Our Mentorship Program

The Wisconsin Women’s Network Mentorship Program pairs women early in their careers or in college-level academic programs with established professional women across Wisconsin. This year-long mentorship fosters meaningful relationships that empower participants to gain new perspectives, grow professionally, and advance in their respective fields. Since its launch, the program has paired more than 200 mentees with experienced mentors, building lasting connections and expanding opportunities for Wisconsin women.

Thank you to our individual donors and community supporters whose generosity sustains the 2026 Mentorship Program. 

Interested in joining our Mentorship Program as a mentor or mentee?

The application period for the 2026 Mentorship Program has ended. Applications for the 2027 Mentorship Program will open in Fall 2026. We encourage you to follow us on Facebook and join our email list to receive updates and announcements about the next application period!

About the Mentorship Program

The goal of the Wisconsin Women’s Network Mentorship Program is simple: create opportunities for women to cultivate meaningful relationships with strong, inspirational role models throughout Wisconsin.

Our mentors come from various professions and backgrounds, united by a shared commitment to helping women succeed. They generously dedicate their time to meet with mentees, listen attentively, ask insightful questions, offer guidance, and share resources that can support personal and professional growth.

We match these supportive mentors with women who are completing their studies or early in their careers to help them navigate transitions, tackle big decisions, work toward their goals, and discover more about themselves. Our mentors and mentees are carefully paired together, based on career aspirations and personal interests, so that mentees can stand on the shoulders of their mentors and build lasting, impactful relationships.

Because studies show that the longer the mentoring relationship, the more benefits that mentees receive, our program spans an entire year. This gives our mentees the opportunity to really get to know their mentors and explore their professional development. If you'd like to read more about what we accomplished in recent years, check out our Annual Reports.

The Wisconsin Women’s Network is committed to ensuring the Mentorship Program is available to women from diverse socioeconomic, LGBTQ+, generational, geographic, educational, racial, and ethnic backgrounds who may have not had access to similar mentorship opportunities.

Why mentoring?

Research shows that individuals who have a mentor are more confident in their academic abilities. A recent analysis of more than 73 independent mentoring programs found that mentoring results in positive outcomes across social, emotional, behavioral and academic areas of development. For women, mentorship is especially powerful. Mentorship empowers women to grow professionally and develop the social capital necessary to advance in their careers. Over time, the impact of mentoring compounds, leading to more women in leadership roles and inspiring mentees to become mentors themselves.

As a Network of thoughtful women leaders, we understand the transformative power of connection and its critical role in broadening our perspectives and enabling greater achievement. Quality mentoring not only helps women realize their goals, but can also significantly strengthen communities, the economy, and our state. And that’s what we need in Wisconsin.

Participant Testimonials

We asked some of our recent mentors and mentees about the Mentorship Program. Here’s what they had to say:

Yash enjeti

“I  was matched with my mentor, and I had a great partnership with her during my tenure at WWN. I enjoyed discussing several topics and she guided me not only on how to identify a mutual fit in an organization, especially after a career break, but also on several topics like salary negotiation and exploring leadership opportunities.

I am grateful for this opportunity to be a mentee through WWN’s program.”

Jaquilynn Huff

"One of the top reasons I am so passionate about the work that WWN does is that there is no paywall to mentorship. As a professional woman, transplant to the city, and who has worked primarily in non-profits that haven't had large Professional Development budgets, being able to have access to a high quality mentorship program has been critical to my success thus far. There are other organizations that provide mentorship, but not before paying hundreds of dollars that was ultimately a barrier for me.

During my time as a mentee, my mentor worked with me and connected me with other professional women who took the time to guide me through a proposal for a raise and elevated position within the company I was at at the time. Upon completion of the mentorship program, I had increased my salary and gained an additional territory. Being a part of WWN has expanded my network and has been a place of support, encouragement, and recognition of my leadership capabilities and overall success in the professional world."

Lisa Apps

“WWN’s Mentorship Program was an amazing experience. I have been in a career transition to a new field and my mentor was amazing. My mentor helped me see skills and opportunities that I could not see for myself.

This combined with the networking with my fellow mentees and their mentors provided an amazing opportunity to learn and grow in my personal and professional life.”

Jamie Herrmann

“I really enjoyed the mentorship program.  I didn't know what to expect when I signed up, and at the end of the program wished I would have signed up sooner.  It was great to get to learn from my mentor and have the opportunity to network with others with similar experiences. 

I am excited to take what I learned from my first year as a mentee and apply it as a mentor.”