The Deborah Rosati Women in Leadership Mentorship Program

Building on Brock’s Women in Leadership (WIL) Initiative, the Deborah Rosati Women in Leadership Mentorship Program aims to create and sustain an inclusive mentoring community that fosters diversified knowledge, offers opportunities to learn from colleagues and creates meaningful connections across the campus and beyond.

The program matches mentees with experienced, knowledgeable and insightful mentors who can help mentees meet their professional and personal goals.

Delivery of the program will span over five months and will include one group mentoring session per month (five sessions total). Each group mentoring session will be completely virtual, last approximately one hour, and include a featured guest speaker, structured activities, and time for discussion. Additionally, mentor-mentee pairs are expected to connect individually (virtually or in-person) a minimum of twice per month during the five-month period to continue fostering the development of the mentoring relationship.

See Program Timeline for dates, times and guest speakers for group sessions. Descriptions will be added as confirmed.

The launch of the first cohort and mentor-mentee matching took place in early April 2023. Cohort one will run from April to August 2023. With the exception of the first and last, each session is scheduled for one hour.

Scheduled group sessions for cohort 1:

  • Wednesday, April 1, 5 to 6:30 p.m. (Guest speaker: Deborah Rosati, Founder & CEO of Women Get On Board)
  • Tuesday, May 30, noon to 1 p.m. (Guest speaker: Sandy Howe, Director, Enrolment Supports)
  • Tuesday, June 27, 5 to 6 p.m. (Guest speaker: Amy Tomaino, Director, Research Strategic Initiatives & Financial Planning)
  • Wednesday, July 26, noon to 1 p.m. (Guest speaker: Ashley Chimenti, Manager, Co-Curricular & Student Engagement)
  • Tuesday, August 15, 5 to 6:30 p.m. (Guest speaker: Sonia Dupte, Executive Director, Development & Alumni Relations)

Links to join the online group sessions will be shared with mentors and mentees directly.

Subsequent cohort timelines will be released once confirmed.

Mentor Eligibility Requirements:

  • Reside in the Niagara area
  • Be willing to adhere to all Women in Leadership Mentoring Program policies and procedures
  • Agree to a one-cohort (five group sessions, 10 individual meetings) commitment to the program
  • Commit to spending a minimum of two hours per month with the mentee
  • Be willing to communicate with the mentee weekly
  • Be willing to communicate regularly with the program coordinator
  • Agree to attend mentor trainings as required
  • Complete the screening procedure
  • Not have falsified information during the course of the screening process

Mentee Eligibility Requirements:

  • Reside in the Niagara area
  • Demonstrate a desire to participate in the program and be willing to abide by all Women in Leadership Mentoring Program policies and procedures
  • Agree to a one-cohort (five group sessions, 10 individual meetings) commitment to the program
  • Commit to spending a minimum of two hours per month with the mentor
  • Be willing to communicate with the mentor weekly
  • Be willing to communicate regularly with the program coordinator
  • Agree to attend mentee trainings as required
  • Complete screening procedure

Women in Leadership is committed to supporting and advancing persons who identify as women to achieve and succeed in leadership. The Women in Leadership steering committee is comprised of influential women leaders within various areas of Brock who are responsible for determining priorities and planning future directions for the initiative. We thank the committee for their role in establishing and overseeing the WIL Mentorship program.

How to Apply

Interested participants who meet the eligibility requirements outlined above are encouraged to submit an application form (see below) or reach out to wilmentorship@brocku.ca.

Please note that there is no participation fee for either mentees or mentors.

The first cohort of the Deborah Rosati Women in Leadership Mentorship Program is currently underway. Please watch for information on future cohorts of the program.

We appreciate the interest of all mentors and mentee candidates. Acceptance into a session of the Deborah Rosati Women in Leadership Mentorship Program will be contingent on the availability of suitable matches, based on an assessment of mutual needs, goals and availability.

The mentee application will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and can be found and submitted here.

Our first cohort is currently underway. Applications received will be considered for a future cohort. A Program Coordinator will be in touch with you once more details are available.

The mentor application will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and can be found and submitted here.

Our first cohort is currently underway. Applications received will be considered for a future cohort. A Program Coordinator will be in touch with you once more details are available.

Who is Deborah Rosati?

Deborah Rosati

Founder and CEO of Women Get on Board Inc. and Brock University alumna, Deborah Rosati (BAdmin ’84) is a valued corporate director, accomplished entrepreneur and Fellow Chartered Professional Accountant (FCPA) with more than 35 years of high growth and transformational leadership experience across several diverse sectors. A recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, Deborah has maintained close ties to Brock University, including a gift that made possible the establishment of a mentorship program for women.

Read about Deborah’s considerable connections to Brock here.

Explore her personal website: https://deborahrosati.ca/