At our AI Reality Check roundtable, we gathered senior leaders from financial services, media, pharmaceuticals, law and consulting to tackle the hard questions about what’s working, what’s failing and why. 

The 70% problem 

Let’s start with the uncomfortable truth: 70% of AI projects fail in their first year. That’s not a technology problem. It’s an expectation problem. 

Ollie Whiting, CEO of La Fosse, put it in historical context. The desktop PC took over a decade to achieve meaningful productivity gains. The web followed a similar pattern. We’re four years into the AI revolution and somehow expecting instant transformation. 

“The impatience of boards, investors and shareholders to get ROI over the line in such a short space of time is one of the key reasons for failure. We’re letting history repeat itself and wandering a bit blindly into this.” 

Who actually owns AI governance? 

Ask ten organisations who’s responsible for AI governance and you’ll get ten different answers. Legal thinks they own it. Security thinks they own it. The CTO wants centralised control. Individual business units are just getting on with it. 

The roundtable revealed a common pattern: ambitious governance forums that aim to track every AI initiative, but reality falling short. As one participant from Pacific Life Re put it, the intention is good but the execution is fragmented. Different territories have different regulatory understandings, and when something goes through legal and compliance first, the immediate answer is often no. 

The Guardian’s Chief AI Officer, shared their approach: principles first, product second, monitoring third. They’ve published AI principles, built governance into their product development and continuously take the temperature of both staff and readers. Media organisations face particular scrutiny, with readers anxious to know whether AI is involved in journalism. 

The AI veneer is cracking 

Remember when every company rushed to build mobile apps in the early 2010s? Those apps were essentially mobile websites, and they quickly revealed all the cracks in back-end infrastructure. Five years of data infrastructure spending followed. 

We’re about to see the same pattern with AI. Organisations are throwing agents onto badly designed processes and wondering why they don’t deliver value. The shiny AI tool you bought last quarter? It’s probably falling over because the whole end-to-end process hasn’t been designed. 

Anu Doll, Founder of Synexra, provided the strategic anchor for the session, arguing that AI’s true value lies in weaponising a firm’s competitive moats through an Agentic Operating Model. Her framework identifies the high-leverage capabilities where intelligence creates genuine market distinction rather than mere efficiency. By bridging the “Autonomy Gap”; the distance between strategic ambition and foundational readiness, Synexra ensures that infrastructure, data and governance are hardened to support “Autonomous Flow,” transitioning teams from task executors to Intelligence Orchestrators of unique, high-growth value chains.

The democratisation imperative 

Here’s a stark reality from La Fosse: 40-50% of a recruiter’s working week is spent on tasks that could be automated. They could be driving double the productivity doing work they actually enjoy. But they can’t, because AI hasn’t been democratised. 

Too much energy is being spent on centralised governance and not enough on getting AI into end users’ hands with the right guardrails. The desktop PC only delivered productivity gains when everyone had one on their desk. The web only transformed business when it was democratised. AI will follow the same pattern. 

One participant, working with Soho House, described the advantage of smaller organisations: no labyrinthine governance structures, no siloed AI officers blocking everything. Instead, they’re showing business people how tools like Claude work, planting seeds and watching ideas develop. That’s where the real ROI comes from. 

The leadership learning gap 

Research shared at the roundtable revealed a troubling lack of trust in board-level AI decision-making among tech professionals. Part of this is communication. Does your front-line team know about the AI training the exec team did over Christmas? Probably not. 

But it’s also about humility. As one CEO put it, leaders need to admit they might not have the answers they had for the last decade. The CTO who doesn’t understand business processes is destined to fail. The Chief AI Officer who only knows AI and not the heritage of technology is equally doomed. 

The consensus: AI literacy must be mandatory from top to bottom. Cross-functional leadership isn’t optional. Gone are the days of siloed executives who only understand their own domain. 

Don’t forget the humans 

When ROI is measured in headcount saved and roles reduced, employees get scared. Redundancy announcements and layoffs erode psychological safety, regardless of the productivity gains promised. 

