge. And then, in the same breath, he offered his network to help." That is mentorship that transforms. My own approach has been shaped by such examples. I believe that if you want to mentor someone meaningfully, you have to: ✅ Spend quality time understanding them from every angle—behavioral patterns, thinking styles, emotional needs. ✅ Notice whether a word is enough or if they need a phrase, or sometimes just your quiet presence. ✅ Watch how they process input—do they act immediately, or do they sit with an idea for days? ✅ Understand their personal circumstances, because no professional aspiration is free from life’s contexts. These insights don’t happen in a single conversation. They happen in countless one-on-ones, in the small, unglamorous hours when you choose to show up. I often think back to Santhosh Cherian, who never missed a one-on-one with me, not once in a year. Those 30 minutes were sacred—he was fully present, sharing insights, offering clarity, and sometimes teaching us something as simple (and profound) as: When to write an email and when to pause. If you look at Sai Acuity this year, the initiatives are not random projects—they are outcomes of this cumulative, collective mentoring: ✨ The Monday Morning Learning Podcast ✨ The Trio ✨ The DualLens ✨ InkSpire ✨ LaunchPad ✨ The InnerOffice ✨ Campus Catalyst ✨ The Silent Boardroom Every conversation with leaders like Sanjiv Agarwal, Sunil Kumar M, Srikanth Chengalvala, Poonam Gupta Khan, Saraswathi Ramachandra (She/Her/Hers) and so many others has helped shape these platforms. I genuinely hope—and trust—that these efforts become a global movement. A movement that helps students and professionals navigate the corporate corridors with a little more ease, a little more purpose, and a lot more humanity. Grateful to every mentor who shaped me, every mentee who trusted me, and every fellow traveller who reminded me why this work matters. #Mentorship #Leadership #Purpose #SaiAcuity

A few years ago,, I had a junior engineer on my team who struggled so much during his first few months, he was about to be put on PIP and I was 80% sure he would lose his job. Mukesh was fresh out of college, full of energy, and genuinely excited to prove himself. But within just a few sprints, he started struggling. He wasn’t missing work or slacking off, he was putting in extra hours. But his pull requests were almost always late. The code was complex, over-engineered, and incredibly hard to debug. And by the time he’d arrive at a working solution, we were already behind on deadlines. He didn’t have a knowledge problem. He had a sequencing problem. Mukesh was trying to write the perfect, most performant solution from day one, jumping straight to “optimal” without first getting “correct.” So one day, I pulled him aside. I said: “Look, forget everything you know about perfection for a second. Try this instead: ‘Make it work. Make it right. Make it fast.” (this is from Kent Beck, btw, top tier advice) I broke it down for him like this: 1. Make it work – First, solve the problem. Doesn’t matter how messy the code is, just get it working end-to-end. Prove you understand the requirements. 2. Make it right – Now that it works, clean it up. Refactor for readability, structure, maintainability. Make it easy for others to understand. 3. Make it fast – If and only if performance is a blocker, then optimize. But never at the cost of clarity. Next sprint, Mukesh applied that exact approach. The result? On-time delivery. Readable code. Almost no comments in the code review. And for the first time, he ended a sprint feeling confident instead of defeated. It has been sometime, He’s now a senior engineer at Bytedance now, mentors new grads like he once was. I am quite happy at the pace he’s grown. You see, in engineering (and life), progress doesn’t require perfection from the start. Just the discipline to sequence your steps right. That’s what changes everything.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁. In a recent mentoring journey, a mentee came in carrying more than just professional challenges. Life had been ruthless. Unsupportive family. An abusive marriage that ended in divorce. A toxic work environment. And every time she tried to rebuild herself, fragments of her past were used to trigger another collapse of the fragile ground she had just managed to stand on. Our first few sessions were heavy. Across the screen were eyes constantly moist, silently saying:  “𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘱.” Not angry. Not resistant. Just… exhausted. Slowly, session by session, something shifted. From 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 that things could improve, to 𝗮 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 that there might be light at the end of the tunnel. Then came the breakthrough. She realised that those relentless curveballs weren’t just setbacks. They were invitations