Become A Mentor | Hourglass Impact

Why Become A Mentor?

Becoming a mentor with Hourglass Impact is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact beyond your own career and help build a more sustainable world. By sharing your knowledge and experience, you help emerging leaders navigate challenges and scale their solutions faster. Mentorship also benefits you - expanding your network and remaining engaged with the new and innovative startups in the sector.

Give back to the climate and impact sector.
Expand your professional network.
Gain fresh perspectives from innovative founders.
Help the next generation of startups grow.

Application Steps

Apply to be an Hourglass Impact startup mentor here.

On completion of this form, your application will be under review and a decision will be made within 3 working days.

If approved, your mentor profile will be visible on our website, ready to receive mentorship requests from our mentees.

Once approved, you will be provided with mentor resources to guide you in your mentorship journey so that startups can get the most out of your time with you.

If at any point you become unavailable to mentor, you can email us and we will pause or remove your profile from the mentor directory.

If you have any queries, email us at hello@hourglassimpact.com

What is my role as a mentor?

A mentor at Hourglass Impact serves as a trusted advisor, offering guidance rather than direct solutions. Your role includes: Helping mentees identify challenges and opportunities. Providing industry insights and strategic advice. Encouraging independent problem-solving. Sharing relevant networks and resources. Supporting personal and professional growth. Key Qualities of an Effective Mentor Empathy – Understand and support mentees’ challenges. Active Listening – Give full attention and ask thoughtful questions. Honesty – Provide constructive feedback and clear advice. Commitment – Allocate time consistently for mentoring sessions. Openness – Be willing to learn from mentees as well.
How is the mentor-mentee relationship structured?

A successful mentorship typically follows these stages: Introduction & Goal Setting – Discuss expectations, define objectives, and establish a mentorship cadence. Exploration & Learning – Delve into challenges, brainstorm solutions, and exchange insights. Implementation & Feedback – Mentees apply learnings while mentors provide ongoing feedback. Reflection & Growth – Evaluate progress, celebrate achievements, and discuss next steps.
How does the mentorship process work?

Matching Process: Currently, mentors are paired with mentees manually by us, based on expertise, interests, and mentorship goals. However, we will shortly be launching a mentor directory on our website allowing startups to reach out to mentors directly if they believe you have the appropriate expertise to help. First Meeting: Establish objectives, preferred communication methods, and frequency of meetings. Ongoing Sessions: Mentors and mentees schedule regular check-ins, typically every 2-4 weeks. Feedback Loop: Both parties are encouraged to provide feedback to improve the mentorship experience. Completion & Continuation: After an initial period (e.g., 3-6 months), mentors and mentees can choose to continue or conclude the relationship.
How much time should I commit to mentoring?

We recommend a minimum of 1-2 hours per month, split into 30-minute calls per session. However, as this is a volunteering role and we understand that both life and career can get in the way sometimes, this is flexible and based on your availability. Sometimes you might have more free time and organise more calls, whereas other times you may be completely unavailable and will need to communicate this to any mentorship request you receive.
Can I mentor multiple mentees?

Yes, depending on your capacity and interests.
What if the mentor-mentee match isn’t working?

If either party feels the match isn’t productive, we encourage open communication and, if needed, reassignment.
Are mentorship sessions in person or virtual?

Most mentorship interactions are virtual, but in-person meetings can be arranged if mutually convenient.