But reframe the conversation around personal productivity, around how many hours a week can you save, and something shifts. People feel empowered. They want to perform better. They engage with the tools rather than fearing them. 

This isn’t soft thinking. It’s fundamental to successful AI adoption. The organisations that crack this balance between transformation and cultural safety will be the ones that succeed. 

What’s next? 

This roundtable was the start of an ongoing conversation. We’re committed to bringing together leaders who are navigating AI implementation in the real world. 

If you want to be part of the next discussion, or if you’re wrestling with AI challenges in your organisation, get in touch. Sometimes the best insights come from people facing the same problems. 

Download our AI in the Workforce whitepaper

Join our next panel event

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The daytime event brought together recruitment professionals, hiring managers, and diversity advocates to share lived experiences, challenge established practices, and develop practical approaches to building more equitable and inclusive workplaces. 

Why these conversations matter now more than ever 

Recruitment sits at a critical intersection, with the power to either reinforce or disrupt existing inequalities in the workplace. As our panel highlighted, the challenges facing black talent aren’t limited to getting in the door – they extend to retention, progression, and leadership representation. 

Jasmine Alexander, our expert panellist, pointed to the elusive notion of “cultural fit” as a particular concern: “From my perspective, what does that even mean, and how can somebody improve from that feedback?” This ambiguous terminology often masks unconscious bias and presents a significant barrier to diverse hiring. 

The panel emphasised that addressing these issues requires moving beyond surface-level diversity initiatives to tackle systemic barriers, personal biases, and workplace cultures that may unintentionally exclude black talent from thriving. 

Meet the panel: diverse insights, shared wisdom 

Our daytime event featured a diverse panel of experts whose varied experiences demonstrate that creating inclusive workplaces requires multi-faceted approaches and honest self-reflection from organisations and individuals alike. 

Eli Dingwall, Talent Development Lead at La Fosse, who moderated the panel, expertly guided the conversation through critical topics including retention strategies, mentorship opportunities, and how businesses often fall prey to their own biases in recruitment processes. 

Jasmine Alexander, Lead Career Outreach Consultant at Programme One, challenged us to question vague rejection feedback like “not a good cultural fit,” urging recruiters to probe deeper: “What do you mean by that? How did you come to that conclusion? What would actually make them a good cultural fit?” Her insights highlight how recruitment professionals can become powerful advocates for fairer hiring processes. 

Jennine Gibbs, Career Development Coach at Coaching with impact, emphasised the importance of authentic relationships in retaining black talent: “Get to know your staff. That’s number one.” She shared that genuine conversations help create environments where people feel safe to share their lived experiences, building the foundation for inclusion. 

Glyn Blaize, COO at La Fosse, shared insights about the need to focus on building better businesses where inclusivity runs through everything, emphasising that this approach creates meaningful change rather than temporary initiatives that may ultimately fall away. 

Arsema Fessehazion, Founder of the Black Recruiters Network, brought valuable perspectives on standing firm in one’s identity in the workplace, sharing her personal experience of being asked to change her name to make it “easier” for clients. Her powerful stance that “my name has so much meaning, identity, heritage, culture” highlighted the everyday challenges many face in bringing their authentic selves to work.

Together, the panellists explored how structured mentoring, sponsorship, and onboarding programmes can transform career trajectories and address the “revolving door” problem many organisations face with black talent. 

Practical strategies for meaningful change 

The panel moved beyond identifying problems to suggest concrete actions organisations can take to create more inclusive recruitment and retention practices: 

Challenge biased language and feedback 

Recruiters should actively question vague feedback like “not a good cultural fit” and help educate clients about their own biases. Standardised interview processes with set questions for all candidates can create fairer assessment opportunities. 

Focus on retention and progression 

As one panellist noted, “We have a big retention problem when it comes to black talent and recruitment.” Support from managers is crucial in helping talent progress into leadership roles. This requires proper onboarding that extends beyond the first week and can last up to 12 months. 

