Economic Empowerment

Mentoring

Since 2006, the FORTUNE/U.S. State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership has drawn upon the knowledge and expertise of America’s most accomplished leaders to empower aspiring women professionals across the globe. Partnering with the FORTUNE Most Powerful Women Summit and the U.S. State Department, each year Vital Voices facilitates a month-long mentorship program in the United States for international businesswomen, featuring a mentorship assignment with one of FORTUNE’s Most Powerful Women.  

The program begins with an orientation in Washington, D.C., where mentees interface with women leaders in government, business, academic, civil society and the media. Participants then relocate to the offices of a top American female executive for an onsite mentorship assignment, in which each woman shadows their mentor and learns from the best practices of their host company. At the end of the mentorship, mentees reconvene in New York City to collectively reflect on their experience and discuss the future trajectory of their leadership path.  

Alumnae of this program, representing 44 countries to date, return home inspired to use the knowledge and experiences they gained throughout the program to “pay it forward” in their home countries. These women become valued members of the Vital Voices Leadership network, engaging in Vital Voices businesswomen’s networks and chapters. Moreover, alumnae consistently leverage these networks and others to initiate their own mentoring events and programs, through which they share the resources and insights gained from their mentoring experience.