Mentorship Learning Lab: Strengthening Chicago’s Mentorship Ecosystem Through Collaboration and Peer-to-Peer Learning
What is Mentorship Learning Lab (MLL)?
Mentorship Learning Lab (MLL) is an initiative within GET Cities’ Tech Equity Network (TEN) — an alliance of Chicago organizations that create and amplify city-wide opportunities to set a course toward a more inclusive tech workforce. One avenue that TEN utilizes to create a more inclusive tech workforce is mentorship, which was an impact area of focus that arose out of the research and development of a report we co-published around retention rates among historically excluded technologists.
The report, “Technologist Retention at the Intersections,” co-published by GET Cities and Rose Afriyie — author, social impact consultant and founder of mRelief, examined the retention rates for women, transgender, genderqueer, and nonbinary technologists in Chicago. One of the biggest takeaways was that mentorship is key to promote and retain these historically excluded technologists in the field.
Given these findings, GET Cities created a 12-month collaborative engagement — Mentorship Learning Lab (MLL) — to develop a better understanding of the mentorship programs available in the city of Chicago. The goal of MLL was to better understand and refine specific programs run by three organizations in Chicago’s tech sector: Latinas in Tech, Chicago Innovation, and Out in Tech. MLL became a collaborative learning environment where the three organizations shared best practices and pain points to help develop new ways to approach current challenges within their own programming.
We sat down with three members of the Tech Equity Network — Laura, Cecilia, and Gary — to learn more about their MLL intervention areas, as well as discuss their overall experience in MLL and advice they have for others looking to start a mentorship program.
Laura Jordan LeClair (she/her) is currently serving as the Manager of Mentoring and Inclusion Programs at Chicago Innovation Foundation. She aims to connect professionals across industries and career chapters to help them achieve their ultimate goals. Truly passionate about mentorship and building meaningful connections, Laura works with GET Cities on a shared mission to create a more equitable and diverse tech ecosystem in Chicago.
Cecilia Fischer-Benitez (she/her) is a Senior Program Manager at Latinas in Tech, a non-profit organization with the mission to connect, support, and empower Latina women working in tech. As a Senior Program Manager, she builds inclusive programs focused on supporting, mentoring, and educating underrepresented communities to advance their careers. Before joining Latinas in Tech, she was a Program Specialist at Code for America and has worked in corporate roles at Enova and Groupon. Prior to tech, Cecilia worked in education for five years, her activism in getting young girls interested in tech through mentorship revitalized her long-time interest, leaving her inspired and empowering her to transition to the tech industry herself.
Gary Goldman (he/him) is the VP of Impact at Out in Tech, the world’s largest nonprofit for LGBTQ+ tech professionals. Through his work, he creates opportunities for the organization’s 50,000+ members to advance their careers and leverage tech for social change. Prior to this, Gary provided data management services to United Nations agencies including UNICEF and UN Women. He is a certified cybersecurity professional, and holds his Master of Public Administration from Columbia University.
What challenges did you uncover during your time in the Mentorship Learning Lab (MLL)?
Cecilia Fischer-Benitez, Latinas in Tech: During our time in the Mentorship Learning Lab, we noticed that many mentees with technical backgrounds, specifically those in engineering, product, and UX/UI, were not being successfully matched as we did not have enough mentors in these fields. This raised a notable concern because individuals from these fields closely reflect the demographic of women we strive to support as an organization; yet, we did not have enough mentors in their specific fields to find matches for them.
Gary Goldman, Out in Tech: Out in Tech’s matching process was traditionally done by hand. As a result, volunteers would spend countless hours going through each application to ensure an intentional and spot-on mentor/mentee pairing. During our time in MLL, we wanted to find a way to streamline this process to decrease time needed to make matches without sacrificing the care and intention that goes into the matching process to ensure that the mentor and mentee are a good fit for one another.
Laura Jordan LeClair, Chicago Innovation: One thing I uncovered during our MLL meetings is the inefficiencies in our data collection process. We measure the success of our mentorship program through data from pre-program surveys and insights from check-ins throughout the cohort. Through discussions with my peers, I realized that in order to collect better impact data and more accurately measure the success of our mentorship program, we needed to reshape these approaches to data collection. We also wanted to ensure that by improving these check-in points, we’d be able to create a space for program participants to feel genuinely heard and supported by program management.
It sounds like these are all unique challenges in mentorship programming. What specific interventions did you come up with during your time in MLL to address those issues?
Laura Jordan LeClair, Chicago Innovation: To improve our data collection process, we updated our pre-program surveys and check-ins methods to be more frequent and accessible to participants, and we targeted the check-in questions to gain better insights into participant demographics, needs, and where Chicago Innovation could intervene if needed. This intervention was guided by a sharing from Latinas in Tech as they conduct biweekly check-ins through the duration of the program to capture feedback from mentors and mentees. We also created a one-year post-program survey to track alumni successes and stories.