Create authentic mentorship opportunities 

Effective mentoring and sponsorship programmes play a vital role in supporting career progression. The panel emphasised that these relationships must be authentic rather than simply checking a box for diversity initiatives. 

Celebrate progress honestly 

When discussing how to balance celebrating progress with acknowledging remaining challenges, a panellist offered this wisdom: “It’s really not that difficult. Celebrate progress. Caveat that with ‘this is the journey that we’re on.'” Transparency about both achievements and continuing challenges creates trust and shared purpose. 

Key takeaways for building inclusive recruitment practices 

The daytime discussions highlighted several crucial insights: 

Question established practices: Recruitment processes often contain hidden biases in language, expectations, and assessment criteria that need ongoing scrutiny and revision. 

Invest in relationships: Getting to know team members as individuals builds the psychological safety needed for honest conversations about inclusion. 

Extend support beyond hiring: Proper onboarding, mentoring, and career development pathways are essential for retaining black talent and supporting progression into leadership. 

Balance honesty with optimism: Acknowledge challenges while celebrating real progress to maintain momentum and engagement in diversity initiatives. 

Join the conversation 

This event was just the beginning of an ongoing dialogue about creating more inclusive recruitment practices. We’re committed to continuing these conversations and turning insights into action. 

If you’d like to learn more about future events or discuss how your organisation can build more inclusive recruitment practices, we’d love to hear from you. 

Contact us at info@lafosse.com to continue the conversation. 

The post Beyond cultural fit: Honest conversations on building truly inclusive recruitment practices appeared first on La Fosse.

At our first UNBOUND Birmingham event, we brought together 15 influential women in technology and transformation for an intimate roundtable discussion. Facilitated by Carol Moseley, Chief Digital Information Office at Tipton & Coseley Building Society, this wasn’t networking theatre. This was genuine dialogue about the real challenges of leading when everything keeps shifting. 

The evening delivered exactly what we hoped for: candid insights, practical strategies, and meaningful connections amongst women who understand what it takes to lead through uncertainty. 

Why Birmingham matters for women in tech & change

Lauren Stutz from La Fosse opened the evening with a powerful observation: when we asked women in tech & change what they needed, one message came through clearly. “You think it’s hard for women in London to get together? Put us in Birmingham, put us in Manchester, put us in another city, and it’s equally as hard.” 

UNBOUND’s expansion to the Midlands recognises that transformative conversations aren’t confined to the capital. Birmingham is home to innovative tech companies and forward-thinking leaders who deserve the same opportunities for connection and collective impact. 

This regional approach supports our mission to build pathways, not barriers, for women in tech. Real industry transformation happens when we connect leaders from different markets, sharing insights and strategies that work across diverse business environments. 

The challenge of navigating senior leadership in flux 

The roundtable opened with the question every woman in the room had grappled with: how do you navigate senior leadership when the landscape keeps changing? 

The responses revealed fascinating diversity in experiences and approaches. 

For some, the challenge has been constant throughout their careers. Working in predominantly male industries means adapting has always been part of the job. As one participant shared, having always worked in male-dominated environments, the focus has been on proving capability through delivery rather than dwelling on being the only woman in the room. 

Others highlighted how the public sector presents different dynamics. In organisations with strong female representation at nearly every level, women have created their own rules. These environments feel less about adapting yourself and more about bringing your whole self to the table, whether you have children, hobbies, or different priorities. 

The contrast highlighted an important insight: representation fundamentally changes the experience of leadership. When women see themselves reflected in senior positions, the navigation becomes less about conforming and more about contributing. 

Creating your own support networks 

A recurring theme emerged: women in senior roles have intentionally built networks of other women they can turn to for honest conversations. 

“We’ve made our own rules,” one participant explained, describing a network of women colleagues for coffee, lunch, and drinks. These relationships provide the safe space for conversations that might feel impossible elsewhere. 

This informal support system addresses a critical gap. When you can’t ask your boss certain questions without it being interpreted negatively, having peers who understand your challenges becomes essential. 

