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Women Initiative Foundation

 

About Mentoring

High level Support for Women Executives




Mentoring, a Key Success

Two kinds of mentoring programs: mentoring programs for women entrepreneurs and intercompany mentoring programs for women executives.

Mentoring programs for women entrepreneurs


Through its voluntary mentors, WOMEN INITIATIVE FOUNDATION provides a toolkit of skills and strategies that can be used in all the stages of a new company’s growth.

Our mentors are women and men who have succeeded in their own businesses and are experts in their fields. Each mentoring relationship is tailored to the entrepreneur’s unique needs and objectives.


WBMI


Founded in 2010, the Women’s Business Mentoring Initiative (WBMI) is today the largest and most successful program of its kind in France.

Karine Tradon

Béatrice Korsakissok


Transatlantic Mentorship Program


Starting in 2017, the Transatlantic Mentorship Program supports French entrepreneurs who are ready to enter the North American market, and North American entrepreneurs who are ready to enter the EU market, via Paris. Mentees gain an invaluable instant network of influential, high-level support as they enter the new market.


With Canada


Starting in 2017, the Transatlantic Mentorship Program supports French entrepreneurs who are ready to enter the Canadian market, and Canadian entrepreneurs who are ready to enter the EU market, via Paris. Mentees gain an invaluable instant network of influential, high-level support as they enter the new market.



Intercompany Mentoring programs for women executives:

Two mentoring programs:

WIF European Intercompany mentoring program


The program includes 20 pairs mentors-mentees and is really innovative and unique in Europe. The mentors are very experienced people from five worldwide companies: ENGIE, BNP Paribas, L’Oreal, Oracle and PayPal.
The principle of inter-company mentoring: a senior leader from company A mentors a more junior leader or « leader-to-be » from company B.
Mixing people from different companies offers rich & diverse perspectives to both mentors & mentees.



US Intercompany mentoring program


This program will be launched on September 2019 and will include four or five worldwide companies and 20 pairs mentors-mentees from US East Coast or West Coast.


Read the program




  • " Mentoring is not for beginners. You have to find the right method for each person and each company. The mentor sees what he can bring to the relationship depending on his own experience. Mentoring is really a customized activity. ”

    Jean-Jacques Bérard

  • " As a company manager, I know how important it is to have someone with whom you can speak freely, without constraints, on a range of subjects and sometimes to receive advice. "

    Eve Magnant

  • " Mentoring doesn’t give you a solution or say what you have to do, but helps you to clarify the key issues or identify the right people. It’s useful to surround yourself with other chief executives who have already been through the steps. "

    Émilie Creuzieux

  • " My mentor is like a breath of fresh air that inspires me. She keeps an experienced eye on me and gives me the energy I need to keep going. "

    Murièle Roos

  • " As an entrepreneur, mentoring is the best help you can get. They can help you avoid some of the big pitfalls that they’ve had and also share the ways that they’ve found success, different approaches they’ve taken... They’re also sharing your journey with you, celebrating your successes and sharing your disappointments. "

    Abigail Holsborough

  • " I’ve been mentored my whole life, and it’s made an incredible difference. "

    Clara Shih





3

Years of life, the requirement for Companies to be mentored

120+

Women Entrepreneurs supported since 2010

20

Yearly invitations to private gatherings and events

160

Women entrepreneurs attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business the WIF/BNP executive training week







Mentors Charter

  • All Mentors, both men and women, work on a voluntary basis and share the same philosophy and values: to support women who have a transparent and environmentally friendly business project to create value and employment for society.
  • The Mentors undertake to provide advice in their respective fields of expertise, to provide access to their networks, to share their experiences, and to prepare the Mentees, both psychologically and technically, for the main stages in the creation and development of a business project.
  • The Mentors can, if need be, call upon the expertise of another WBMI Mentor.
  • The Mentors undertake to devote the necessary time and energy to the Mentoring Programme, and to support the Mentees.
  • The Mentors undertake to respect the confidentiality of the Mentees and of their business projects.




Mentees Charter


  • The Mentees shall benefit from regular and tailored discussions with their Mentors over a period of 6 to 9 months.
  • The Mentees undertake to identify their needs as accurately as possible from the outset of the mentoring relationship.
  • The Mentees undertake to participate fully in the relationship with their Mentor and to voice any doubts or questions they may have as they arise.
  • The Mentees undertake to listen to and accept all the Mentor’s comments and suggestions in a constructive manner.
  • The Mentees undertake to respect their Mentor’s commitment and to keep the Mentor updated on developments following the end of the mentoring period.