This spring, iMentor and the State Department hosted fellow Louis Li, Founder and CEO of TeenShare Limited, for a professional exchange program. During his fellowship, Louis explored various facets of iMentor, including recruitment, screening, fundraising, and programs in action to gain insight into how to design and operate a successful mentoring program, which he hopes to launch in his native Hong Kong. He recounts his experience and the major takeaways that he learned.
My name is Louis Li, and I am a fellow in the iMentor professional exchange program that is hosted by the State Department. My goals for my fellowship were to:
- Learn about the nonprofit culture and work in the USA.
- Get inspiration from iMentor's program workflow and design so that I can initiate a similar program in Hong Kong to benefit the youth and society.
Here are the top 3 things I learned during my fellowship at iMentor:
- Mentor motivation is critical throughout the mentor recruitment process. I learned about the importance of storytelling, mission, and mentor moments in motivating and recruiting mentors in individual or corporate settings. During my second week at iMentor, I had the opportunity to join different events, such as the Mentor Ambassador meeting. The meeting focused on 2024-25 recruitment and was a huge success! I had the chance to talk to different corporate Mentor Ambassadors, such as those from PwC, EY, and AlphaSights. It was a great opportunity to learn about their stories and how they have made a meaningful impact together with iMentor’s recruitment and engagement team.
- The most important requirement for mentor recruitment is for the mentor to show up. Mentors don't have to be very experienced or an expert in coaching, as there are different training programs and program managers to help. I was able to attend the school training, mentor and mentee speed networking, and conduct a case study with interviews with pairs at the Bronx High School for Law and Community Service to understand more about how the quality of pair communication impacts a pair's journey. It was really fascinating to learn more about how iMentor works and the benefits it provides to the community.
- Different funding sources are important. It is good to have different funding sources for a non-profit organization, including funding from board members, foundations, corporations, individuals, and school fees, to maintain the funding for the program. That way, you can always adjust your fundraising targets and shift focus into other channels in order to reach your funding target.
iMentor is grateful for the opportunity to work with Louis and spread the value of mentorship worldwide! If you’d like to impact a young person in your community, join iMentor today: https://imentor.org/get-involved/become-a-mentor