The roundtable itself exemplified this principle. Creating forums where women can ask questions, share vulnerabilities, and exchange strategies without judgment accelerates everyone’s growth. 

The double standard of feedback and perception 

The conversation touched on a persistent frustration: the different ways men and women interpret feedback, or lack thereof. 

When women don’t receive feedback, they often assume they’re underperforming. When men don’t receive feedback, they typically assume they’re doing phenomenally well. 

This perception gap creates additional challenges for women navigating senior roles. The constant internal questioning can undermine confidence even when performance is strong. 

Several participants noted that being seen as “fixers” can be both a strength and a limitation. Organisations value women’s ability to solve problems and manage change, but this reputation can also typecast leaders into specific roles rather than recognising their broader strategic capabilities. 

The class and access divide 

The discussion took an unexpected turn when participants explored how socioeconomic background intersects with gender in shaping career trajectories. 

One participant shared research showing that 87% of UK poverty levels persist not because of GCSE results, but because of culture and hope. The education system kills hope between ages 14 and 16 for young people from certain backgrounds. 

This intersectionality matters. A woman from a traditional Punjabi family with overprotective male relatives faces different barriers than a woman from a privileged background. A woman who grew up in social housing navigates different assumptions than one who attended private school. 

Accent became another point of discussion. Regional accents in the UK carry subconscious bias. Some participants have experienced people dismissing their expertise based on how they sound before considering what they’re saying. 

These multiple layers of identity shape how women experience and navigate senior leadership. Understanding this complexity helps create more inclusive environments and more effective support systems. 

The informal network challenge 

Several participants raised the difficulty of accessing informal networks where real influence and decisions happen. 

“Would it be appropriate to invite you to that group? Probably not. And if it was, did your husband come?” one participant asked, highlighting the social dynamics that persist around professional networking. 

When men go to the pub after work or play golf on weekends, they’re building relationships that translate to career opportunities. But for women, particularly those with families or those conscious of perceptions, accessing these spaces requires navigating additional complexity. 

This isn’t about wanting to spend all your time in pubs or on golf courses. It’s about recognising that important relationships and decisions form in these informal settings, and women face structural barriers to participation. 

The challenge becomes even more acute for women in cultures where family expectations limit their ability to participate in after-hours socialising. The solution isn’t expecting everyone to conform to one model, but recognising how these informal networks create advantage and finding alternative ways to build the same connections. 

Authenticity whilst navigating expectations 

The conversation shifted to a question many women in senior roles wrestle with: how much should you adapt yourself to fit in versus staying true to who you are? 

For some, the answer has been clear: maintain your standards and judgment even when it means standing apart. As one participant noted, going to the pub is fine when you have existing rapport, but there are times when maintaining professional boundaries requires different choices. 

Others emphasised the importance of creating environments where you can be yourself. Working in organisations with strong female representation means the rules get made by diverse voices rather than requiring everyone to conform to one model. 

The consensus: women shouldn’t have to choose between career success and authenticity. The goal is creating organisational cultures where diverse approaches to leadership are valued rather than requiring everyone to fit a single mould. 

Resilience and finding your support 

The final theme addressed the loneliness that can accompany senior leadership positions. 

“It’s quite lonely,” one participant admitted. “I didn’t expect it to be probably as lonely as it is. In my previous role, you had a team, you could probably talk more openly. Now, it’s probably a bit more lonely.” 

This honest acknowledgement resonated throughout the room. Senior positions often mean fewer peers who understand your challenges and more situations where you need to project confidence even when you’re uncertain. 

The question then becomes: where do you find resilience? Is it mentors? Is it your team? Is it friends or family? Is it a glass of wine at home after a difficult day? 

The answer, for most participants, is all of the above. Resilience comes from multiple sources, and recognising this helps leaders build the support structures they need rather than expecting one relationship or approach to provide everything. 

Key takeaways for leading through change 

The evening’s discussions crystallised into several crucial insights: 

Build your network intentionally. Don’t wait for support systems to appear. Actively create relationships with other women who understand your challenges and can provide honest feedback and perspective. 

