Empowering women entrepreneurs around the world to reach their full potential

with Angela Marker,
Mentoring Programme Manager
Cherie Blair Foundation for Women

Mentorloop Impact Award Winner 2024

"At the current rate of progress, it will be another century and a half before women are economically equal to men, we simply won't wait."

It brings me joy to see that my business is making an impact. My successes are also for the women farmers (whom my business supports) - their economic empowerment. There are so many people who are happy today, who have food on their table, who are able to send their children to school – all because of this programme.

Being a mentor was an incredible experience for me, I am looking from a totally different perspective on my work. It really broadened my horizons.

Working with my mentee presented me with new problems not seen before I my own work. This required me to think outside of the box, offer creative solutions and guidance. I have been able to sharpen these skills and in turn use them in my day to day work.

99% of mentors would recommend the Mentoring Women in Business programme, and 97% of mentees were satisfied or very satisfied with the programme.

At the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, our mission is to empower women in low and middle income countries to start sustain, and grow successful businesses and to build fair and inclusive business environments. We do this by providing them with the skills training, mentorship, networks, and confidence needed to reach their full potential as business owners. Our gold-accredited Mentoring Women in Business programme matches women entrepreneur mentees from lower and middle income countries with dedicated business professional mentors from anywhere in the world. They collaborate for a year to progress the mentee’s business goals. It’s a journey that’s truly transformative for mentees and mentors alike.

Challenges Before Mentorloop: Managing a Global Mentorship Programme

Since our inception in 2008, the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women has supported over 250,000 women entrepreneurs in more than 100 low and middle income countries. Over 12,000 people have taken part in our mentoring programme as mentors and mentees since its launch in 2010.

Before engaging with Mentorloop, we faced significant challenges in managing our mentoring programme from the matching process through to providing participant support. Ensuring that every participant receives personalised, meaningful, and impactful mentoring is a crucial element of what we do, but often comes with logistical challenges, matching mentors and mentees across different time zones, cultures and industries require a robust platform that can handle the complexity of our programme for us.

Mentorloop was the perfect solution. It made the programme so much easier and more efficient to run, which means that we can spend more time offering direct support to mentees and mentors to ensure an exceptional experience for all.

Transforming Women-Led Businesses

Mentoring Women in Business was founded on the belief in the power of mentoring and the role technology can play in building global connections.

"With the integration of Mentorloop, our programme has grown stronger. We’ve streamlined our matching process, improved tracking, and expanded our reach, giving more women access to high-quality mentoring."

The results have been powerful. 93% of recent graduating mentees improved key business outcomes, such as increasing revenue and hiring more employees. Women who succeed in business create a ripple effect in their communities, reinvesting their earnings into education, nutrition, and health.

Mentors also benefit significantly from the programme. 87% of our recent graduating mentors said they gained knowledge of a new culture, and 73% learned about doing business in a new sector or market. This demonstrates the cross-border mentoring’s impact on both mentees and mentors.

Boosting Access to Support for Women Entrepreneurs

At the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, equal access to mentoring opportunities is essential to our work. Women entrepreneurs in low and middle-income countries lack access to training and mentoring opportunities and they’re often held back from achieving their full potential.

Because of this, our programme seeks to level the playing field and enable more women in marginalized communities to access professional mentoring. We do this by working with our mentor referral partners across the globe to reach women entrepreneurs from various backgrounds and industries and we prioritize inclusivity in our matching process by working with our partners and fostering a culture of feedback.

"We keep women entrepreneurs at the heart of what we do - every woman deserves the chance to thrive regardless of her circumstances."

Building a Culture of Mentoring: Driving Growth and Success

Building a culture of mentoring within our organisation means making it a key aspect of who we are. We actively encourage our team stakeholders and participants to share their experiences, provide feedback and continuously learn from one another. This approach aligns with the core principles that drive our work, reflecting our values and embodying the best of who we are, how we operate today and our aspirations for the future.

By fostering this culture of mentoring, we are creating a supportive empowering environment that drives growth and success for women entrepreneurs around the world.

Future Plans: Expanding with Mentorloop Features

At the current rate of progress, it will be another century and a half before women are economically equal to men, we won’t wait.

Women’s economic empowerment gives women life choices. Financial independence is essential for women’s freedom and equality and women being able to start, grow, and sustain successful businesses is a core part of this.

That’s why our mission to empower women to do this is critical so they can redefine the future for themselves and their societies. Looking ahead, we plan to further scale our Mentoring Women in Business Programme by leveraging technology to support even more women entrepreneurs globally.

The Mentorloop platform allows us to work towards these goals whilst continuing to provide personalised support for our participants to have successful mentoring relationships. We’re committed to continuously improving our processes to provide the best possible support to our mentors and mentees.

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By fostering this culture of mentoring, we are creating a supportive empowering environment that drives growth and success for women entrepreneurs around the world.

Angela Marker
Mentoring Programme Manager at Cherie Blair Foundation for Women