Learn more about the Vendor Development Academy to become a cohort member or a mentor. As a mentor, you are matched with a cohort member to provide guidance and advice regarding business operations and other valuable insights as a business owner.
Join the Program
As a mentor, you are matched with a cohort member to provide guidance and advice regarding business operations.
Sign Up
Requirements
- Complete a mentor interest form.
- Be a current or former business owner with a minimum of five years of experience.
- Commit to supporting an assigned cohort member for 12 months, including meeting for a minimum of one hour per month.
- Attend a mandatory orientation session outlining the roles and expectations for each partnership.
Benefits
Being a mentor for the Vendor Development Academy offers an opportunity to give back to the local business community while strengthening your own professional growth. By sharing your industry knowledge as a mentor, you:
- Play a key role in shaping the next generation of City contractors.
- Offer guidance and a unique and unmatched viewpoint.
- Help emerging vendors build the skills needed to compete successfully.
Mentor status helps your business. Many firms tell us that preparing to be a mentor forces them to:
- Critically focus on current operations.
- Shake off stagnant/routine approaches.
- Explore new technology.
- Consider simplified or streamlined processes.
In short, you have an opportunity to improve your business as you help your cohort member improve theirs.
The mentor experience enhances leadership and coaching abilities, expands community visibility, and fosters meaningful relationships that often lead to long-term partnerships. By serving as a mentor, industry leaders directly contribute to a stronger, more equitable small-business ecosystem in San Antonio.