Recognise intersectionality. Gender is one factor shaping your leadership experience, but class, culture, accent, and background also matter. Understanding these multiple dimensions helps create more inclusive environments. 

Navigate informal networks strategically. Acknowledge that important relationships often form outside formal work settings. Find ways to build equivalent connections that work for your circumstances and values. 

Maintain authenticity. Success shouldn’t require becoming someone you’re not. Seek organisations and opportunities that value diverse leadership styles rather than conformity to one model. 

Address loneliness proactively. Senior leadership can be isolating. Identify multiple sources of support and resilience before you’re in crisis rather than after. 

Support other women. Hold the ladder steady for those climbing behind you. Your experience and willingness to share honestly accelerates everyone’s progress. 

Building momentum in the Midlands 

This first UNBOUND Birmingham event demonstrated the hunger for genuine connection amongst women leading through change in the region. 

The intimate setting worked. With only 15 participants, every voice was heard. Conversations went deep rather than staying superficial. Connections formed that will extend well beyond the evening. 

We’re listening to feedback from participants to shape what comes next. This isn’t about imposing a London-centric model on the regions. It’s about creating the forums women in the Midlands need to accelerate their impact. 

UNBOUND’s mentorship programme, launched earlier this year, is also open to participants across the UK. Whether you’re in Birmingham, Manchester, London, or anywhere else, structured support is available for both mentors and mentees. 

What’s next? 

UNBOUND continues to expand. We host events that prioritise meaningful discussion over networking theatre. Each gathering tackles specific challenges facing women in tech with practical insights and actionable strategies. 

Real change happens through honest conversations, genuine connections, and collective action. This evening proved that when you bring the right people together in an environment designed for candour, transformation begins. 

The post Leading through constant change: insights from UNBOUND Birmingham appeared first on La Fosse.

The evening brought together mentors, mentees, and aspiring participants to share real experiences, practical insights, and actionable strategies for building mentorship relationships that genuinely work. 

Why mentorship matters now more than ever 

Lucy Kemp, La Fosse’s Director of Brand, opened the evening by highlighting a critical insight from our ongoing research: “Mentoring came up time and again when we asked what would drive change forward. It’s really hard to find a mentor, especially as a woman. You look up and that mentoring layer, that leadership layer, it’s smaller, and it’s getting smaller.” 

The challenges are multifaceted. Beyond the scarcity of senior women in leadership positions, there’s confusion about what type of support people actually need. Is it a mentor who shares experience and wisdom? A coach who helps you reach your own conclusions? Or a sponsor who advocates for you in rooms where decisions are made? 

Most importantly, there’s the fundamental difficulty of asking someone to be your mentor – a conversation that can feel daunting but, as Lucy reminded the audience, “Anyone who has ever been asked to be your mentor will be really flattered.” 

Meet the panel: diverse paths, shared wisdom 

The evening featured three panellists whose varied journeys into tech demonstrate that there’s no single path to success, but mentorship can be transformative regardless of your starting point. 

Patricia Manley, Head of Agile Delivery at Seven.One Entertainment, brought the perspective of an immigrant woman who has navigated significant hurdles throughout her 12-year UK career. “Being a woman immigrant who doesn’t look the stereotype of a woman in tech – having accents and appearances that were always issues – I went through a lot of hurdles,” she shared. Now, Patricia coordinates mentorship programmes for non-profits and works as both a mentor and mentee, believing that continuous learning is essential at every career stage. 

Leah Thomas, a Data Business Analyst at News UK and La Fosse Academy Associate, represents the growing number of career changers entering tech. Her path from law graduate to tech professional during the pandemic illustrates the “wobbly” journey many take. “I started as a law graduate, wanted to be a lawyer since I was about 15, and completely had a change of mind,” she explained. After googling “innovation, creativity and tech” and finding coding, she discovered La Fosse Academy, demonstrating how the right guidance can accelerate career transitions. 