Cecilia Fischer-Benitez, Latinas in Tech: I’m so glad to hear that one of our practices worked to help you solve your challenge! That’s really what was so impactful about being a part of this process — learning from each other. As part of our intervention, we increased corporate partnerships as a way to recruit more mentors in the engineering, product, and UX/UI fields. This idea also came out of conversations in MLL as Out in Tech does a great job at leveraging their corporate partnerships and ERGs (employee resource groups). We followed suit in an effort to increase mentor recruitment. In addition, we wanted to ensure that these new mentors were well-prepared to meet the unique needs of Latina mentees. To achieve this, we established dedicated resources, such as onboarding workshops, best practices for communication, and feedback to mentors. The intervention work during MLL paid off as we saw a 40% growth in mentors with engineering, project/product management, and UX/UI design backgrounds.
Gary Goldman, Out in Tech: That’s great to hear that insights from the MLL meetings about our work with corporate partnerships was helpful in strengthening your mentor recruitment efforts. Similar to Cecilia and Laura, through the MLL process, we learned how both Latinas in Tech and Chicago Innovation have an automated component to their matching process. We automated our matching process through the creation of our new app — OIT Connect. The goal of OIT Connect is to remove the manual work of the matching process. Through this app, we will be able to automate some of our matching processes. Though there will still be a human element to the matching process, as volunteers will look over the matches to ensure they’re the right fit, the app will do the initial matching, which will give us more time to focus on the program and our participants. We chose to do this as our intervention because we knew that in order to fully scale up our mentorship program, we needed to create a platform that would allow us to do so. Our current manual process limits the number of mentees/mentors we can accept. Success for this pilot would be through thoughtful pairing of our program participants. We have already tested a small sample size of 25 pairs, and the app was able to match people accordingly.
Is there anything else you learned from your peers, unrelated to your intervention area, during your time in MLL that you’d like to share?
Cecilia Fischer-Benitez, Latinas in Tech: A pivotal topic that emerged during MLL discussions, yet wasn’t initially prioritized for the Latinas in Tech mentorship program, was the development of a robust strategy for alumni engagement. As Out in Tech and Chicago Innovation shared their vision for alumni engagement, we realized the need to incorporate a thoughtful approach as well. Our discussions during MLL meetings helped us understand that alumni engagement is instrumental in creating a sustainable, supportive, and evolving mentorship program.
Laura Jordan LeClair, Chicago Innovation: One conversation I remember having during an MLL meeting was around supporting and equipping mentors with tools to support mentees, especially if their mentee comes to them with a sensitive or personal problem. It was interesting to learn how Out in Tech offers the opportunity for mentors to role play different scenarios and gives them feedback on their responses. This sounds like a great way to provide resources to mentors, especially first-time mentors, to help them handle potentially difficult or sensitive conversations.
The goal of MLL was to create a space for peer-to-peer learning and sharing of ideas to make mentorship stronger across Chicago. We’d love to hear any advice you have for others looking to start a mentorship program.
Laura Jordan LeClair, Chicago Innovation: One piece of advice I would give to someone starting a mentorship program is taking a multifaceted approach to recruit both mentees and mentors. At Chicago Innovation, we recruit mentees through our alumni and ambassador engagement, sharing the opportunity to our 40,000 person mailing list, collaborations with corporate partners and often their ERGs, and active utilization of social media platforms. On the mentor side, we are fortunate that we have many returning mentors each cohort, which creates a deep sense of community and consistency. For new mentors, recommendations and referrals from existing mentors or community members are also common.
Cecilia Fischer-Benitez, Latinas in Tech: I agree with Laura on the importance of a strong recruitment strategy. As part of MLL, we drew inspiration from Out in Tech’s and Chicago Innovation’s recruitment strategies by engaging with corporate partners to recruit mentors, resulting in the successful establishment of multiple partnerships with ERGs, significantly amplifying our recruitment initiatives. In addition, we’ve found a lot of success in using LinkedIn as a platform for identifying potential mentors.
Gary Goldman, Out in Tech: In addition to Cecilia and Laura’s advice on recruitment, I’d also note that in order to create a successful mentorship program, one must dedicate a great deal of time to the matching process. A strong pairing between a mentor and mentee is crucial to the success of the mentorship program, and is one reason why we have focused our intervention on improving the efficiency of our matching process.
Laura Jordan LeClair, Chicago Innovation: I echo Gary’s sentiment that the matching process is a crucial part of the mentorship program. For our matching process, we specifically look at the short-term goals and overarching long-term career goals mentees list on their application. This allows us to get a sense of the career trajectories and aspirations of each mentee. It also helps us better understand whether a mentee might benefit more from a mentor deeply embedded in a particular industry, such as cybersecurity or manufacturing, or if their focus leans toward cultivating soft skills like leadership development and management skills. Additionally in the application process, we try to get a better sense of each person’s preferred meeting style and how they like to communicate to generate a more impactful pairing.
Could you provide an example of a successful pairing?
Laura Jordan LeClair, Chicago Innovation: Sure! One example of a successful pairing from our last cohort was an individual seeking to broaden their proficiency within a Chief of Staff role who found substantial guidance and resonance by being matched with a seasoned Chief of Staff mentor. On the other end of the spectrum, we’ve seen success in pairing two people from different industries, but with similar passions for building up diverse leaders who want to develop connections across the innovation ecosystem in Chicago.
