Don’t sleep on PACT and BFTP’s Mentor Connect program

Since 2016, the Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT) and Ben Franklin Technology Partners had been piloting a mentorship program that is now available to the public BFTP portfolio companies and PACT members.

Mentor Connect is looking to connect founders and leaders with more seasoned entrepreneurs to coach and guide them through the pitfalls of starting and growing a business. The program is free and confidential, following the principles of MIT’s Venture Mentoring Service.

For Kim Coffey of Talex Medical, the diversity of mentors was what made the experience valuable.

“I am lucky to have three mentors from different backgrounds and varied expertise that contribute greatly to guiding me in my maiden voyage,” Coffey said.

Each mentee gets synced up with a group of three to five mentors that are tailored to the entrepreneur’s specific needs.

“When an entrepreneur with a good idea is matched with a team of mentors with proven skills and experience, their venture is more likely to succeed,” said PACT CEO Dean Miller.

Since its soft launch last year, the program has connected 40 mentors to 27 mentees.

“Mentor Connect re-engages, as mentors, some of our most successful entrepreneurs, men and women who are now on their second or third businesses and who are ready to give back by sharing their real experiences with new, first time entrepreneurs,” Ben Franklin’s RoseAnn Rosenthal said in a statement.

There’s no deadline or limit to the program. For more information, contact PACT’s head of mentorship, Jennifer Cohen at jcohen@philadelphiapact.com.