Kirstie Smith brought 15+ years of marketing experience, alongside her work teaching at Birmingham City University and running networking groups. Her perspective highlighted how experienced professionals can give back while continuing to grow, emphasising that the next generation needs more than Google searches and YouTube videos – they need human connection and face-to-face relationships. 

The difference between coaching, mentoring, and sponsorship 

One of the evening’s most valuable discussions clarified the distinctions between different types of support – understanding often missing in workplace development conversations. 

Coaching, as Patricia explained, involves “going with you on that journey of discovering what you want to do and asking the right questions for you to discover the answers you already have inside yourself.” A coach helps you unlock your own insights through guided reflection. 

Mentoring comes from a place of shared experience. “Mentors are coming from the point of view of ‘this is my experience, this is what I’ve learned,'” Patricia noted. They offer wisdom gained from walking similar paths and can provide specific guidance based on their journey. 

Sponsorship involves active advocacy – someone who talks about you in the right meetings, puts your name forward for opportunities, and uses their influence to advance your career. 

Understanding these differences helps professionals seek the right type of support for their specific needs and career stage. 

What mentees really need: beyond job searching 

While career transitions often trigger the search for mentorship, the panel revealed that women seek guidance across a much broader spectrum of challenges. 

Confidence building emerged as a primary need. “For me, with females, a lot of the time it’s confidence in different areas,” Kirstie observed. “Confidence at networking events, confidence in general, not knowing where to start with something, or dealing with that overwhelm of information.” 

Power skills development represents another critical gap. Patricia identified the transition point where technical expertise alone isn’t enough: “Up to a certain point, we rely a lot on what we know as technical skills – certifications, coding knowledge. But there’s a point where you want to jump to the next level that’s not just about how many certifications you have. It’s the power skills that you lack.” 

Effective communication and leadership capabilities become essential as careers progress, yet these skills are rarely explicitly taught in technical roles. 

Career direction guidance helps when professionals know where they want to go but need help mapping the path to get there. 

Actionable change: Organisations should recognise that mentorship needs evolve throughout careers. Create programmes that address confidence building, power skills development, and communication training – not just technical skills advancement. 

When mentorship relationships don’t work 

Honest discussion about relationship challenges provided practical guidance for navigating difficult situations. The panel emphasised that not every mentor-mentee pairing will be successful, and that’s normal. 

Communication is key. Patricia stressed the importance of having “that feedback conversation” when relationships aren’t working. “Doing it from a place of love, saying ‘I don’t think this is working because of this’ and being honest about needs and expectations.” 

Structured frameworks help. Kirstie noted how having committed timeframes can actually help relationships succeed: “Even if there’s a personality clash, you’re committed to four meetings. Sometimes that structure provides the safety to work through initial challenges.” 

Choose authentically. Leah’s advice was refreshingly direct: “Choose for you, which sounds selfish, but you’re trying to get something from the relationship. Be honest about what you need and whether this person can provide it.” 

Kirstie also introduced a powerful framework for building authentic mentorship relationships, describing how effective mentors can adopt three distinct approaches: acting as gatekeepers who hold information and open doors to opportunities, midwives who help mentees work through challenges using a coaching approach, or fellow travellers who honestly admit when they don’t know something and explore solutions together. “I think the best productive relationship is when you can just totally be honest with your mentee or your mentor in both ways. And you’re both learning, you’re both like, going through that journey together,” she explained, emphasising how vulnerability and mutual learning create stronger, more sustainable mentorship bonds. 

Actionable change: Implement regular check-ins during mentorship programmes and provide clear frameworks for addressing relationship challenges. Create safe processes for changing mentorship pairings when needed, without stigma or blame. 

The power of informal mentorship 

Some of the evening’s most compelling stories came from informal mentorship relationships that developed organically. Patricia shared how she approached someone she admired: “I saw him behaving amazingly well, and one day I decided to say, ‘Hey, could we meet for half an hour every other week?’ That was amazing because we didn’t set up any agenda, but every time I met with him, I had my questions prepared.” 

This informal approach yielded more learning than her formal company mentorship programme, highlighting how authentic relationships often develop when there’s genuine curiosity and mutual respect. 