Gary Goldman, Out in Tech: I’d also be happy to share an example of a successful pairing. One that comes to mind is that one of our mentees was interested in getting involved in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion space; and they actually ended up starting a business consultancy (Smith & Charles) with their mentor (who is a Senior Software Engineer at Salesforce)!
Thank you all for your insights. Are there any additional pieces of advice you’d like to offer?
Cecilia Fischer-Benitez, Latinas in Tech: I’d also note that another key component to creating a strong mentorship program is preparing participants for a successful mentorship experience before the program begins. At Latinas in Tech, we do this with a pre-program mentorship workshop. This workshop serves as an orientation process where mentees and mentors come together to gain insights into best practices and essential tips. The content covers a range of topics, including how mentors and mentees can effectively contribute to each other’s growth, practical guidance on structuring their time together, and tips for goal setting, time management, and communication skills. By addressing these crucial aspects during the orientation process, we ensure that participants are well-equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary for a meaningful and productive mentorship journey.
Laura Jordan LeClair, Chicago Innovation: Similar to Latinas in Tech, Chicago Innovation also kicks off each cohort with a virtual orientation session that both mentors and mentees are encouraged to attend. During this orientation, we go through program expectations and set a framework for the rest of the session. After the orientation, we host an initial kick-off party within the first month of the program to connect in person with other members of the community.
Thank you all for sharing your advice on starting a mentorship program and your experience in MLL. To close, what was one of your favorite parts about being part of MLL?
Cecilia Fischer-Benitez, Latinas in Tech: Participating in MLL has been an enriching experience for our program. One of my favorite aspects of MLL was the collaborative environment. It was great to share best practices with other mentorship organizations and feel supported by one another. This collaboration also fostered a deeper understanding of effective mentorship strategies, allowing us to learn from each other’s successes and challenges. Overall, the MLL experience underscored the power of collaboration in crafting more robust and effective mentorship programs tailored to the needs of our diverse communities.
Laura Jordan LeClair, Chicago Innovation: Echoing Cecilia, one of my favorite parts about this experience was the ability to collaborate with incredible people and other mentorship groups that share a passion for growing a more inclusive tech ecosystem. This intervention has also helped us become more intentional with our programming, and has helped me feel more connected with participants.
Gary Goldman, Out in Tech: I will also echo Cecilia and Laura, that my favorite part of MLL was its collaborative nature. I truly enjoyed learning from other mentorship programs. Hearing other perspectives, challenges, and victories reassured us that we are on the right track. Hearing the success of those who have gone through these programs was powerful. I also loved being able to partner outside of monthly meetings.
What’s Next? Get involved!
Chicago Innovation
Chicago Innovation hosts a year-long series of events and activities designed to celebrate innovation in the Chicago region, educate people and organizations about the principles of innovation, and forge relationships that strengthen companies, grow the economy, and create jobs. They also run theWomen’s Mentoring Co-op and The Ladder, two mentoring programs dedicated to fostering the advancement of women, trans, and nonbinary, and Black and Latine professionals, respectively, through mentoring programs, professional development resources, and community-building initiatives. The ultimate goal of these mentorship programs is not just individual advancement but the creation of a thriving ecosystem where diverse professionals uplift each other, fostering a more inclusive and successful professional landscape.
Our Need: Become a Mentor / Mentee; Company ERG Engagement
How to get Involved: Visit the website: https://chicagoinnovation.com/ or email us at lauraj@chicagoinnovation.com
Latinas in Tech
Latinas in Tech aims to connect, support, and empower Latina women working in tech. Their mentorship program is designed to facilitate meaningful connections between mentors and mentees, fostering an environment of encouragement, guidance, and empowerment. By recognizing the unique challenges that Latinas may face in the tech industry, Latinas in Tech is committed to providing tailored support at every stage of their careers. The program is crafted to match mentees with mentors who can share valuable insights, experiences, and expertise, ultimately propelling mentees towards higher-paying and more influential roles within the tech sector.
Our Need: Become a Mentor / Mentee; Corporate Partnership; Starting or Improving An Existing Mentorship Program
How to get involved: info@latinasintech.org or by visiting Latinas in Tech’s website: https://latinasintech.org/mentorship
Out in Tech
Out in Tech is the world’s largest non-profit community of LGBTQ+ tech leaders whose U’s Mentorship Program pairs LGBTQ+ youth aged 17–24 with tech professionals from Out in Tech’s membership. Each mentee will learn a mix of technical and professional skills needed for launching a successful career. Out in Tech’s admissions team makes sure to create pairs that make the most sense for our mentees. They work together to create fun and inspiring projects, attend panel discussions to hear from other tech professionals, and build lasting relationships based on mutual respect and interests. This program is entirely virtual and open to residents all over the United States.
Our Need: Funding, Become a Mentor / Mentee; Starting or Improving An Existing Mentorship Program
How to get Involved: Donate at https://www.gofundme.com/f/outintech; Reach out at https://outintech.com/u/ or contact directly at hello@outintech.com
