Mentoring at work has always been important. Whether it’s delivered in a formal context, or by osmosis through those hard-to-plan watercooler moments, mentorship is one of the most fundamental drivers of career progress we have.
That’s why large organisations like the Bank of England and the BBC have specific programmes designed to help their female employees access mentorship.
But sadly, some women are denied the chance to get the mentorship they deserve. Barriers to mentorship are varied; working from home, poor employer provision and absence of suitable opportunities are all common reasons.
Another big reason women miss out on career and education mentorship is their class. People from disadvantaged backgrounds simply do not have the same informal networks that people from more privileged backgrounds have. Not everyone has a family friend working in banking, entertainment, law or the media to call on for tips.
This structural disadvantage has come to the fore more recently with the unfolding of the ‘nepo baby’ discourse; people with well connected and successful relatives tend to have an easier time accessing those same opportunities that elevated those relatives in the first place.
So it’s a good thing, then, that organisations like CoachCube are working hard to address this issue.
Coachcube is an online mentoring platform based in the UK. The mission is to eliminate barriers to career and education opportunities for young people. The London-based startup also donates 95% of fees generated to UK charities and good causes.
Founded in 2021 by Sylvester Lewis, the platform is empowering people to make informed career and education decisions by connecting them with experienced professional and, or academic mentors to get insights and advice on specific industries, job roles, skill sets and application process.
This is the kind of privileged information that is hard to come by for people without access to well connected and experienced relatives and friends.
Mentoring sessions take place online via video. It’s a simple exchange of knowledge, experience, insights and information from one person to another who wants to learn more about a particular subject.
CoachCube has a user-friendly interface designed to help users find the right mentor for them quickly and easily
The platform donates 95% of fees generated to a UK registered charity of the mentor’s choice. The remaining 5% is reinvested into the platform.
There is currently no major online platform where young people can receive 1-1 career and education advice from industry experts via video teleconference sessions. Coachcube aims to be the first.
Coachcube already has an active membership of over 500 mentors and mentees, raised £250,000 in seed funding and aims to secure £1m in crowdfunding later in the year. Coachcube has also been selected by the Mayor of London to help deliver the ‘New Deal for Young People’ initiative.
A comprehensive study, published as part of the Institute for Fiscal Studies Deaton Review of Inequalities, shows that education in the UK is not tackling inequality. Instead, it states there are pervasive and entrenched inequalities in educational attainment.
On founding Coachcube, Sylvester said:
‘For younger people, the world of work can feel like a different world in which they have no way of accessing it or tapping into it.
You wouldn’t think twice about the information and experience you have built throughout your education and career. But to someone who is younger, who hasn’t got the experience, built the network, who hasn’t had the opportunities to reach out and ask those questions, your expertise and insights are invaluable.
There are certain education institutions, jobs and sectors which are associated with a certain socioeconomic background. As such, they are inaccessible to or unknown by a significant proportion of the UK population.
Coachcube is keen to lead the way in reducing these barriers and make industries accessible to all.’
He added,
‘If you’re an executive at Goldman Sachs or Amazon, do you really need £45 (the price of a 1-on-1 mentoring session) from a student who is keen to follow in your footsteps? Probably not.
With Coachcube, you can support someone who values your insights and expertise whilst contributing to a good cause of your choosing alongside improving your mentoring skills such as listening and providing feedback.
Coachcube's intention is to eliminate barriers and open opportunities for everyone regardless of their background, culture, expertise and socioeconomic status.'
Founder Profile
Sylvester Lewis studied a Masters in Engineering Science at Oxford University before moving into the finance industry specialising in mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets in the UK and US. Alongside his corporate roles, Sylvester helped friends and small businesses raise capital for business growth with investment received totaling over £12m.
A serial entrepreneur, Sylvester started Coachcube - an online mentoring platform that donates 95% of fees generated to UK registered charities - during the pandemic as a response to witnessing barriers to education and careers and the changing communication landscape.
Coachcube already has an active membership of over 500 mentors and mentees, raised £250,000 in seed funding and aims to secure £1m in crowdfunding in May 2023. Coachcube has also been selected by the Mayor of London to help deliver the ‘New Deal for Young People’ initiative.
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