Actionable change: Encourage employees to identify and approach informal mentors within and outside their organisation. Provide guidance on how to structure these conversations and maintain ongoing relationships.

Measuring mentorship impact 

The discussion of programme evaluation revealed sophisticated approaches to understanding mentorship effectiveness beyond basic completion rates. 

Relationship continuation serves as a key indicator. As Leah noted: “A really good measure of whether you had a good mentor is if your mentee wants to keep in contact with you afterwards.” 

Goal achievement tracking requires establishing clear objectives at the beginning and checking progress throughout the relationship. 

Structured feedback collection works best when integrated into the mentorship process rather than lengthy surveys at the end. 

Qualitative insights often provide more valuable data than quantitative metrics, revealing the real impact on confidence, career clarity, and skill development. 

Actionable change: Design mentorship programmes with built-in measurement from the start. Focus on relationship quality indicators and goal achievement rather than just participation rates. 

The UNBOUND mentorship programme launch 

The evening concluded with the launch of UNBOUND’s own mentorship programme, designed to address the insights gathered throughout the research and discussion process. 

The programme structure reflects best practices identified: 

• Four-month commitment with one hour per month 
• Careful matching process over six weeks to ensure compatibility 
• Built-in evaluation through retrospectives to assess impact and improve the programme 
• Open access beyond event attendees to create broader community impact 

Participants left with QR codes providing immediate access to applications, emphasising that the programme is designed for anyone committed to meaningful mentorship relationships. 

Key takeaways for building effective mentorship 

The evening’s discussions crystallised into several crucial insights: 

Mentorship is not one-size-fits-all: Different career stages and challenges require different types of support. Understanding whether someone needs mentoring, coaching, or sponsorship is the first step to providing effective guidance. 

Informal relationships often work best: While structured programmes provide valuable frameworks, some of the most impactful mentorship happens through organic relationships built on genuine curiosity and mutual respect. 

Both sides benefit: Effective mentorship provides value to mentors through fresh perspectives, leadership development, and the satisfaction of contributing to someone else’s growth. 

Diversity matters: Mentors don’t need to look exactly like their mentees, but representation and shared experiences can provide unique value and inspiration. 

Communication creates success: Clear expectations, regular check-ins, and honest feedback transform mentorship from a casual relationship into a powerful development tool. 

Looking forward: building a mentorship culture 

The technology industry stands at a critical juncture. As Patricia observed, the leadership layer that should provide mentorship guidance is actually shrinking, making structured programmes and intentional relationship building more important than ever. 

However, the appetite for meaningful mentorship clearly exists. The enthusiasm in the room at The Loading Bay, the quality of questions from attendees, and the immediate interest in joining the UNBOUND programme all demonstrate that people are ready to invest in relationships that create real change. 

The path forward requires both individual commitment and organisational support. Companies must recognise mentorship as a strategic capability rather than a nice-to-have add-on. Individuals must approach mentorship with authenticity, clear goals, and genuine commitment to both giving and receiving value. 

Join the mentorship movement 

UNBOUND’s mentorship programme represents just the beginning of building the support networks women in tech deserve. By creating structured opportunities for meaningful relationships, providing frameworks for success, and measuring real impact, we’re working to ensure that career progression doesn’t depend on chance encounters or personal networks. 

The programme is open to anyone ready to commit to genuine mentorship relationships – whether as a mentor sharing their experience, a mentee seeking guidance, or someone who sees value in both roles. 

Ready to be part of building the support networks women in tech need? 

Apply for the UNBOUND mentorship programme 

Join the UNBOUND community for updates on future events and mentorship opportunities 

Download our Women at Work Blueprint for research-backed insights on what women really need to thrive in technology careers 

This isn’t just about individual career development – it’s about creating an industry where talent thrives through connection, guidance, and authentic support. The conversation has started. Now it’s time to build the relationships that will drive real change. 

The post Building the support networks women need: insights from UNBOUND’s mentorship event appeared first on La Fosse.