to learn what life had never allowed her to practice before: • Taking a stance for herself • Protecting her dignity • Building self-respect without feeling victimised • Finding her voice after years of silence Recently, I had to reschedule a few sessions due to unavoidable reasons. Her response stopped me for a moment. "𝘕𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘈𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘰 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦." That message was more than gratitude. It was proof of what mentoring can do. Mentoring isn’t just about career advice or goal setting. Sometimes it is about 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. And when that happens, it becomes one of the most meaningful badges a mentor can ever wear. Because in the end, mentoring isn’t about fixing lives. It’s about 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁. ( About the Image: I express equal 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 to the hand delivered gift by someone who silently lays faith, through 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, such moments touch and stay with me forever. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵/𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥.🍀) #MentoringMatters #Leadership #Coaching #WomenSupportingWomen #LeadershipDevelopment #HumanLeadership

Organising hip-hop birthdays, debating the merits of boas and gefilte fish at Passover, and deep-diving into democracy has not just been about celebrating moments; it's been a journey of invaluable lessons and unwavering friendship. Welcome to #MentorLove 'episode 12', and Marcy Lynn, where eclectic experiences blend with informal and meaningful mentorship. Marcy entered my life through a serendipitous mix of community service and shared love for dance, quickly evolving from a co-conspirator in planning unforgettable gatherings while being a steadfast mentor whose insights and actions have shaped my path. From co-writing a haggadah that redefined hippy Passover seders in SF to witnessing her build a family, Marcy's influence has been a cornerstone in my journey, highlighted by the honour of playing a role in her wedding as a signatory on her ketubah. Marcy embodies forthrightness, conviction, and an articulate vision for social impact that continually inspires me. Her ability to see the big picture and work collaboratively towards solutions has been a guiding light. Beyond her professional prowess, Marcy is an incredible mother, instilling values of purpose, kindness, and creativity in her children. One of the most impactful aspects of Marcy's mentorship is her embrace of fun and creativity, balanced with a commitment to excellence and purpose. Whether it was adding boas to our Seders for a touch of whimsy or ensuring our collaborative projects had clear expectations and roles, she taught me the value of blending joy with responsibility. Her activism and willingness to fight for justice have also profoundly influenced me, serving as my go-to resource for becoming more educated and engaged in democracy. Marcy's directness and ability to articulate her needs and views have encouraged me to embrace my voice and the power of clear communication. Marcy took the reins in coordinating my 40th birthday get-away (that was just last year, right?), teaching me the invaluable lesson of accepting help and letting go, a gift of friendship and mentorship that I treasure deeply. Summarising three (of the many lessons) that Marcy extolls as a mentor: 📣 Communicate with clarity & compassion 📣 - Marcy’s direct yet kind approach has shown me the power of clear communication. ⚖ Balance creativity with purpose ⚖  She has a unique ability to inject fun into our projects while keeping us focused on our goals. 🗣 Advocate for justice 🗣 Her activism and drive to fight for what's right have inspired me to be more informed and engaged. To Marcy: Thank you for your mentorship, friendship, and the countless ways you've enriched my life. Your impact is immeasurable, and I am forever grateful for your presence in my journey. And a welcoming place to stay when I visit the bay! #LifeIsBetterInABoa #Friendship #SocialImpact

