TechWomen mentors are an integral part of the program. Professional Mentors, Cultural Mentors, and Innovation Mentors are volunteers living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area or Chicago who are passionate about women’s empowerment and committed to training and inspiring the next generation of women leaders in STEM. Professional Mentors from leading U.S. companies facilitate experiences that expose participants to their professional networks and support them in their learning objectives and mentorship goals. Cultural Mentors serve as ambassadors who help participants adjust to the local culture and facilitate cultural enrichment activities to inspire participants to make the most of their time in the U.S. Innovation Mentors help TechWomen participants leverage their newfound skills and networks to develop a project proposal to overcome a socioeconomic challenge in their communities.
Yes! TechWomen mentors generously volunteer their time to the program. We are extremely grateful for the dedication and support of all of our mentors – past and present.
The TechWomen Program will not take place in 2026. Please be in touch with the TechWomen team at [email protected] with any questions.
Professional Mentors are volunteers in STEM working at companies and organizations in the Bay Area or Chicago. Professional Mentors facilitate experiences that expose their Emerging Leader to an extensive professional network and inspire her with respect to the energetic, innovative, risk-taking culture embodied by the U.S. tech industry. Professional Mentors also support their Emerging Leader to plan and implement a set of mentorship activities based on her learning goals and the unique network and environment of the mentor’s company. To learn more, please see Professional Mentor.
Each Emerging Leader and Professional Mentor pair designs a project or series of learning activities based on the Emerging Leader’s goals and the expertise of the mentor. In 15 days over four weeks, the Emerging Leader and mentor work together on their learning objectives at the mentor’s company. Projects and activities vary depending on each Emerging Leader’s areas of expertise and interest, and the opportunities at each host company. Explore past projects and activities.
We understand that not all Professional Mentors physically go into the office. We’ve designed a hybrid program that exposes Emerging Leaders to the current state of the tech sector in the U.S. Whenever possible, Professional Mentors are asked to create in-office opportunities for Emerging Leaders – either through a set of number of days in the office with a designated workspace or a series of visits to see sites that are relevant to their learning objectives. We hope that mentors are able to work with their company to expose ELs to their office culture and systems to their best ability.
Cultural Mentors serve as ambassadors who help participants adjust to the local culture and facilitate cultural enrichment activities to help participants make the most of their time in the United States. To learn more, please see Cultural Mentor.
Innovation Mentors are volunteers working and living in the San Francisco Bay Area or Chicago who have a strong commitment to empowering women globally. Each Innovation Mentor will help TechWomen participants leverage their newfound skills and networks to develop a project proposal to overcome a socioeconomic challenge in their community. They will join participants in-person for three full-day program events over a four-day weekend to coach and support teams throughout the development of their project proposal, as well as have the opportunity to support their teams after the program concludes through implementation.
Professional Mentors are matched based on their field and area(s) of expertise, their ability to help an Emerging Leader achieve her learning objectives, as well as the mentor’s level of experience, educational background and project interests. Cultural Mentors are selected based on their ability to spend time with Emerging Leaders, cultural interests and commitment to fostering cultural understanding. Innovation Mentors are selected based on their commitment to attend all required in-person events, their willingness to help in supporting individuals or groups to develop a project proposal to overcome a socioeconomic challenge in their communities, as well as their ability to serve as an advisor to support change agents from the conception of their idea to presenting the proposal and implementing the project. Read more about the TechWomen mentor applications and eligibility.
The TechWomen Program will not take place in 2026. Please be in touch with the TechWomen team at [email protected] with any questions.
We welcome men to participate in TechWomen as Professional Mentors, paired with female co-Professional Mentors.
Absolutely! Besides serving as a mentor, there are many ways to get involved with TechWomen. Companies and organizations can choose to host an event or get involved in a variety of other ways. Sign up for our newsletter here or be in touch with us at [email protected] to learn more.
