I Did That: Finding Mentors For 4000 Women
Bobbi Mahlab, co-founder of Mentor Walks, has helped thousands of women connect and build life-changing networks.
Putting Words Into Action
One morning, in May 2016, I found myself at a Shanghai park. I was there to take part in Mentor Walks. That week, at EY’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women Program conference, I had met the founder of Mentor Walks, Michelle Garnaut. On my walk I met two women who helped me in my exploration about taking Mahlab, my communications agency, into China. As we left the park, Adina Jacobs – a fellow entrepreneur also attending the conference and co-founder of Mentor Walks in Australia – and I turned to each other and said, “This is such an impactful idea, let’s bring it to Australia.” Two months later we launched in Sydney. Eight cities later, Mentor Walks is a fast-growing not-for-profit that helps women build networks and find opportunities.
How It Works
Women seeking career guidance are matched with a mentor from an impressive panel of 340 female business leaders – including Adore Beauty founder Kate Morris, Fortescue Metals group CEO Elizabeth Gaines, Former ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie and social entrepreneur Audette Exel. The one-hour walks, in a group of up to three women, take place before work in an iconic location, for example at Sydney’s Opera House. Mentees are placed with the mentor best suited to the question the mentee has submitted, and mentees pay $30 to attend.
The Impact Of Mentor Walks
More than 4000 women have attended a Mentor Walk. Forty-nine per cent of women who attend Mentor Walks report a positive employment outcome, including securing a new job, promotion, pay rise or hiring new staff. The connections that are formed and the opportunities that are developed as a result of those connections, for mentees and mentors alike, are extraordinary. Women learn they are not alone in dealing with certain issues and benefit from diverse thinking and experience. In mid-June, we launched in Hobart and the program will be in every capital city by the end of the year. Women in regional Australia, who can feel isolated and often lack resources, are also part of our future planning. We believe that by 2025 Mentor Walks can support 25,000 women.
My Motivation
There are so many women who don’t have access to people who can and want to help them, or who don’t have a safe place to ask questions. As one of our mentors, Westpac Board member Nora Shienkestel, says, “Mentor Walks fills a really important gap for those who, through life circumstances, may have no network, no sounding board, no one to ask, ‘How do I do this?’, or ‘Is this what I should be going for?’”
I am passionate about providing women with diverse role models and different ways of thinking and being. Networking is not a dirty word. It is building your community. Mentor Walks demonstrates two things: feminist leadership in action – every mentor is there to help women succeed – and the power of networks.
How I Did It
I am fortunate that I own my businesses and can dictate how I spend my time. We have a great team at Mentor Walks who run 60-plus events a year and keep the plates spinning. My role is to drive strategy so that we can support more women
What I Have Learnt
Running any business is hard but Mentor Walks has fewer hard days than anything else I have been involved with. There is nothing better than working with people who lead from the heart – our extraordinary mentors want to help other women succeed and they expect nothing in return. Working towards positive change for women is joyful.
My Advice
Do what you can when you can. Whether it is small acts of kindness, flipping burgers at your kids’ school or founding a purpose-led organisation, we can all make a contribution to our community and it is a source of happiness to do it.
How We Can All Help
Spread the word about Mentor Walks to mentees! Our program is for women at every age or stage of their career who have questions big and small. Send them along! We are also looking for corporates to partner with to help us launch in new locations. mentorwalks.com.au
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