For anyone navigating their career or just starting out, finding the right mentor is key. Mentors provide valuable career advice, help with life transitions, and open doors to new networks. This year the M.S. in Innovation & Management program launched a Mentorship Program to connect MSIM students with Gordon Institute alumni who are rising leaders in their industry.
On January 16, the program hosted a Mentor Match night, where the 24 current students met with potential mentors in a ‘speed dating’ exercise to get to know each other and explore a potential mentorship relationship. The mentors, graduates of both the MSIM and MSEM programs, represent companies spanning many industries. Mentors include: George Lee, MSEM ’15, Associate Director at Unum Therapeutics, Joe Reale, MSEM ’14, Associate Director of Engineering at Repligen, Nikki Slaughter, MSEM ’17, Project Manager at Balyo, and Hirosei Kuruma, MSIM ’17, Research Associate at Lux Research.
“I’m excited to talk with the students about changing roles, and the importance of keeping up with technology while growing in your career,” said mentor Marty Bakal, MSEM ’06, Principal Product Manager at Rogue Wave Software.
Once they are matched with a MSIM student, each mentor will provide job search and career advice and also help to coach them as they implement the leadership development plans they crafted in their first semester leadership course.