Applications for participation in the 2010-2011 program due by October 4, 2010.
As part of its ongoing effort to encourage LGBT business owners to connect with corporations and other business owners, the NGLCC has launched a Mentorship Program for certified LGBTBEs.
The NGLCC Mentorship Program matches certified businesses with corporate representatives and/or other successful LGBT business owners who have the background and expertise to provide professional advice to certified LGBTBEs.
"We are thrilled to launch the NGLCC Mentorship Program as a resource for LGBTBEs to continue to strengthen their businesses," said Victoria Fulkerson, vice president of corporate relations and supplier diversity at the NGLCC. "The Procurement Council Mentorship Subcommittee has done great work in ensuring that this will be a strong and effective program, and I look forward to seeing the mentor-protégé relationships that this first year of the program will bring."
Mentorship focus areas will include financial/cost strategy and planning, marketing, networking, managing operations, human resources, formal business planning, purchasing policies, corporate branding, strategic growth planning, IT and technology systems, product development, sales, and other areas with which the certified business protégé may need assistance.
An annual program, mentorship programs will begin each year at the NGLCC National Dinner in Washington, D.C., where mentors and protégés will have an opportunity to meet for the first time and connect in-person.
"Ernst & Young is strongly committed to supporting the development of LGBTBEs, and the Mentorship Program is an excellent way for LGBT business owners to achieve their full potential and bring their business to a new level of performance and success," said Theresa Harrison, supplier diversity lead of strategic sourcing at Ernst & Young, a corporation that's participating as a mentor in the program.
Once the NGLCC reviews your application and designates a mentor-protégé match-up, both parties are expected to connect at least once a month during the course of the yearlong relationship. Throughout the year, the NGLCC will support and monitor each mentor-protégé relationship to ensure that the match remains relevant and effective for both parties.
In addition to Ernst & Young, other mentor participants confirmed at this time include Accenture, Merck & Co., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Neil Cerbone Associates, Inc. and Bold Blue, Inc.
If you are an LGBTBE interested in participating in the Mentorship Program, you may download an application here. Completed applications to participate in the 2010-2011 program are due to the NGLCC by October 4, 2010, so that all mentorships may begin at the 2010 National Dinner: An Evening of Courage.