Memoirs of a Gully Boy Episode 32: #Mentorship – The Bridge to Collective Growth In every career, there comes a point when the focus shifts from personal success to creating opportunities for others. Mentorship is that bridge—a powerful tool that not only shapes individuals but also builds stronger teams and organizations. The Early Lessons in Guidance One of my first experiences as a mentor came during a high-stakes project involving a new hire fresh out of college. The project’s complexity overwhelmed him, and mistakes became frequent. Instead of micromanaging or criticizing, I walked him through the basics, shared my own early career struggles, and gave him the space to learn. With time and encouragement, he gained confidence and delivered key components of the project. Watching him grow and succeed was as rewarding as achieving the project’s goals. Lesson 1: A mentor’s role is not to provide all the answers but to enable others to find their own. During a process optimization project for a manufacturing client, I worked closely with a team of young managers. While they were technically sound, they lacked the leadership experience needed to navigate high-pressure situations. I introduced them to structured decision-making frameworks, helping them break complex problems into manageable steps. Within months, they were not just solving problems but leading sub-projects independently. Some of them eventually rose to senior leadership positions, proving that mentorship creates a ripple effect that benefits individuals and organizations alike. Lesson 2: The best mentors don’t just develop problem-solvers—they cultivate future leaders. Learning Through Reverse Mentorship Mentorship isn’t a one-way street. I’ve often found myself learning from those I mentor, particularly during innovation-driven projects. In one instance, a young team member introduced a new data visualization tool that significantly improved our ability to analyze and present key metrics. His fresh perspective enhanced the project and reminded me that mentorship is about fostering mutual growth, where both mentor and mentee evolve together. Lesson 3: Mentorship thrives on mutual learning—it’s as much about listening as it is about guiding. The Role of Empathy in Mentorship Mentorship isn’t solely about technical guidance; it’s about understanding the challenges your mentees face. During a critical software migration, one team member struggled with personal issues, affecting his performance. Instead of pressuring him, I offered flexible deadlines and support, enabling him to focus on both his work and personal life. That experience underscored the importance of empathy in mentorship—creating a safe environment where people feel supported, not judged. Lesson 4: Empathy builds trust, and trust transforms mentorship into a lasting Partnership Mentorship is a cornerstone of professional growth. It’s the act of lifting others, shaping future leaders To be continued...

I love working with less experienced people. They're curious, motivated, humble and eager to please/learn. But there's a problem: If you expect polish without putting in the reps, you’re not developing talent, you’re crushing it. Managing a more junior person is a delicate balance of "great job, you're improving!" and "this isn't it.". Here's some advice if you're in that situation. How to manage a Junior person 101: - Set your expectations to "they're learning, I'm teaching." - More instruction/briefing - More training/coworking - More iterations - See things early - Slower pace to “get there” - Give deadlines & level of effort expectations - Tell them in advance, you're going to correct, critique, and support them and they should expect it because you want them to grow and thrive. Here's a primer for how I align with them when giving a mission: 1. Delegation: are you watching me, am I watching you, or are we doing it together? Review early & often together, ask them to set up those syncs. 2. Impact: here’s the problem, here’s the behavior to change, here’s what I don’t want (bad outcomes to avoid), here's what number moves if it's done right. 3. Timing/effort: here's when I need to see something / when we need to have an impact. Don't spend more than {x} amount of time compared to the ROI. 4. Briefing: give examples of things to research (tools, competitors, product experiences, or out of the box examples). Ask them to think holistically about downstream impacts, scaling, user pain points, and other non-functionals (security, compliance, systems-thinking, integrations, partnerships, costs, revenues, monetization, roll-out, etc). 5. Debriefing: Ask them to come ready to explian flow/JTBD, differentiation & delight opportunities as well as risks. Set expectations for impact & strategic alignment points (when does the user feel/do something that we want, why is it an improvement over their status quo.) Give examples of the formats you want to see things in so they know what YOU need to know. When giving adjustment feedback: - You must prepare: ask to see before you talk about it so you can balance the negative and positive elements to convey. Don't burry them in critiques. - Tell them when it's not hitting the mark, but be specific about why. I like this: "We're not yet at the level we need, here's what we're going to do to get there together" -> note all the 'we' talk. YOUR job is to give the plan. THEIR job is to follow it. - Reassure them that it's going to take time to develop skills, and to be patient with their own pace. - Keep track of what is going right. Notice it. Say it often. You are their scaffolding, act like it!