You have to give to gain: Why I view mentorship as a force multiplier

When I started my career in telecommunications, I could count on one hand the women whose path could be an example of my own. 

What I did have, however, were extraordinary pioneers who refused to let closed doors define them. Early in my career, I learned from trailblazers who built careers in an era when women in telecom were told outright that they were "taking a man's job." They endured dismissiveness and discrimination that would be unacceptable today. Yet they persevered on their way to senior leadership roles, and most importantly for me, they reached back and pulled others forward They shared hard-earned wisdom, modeled confidence in their expertise, and showed me that leadership carries a responsibility to open doors wider for the next generation.

This year's International Women's Day theme is "Give to Gain," a concept that resonates deeply with me as I reflect on my own journey in telecommunications and technology. Over the course of my career, I have seen firsthand that when we give generously, we do not lose influence, we multiply it. 

When I started my first company, I had a one-month-old son at home. At the time, flexible work was not a norm in our industry. Women were often forced to choose between building a career and raising a family. Instead of accepting that binary choice, I decided to build something different. I hired three other women with infants and created an environment where family truly came first. Over the next three years, our small company welcomed thirteen babies. We were highly profitable. We were deeply committed. And many of those women are still part of my professional journey today.

At the time, I did not frame it as a grand strategy for gender equality, but the simple fact of standing up for other women can help us confront some stark statistics that remain, even today:

• According to the National Science Foundation's 2024 Science & Engineering Indicators report, women's share of U.S. bachelor's degrees in 2022 was 60% in biological and agricultural sciences, 42% in chemistry and physics, 23% in engineering and 30% in computer and information sciences.
• McKinsey & Company's 2025 Women in the Workplace report highlights that women hold only 38% of director-level roles in technology and only 34% of C-Suite roles. A previous version of this report also found that female STEM professionals earn 82 cents for every dollar earned by men in comparable positions.
• A 2023 Society of Women Engineers survey found that 35% of women with STEM degrees leave their fields within five years, compared to 26% of men. Common factors include workplace culture, lack of mentorship, and work–life balance challenges.

Taken altogether, these facts highlight that not only encouraging women's interest in STEM fields early on, but continuing to focus on retention, advancements and equity for women in STEM are key factors to changing the statistics. That's why mentorship becomes so important.

At 10x People, we put try to put our belief in mentorship into action through our internship program, where we intentionally create opportunities for young people entering technology and communications. We do not view this as charity or obligation, but as a investment in the next generation of leaders. Many of our interns grow into valuable full-time team members who go on to thrive at other companies in the industry. I believe that when we give access, exposure, and confidence early in a woman's career, we gain stronger leaders, stronger companies, and a stronger industry.

Mentorship does not always require a formal program. It can be as simple as answering a call, making an introduction, advocating for someone in a room they are not yet in, or sharing lessons learned from both success and failure. Giving knowledge does not diminish our own. It expands what is possible for others.

"Give to Gain" is a powerful reminder that gender equality is not a zero-sum equation. Giving visibility does not reduce our own. Giving time, guidance, or sponsorship does not cost us influence. It multiplies it.

When women thrive in our industry, we all rise: companies become more resilient, teams become more innovative and we raise up the voices of those who haven't had enough of a voice in our industry historically. 

This International Women's Day, I encourage every leader to ask: Who are you mentoring? Who are you sponsoring? Who are you making space for?

What will you Give to Gain gender equality?