The Empower'em community
Most programs end with a certificate and a goodbye email.
The Empower'em community doesn't end when the program does. Mentors, mentees, alumni, Em'bassadors: we're building real ways to stay connected.
Everyone has a place
Four ways to get involved, and one thing that stays true no matter which you choose.
Mentor, mentee, Em'bassador, volunteer — pick one, stack a few, switch when your life changes. Alumni isn't a fifth option on this list. It's what you carry once you've been through the program, whatever you do next.
For mentors
Share what you know and gain more than you expect.
Share what you know, and get something back too. You're matched with a mentee who shares your cultural background, and the conversations go both ways. Many mentors say it becomes as much about their own growth as their mentee's.
- ·Matched by lived experience, not just career field
- ·Six supported one-on-one sessions per round
- ·Access to all community events and programming
For mentees
A program that meets you where you are.
You don't need everything figured out. Just be ready to show up as your whole self. OWF pairs you with a mentor who already gets the context, no explaining yourself from scratch.
- ·24 weeks of structured mentorship, completely free
- ·Workshops, socials, and community meetups
- ·Alumni network access when the program ends
Em'bassadors
Champion this community and help it grow.
Em'bassadors amplify our reach, show up to exclusive events, and help shape what we're building next. No mentoring commitment required, just genuine investment in this community's future.
- ·First access to exclusive events and new programming
- ·Connected to alumni across all rounds of OWF
- ·A real voice in what Empower'em becomes
Volunteer
Help make this run, even if mentoring isn't your thing.
Not every contribution looks like mentorship. Volunteers pitch in on events, logistics, and the everyday work that keeps this community running, flexible, one-off or ongoing, whatever fits your life right now.
- ·Flexible: one event or an ongoing role, your call
- ·No mentoring commitment required
- ·A direct way to give back, on your terms
Two things to know before you join
Language matters in matching. Many of our mentors speak multiple languages: Tamil, Arabic, French, Mandarin, Urdu, and more across our community. If language is important to your experience, tell us in your application.
A note on confidentiality. What's shared in your mentorship sessions and peer support stays there. We don't share your application, your profile, or anything you say in community spaces without your permission. This community only works if it's a genuinely safe one.
Why community matters
For women of colour, community is infrastructure, not a bonus.
For women of colour, community isn't a nice-to-have. Connection with others who share your racial and cultural experience is a real buffer against the toll of navigating systems that weren't built for you.
Mirrors, not just mentors
Seeing yourself reflected in someone ahead, someone who shares your specific cultural context, changes what you believe is possible for yourself.
Permission to be whole
Most professional spaces ask women of colour to segment themselves. Here, your full self belongs in the room, not a curated version of it.
Circular knowledge
Mentees become mentors. Alumni become Em'bassadors. What's learned here doesn't stay in one place, it moves through the whole community.
Alumni
You're still part of this, whatever comes next.
Alumni status isn't a lane, it's something you carry. Once you've completed OWF, that stays true if you become a mentor, an Em'bassador, or step back for a while. Alumni hear first about new programming and events, and many come back in one of those roles when they're ready.
- ·Ongoing connection to community spaces and events
- ·Early access to all new programming and rounds
- ·Opportunity to mentor future cohorts
OWF alumni stay connected through the member portal.
If you've been through the program, your space is waiting.
Sign in to the portalWant to be part of this
Two ways to stay close, even before or without applying.
You don't have to wait for an application round to be part of this community. Join the waitlist for future access, subscribe for ongoing updates, or both.
Join the community waitlist
For future community access. When we open new spots, rounds, or membership, people on this list hear first.
Join the waitlistStay in the loop
For ongoing updates from the Empower'em community, straight to your inbox. Stories, events, and what we're building, as it happens.