Mentorship Program

2023

Applications to the 2023 Mentorship Program are now closed!

We are currently reviewing all the applications we received and we’ll be in touch in the coming weeks with next steps. Expect to hear back from us by mid-June at the latest and feel free to follow up if you applied and haven’t heard anything from us by that point.

If you have questions or need any information, please contact us through our contact form.

2022

In 2022, the mentorship program consisted of 9 pairings, for a cohort of 18 individuals. Once again, the program was held digitally, although mentors and mentees who happen to be in the same area were allowed to meet in person if they chose to do so. Alongside the mentorship pairings, we also hosted four virtual additional panels to which access was provided, free of charge, to everyone who applied to the program in addition to other folks in our community or who reached out through social media or our website.

2021

The 2021 mentorship program has wrapped up! The second class of the BIPOC of Publishing in Canada Mentorship Program was also hosted entirely digitally, with participants from all over Canada joining as both mentees and mentors. We’ve had a remarkable number of mentors stepping up for the second year in a row to help is keep this program going, and we are so very thankful for their passion and contributions. Our second cohort of the Mentorship Program encompassed 13 pairings.

2020

In 2020, amidst a global pandemic, BIPOC of Publishing in Canada set out to move forth with our goals of offering prospective BIPOC folks interested in entering the publishing industry in Canada with a mentorship opportunity to provide insight, support, networking, and technical skills development. Our first iteration of the program was entirely online, with both mentees and mentors connecting over a wide variety of digital formats. Our first cohort of the Mentorship Program encompassed 11 pairings.

Testimonials:

“I loved everything about the program: the camaraderie it generated, the boss-level of organization involved, and the forever-connections we’ve all made from being a part of this.” - Randy Chan, Senior Marketing Manager, Harlequin Trade Publishing - Mentor 2021

“Joining the BIPOC of Publishing in Canada mentorship program is one of the best decisions I've made. Through this program, I have gained an incredibly in-depth, and realistic understanding of the publishing industry, especially in Canada, and especially what it's like for Black folks, Indigenous folks, and people of colour. This program has given me so much - my mentor worked with me to provide everything from resume feedback, to in-depth breakdowns of different kinds of publishing industry roles within my fields of interest. As someone who originally felt like an outsider looking into the world of publishing, this program really helped me build a lot of confidence in myself, my abilities, and the impact that I can have in the publishing industry. Through this program, and the experiences and expertise it has provided me with, I ended up with three new job offers (2 in publishing, and 1 in a more senior role in the publishing adjacent organization I worked in), and through the connections and the job postings we share, I found my way to what is my current role in publishing/tech. However, the best thing that I gained from this program is the community. It is incredibly powerful to have built relationships with, and to gain insight from so many thoughtful, passionate, intelligent, capable, and wonderful folks in the publishing industry. People who don't "gatekeep" insider knowledge, and people who are honest and vulnerable with the challenges and the triumphs they face in publishing. I feel so lucky to have come out of this experience with the friendships, mentors, and community that I now have, and I am so excited for everyone who is about to start their journey in this program!” - Ameema Saeed - 2020 Mentee

Being a part of the mentorship program through BIPOC of Publishing in Canada has been an overwhelmingly positive and valuable experience for me. The collective makes it possible to connect with other professionals, who I might not have the chance to meet otherwise, and the resulting conversations have enriched and broadened my perspective, as well as provided a solid network of smart, dedicated, supportive people. Guided by the strong leadership and vision of the founders, the community has already had a profound impact for many in the industry. I look forward to all the work ahead. - Kelly Joseph - 2020 and 2021 Mentor