2026 WIT Early Career Mentorship Program

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Connecting early-career women in tech with the mentors, community, and clarity to move forward with confidence.

The early years of a technology career are full of possibility, and full of questions. Who do you turn to when you’re navigating a difficult workplace dynamic, figuring out your next move, or simply trying to understand what you’re capable of? Having the right people in your corner makes all the difference.

That’s what the WIT Early Career Small Group Mentorship Program is built for.

Women in Technology (WIT) connects early-career women with experienced industry professionals who are genuinely invested in helping them grow, not just professionally, but as leaders and as members of a community that will continue to support them long after the program ends. Over five months, participants gain more than guidance. They gain relationships, perspective, and a network of peers who want to see them thrive.

How it works

The program is structured around small groups: one experienced mentor paired with four mentees for a focused, five-month journey together. That intimacy is intentional. It creates space for the kind of honest, practical conversations that don’t happen in a large workshop or a one-time networking event.

Each group completes four one-hour sessions over the course of the program, meeting virtually, in-person, or in a hybrid format that works for everyone. WIT provides discussion guides and resources to give every group a strong foundation, and the groups themselves bring the energy, experience, and insight that make those conversations meaningful.

The journey, June through November

Kickoff: June 11 The program kicks off with an in-person event where mentors and mentees meet, small groups come together, and the five months ahead start to take shape. It’s an evening of introductions, shared goals, and that particular energy that comes from being in a room full of people who are ready to invest in each other.

Small-Group Mentoring: June 15 through November 2 Over the program window, each group meets four times on a schedule and in a format they choose together. Conversations are grounded in WIT-provided discussion resources and shaped by what each group needs most: building confidence, developing leadership skills, gaining career clarity, and strengthening the professional connections that support long-term growth.

Closing Session: November 12 The program closes the way it opened: together, in person, and with intention. Each mentorship group shares a brief reflection through the Mentorship Experience Capstone Showcase, a five-minute “show and tell” celebrating the growth, insights, and moments that defined their experience. After the showcase, the evening transitions into open networking, giving partners, mentors, and mentees space to continue the conversations that matter. Certificates are issued to all program completers.

Meet the 2026 mentors

Ten women leaders are shown in headshot photos, each with their name, title, and company below. They represent various industries, including hospitality, tech, engineering, retail, and consulting.

Thank you to our 2026 WIT Early Career program partners

Programs like this are made possible by the companies and individuals who believe in the power of investing in early-career women in tech. We’re deeply grateful to the partners whose support brings the WIT Early Career Mentorship Program to life each year.

Southwire logo with stylized copper wire graphic on the left and Southwire text in black serif font on the right.
The Truist logo with the word TRUIST in bold purple letters next to a purple square containing a stylized double T symbol.

To learn about partnership opportunities, reach out to us at partnerships@mywit.org.

Stay connected

Interested in joining a future cohort as a mentee or a mentor? Reach out to programs@mywit.org to learn more.

Who’s in Your Corner? The Sponsorship Conversations That Actually Change Careers

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May Virtual WIT Forum | May 20 | 8–9 am ET | Virtual via Zoom

Most women in technology have done everything right. They’ve sought out mentors. They’ve raised their hands, made their work visible, and built their networks. And many have still found themselves stalling, watching peers advance while wondering what they’re missing.

The missing piece is rarely a matter of skill or effort. It is often sponsorship.

This May, Women in Technology (WIT) is bringing that conversation into the open.

What This Forum Is About

The May Virtual WIT Forum, presented by Tier4 Group, goes beyond career advice to examine the advocacy relationships that actually change trajectories.

Sponsorship is not mentorship. It is not networking. It is someone with organizational power putting their credibility behind your readiness, saying your name in rooms you are not in, creating openings, and following through. For professionals navigating the path to leadership, access to that kind of advocacy is one of the most significant predictors of who advances and who plateaus.

Through candid conversations with leaders and practitioners, this forum will explore what sponsorship looks like in practice, why it is harder for women to access, what sponsors need from the people they champion, and how individuals and organizations can begin to close the advocacy gap.

Who Should Attend

This forum is designed for women and allies at every career stage, and for the leaders who are in a position to sponsor.

Whether you are actively looking for a sponsor, ready to step into the role of sponsor for someone else, or leading an organization that wants to build a more equitable path to advancement, this is a practical, honest conversation built for you.

What You Will Walk Away With

Attendees can expect to leave with:

  • Clarity on what sponsorship actually looks like. Not the concept — the practice. What sponsors do, what they need from you, and how to recognize and cultivate those relationships in your own organization.
  • A deeper understanding of why the gap exists. The advocacy gap is real, and it is not accidental. This forum names why women face greater barriers to accessing sponsorship and what it takes to change that.
  • Concrete next steps. Whether you are seeking a sponsor, becoming one, or building systems that make sponsorship more equitable, you will leave ready to act.

Join Us Virtually on May 20

This forum is completely virtual and open to women and allies everywhere. You do not have to be in Atlanta, or anywhere in particular, to be part of this conversation.

One hour. Real talk. The kind of insight that moves careers forward.

Meet the Panelists

Four professionals stand in individual frames with names and titles: Jennifer Baker, Jeff Afonso, Robby Cullens, and Kateau James, all Chief Information Officers at various organizations. Each is smiling and dressed in business attire.

Thank You to Our Partners

This forum is made possible by the generous support of our partners.

A special thank you to our Presenting Partner, Tier4 Group, for their commitment to advancing women in technology and making conversations like this one possible.

The TIER4 GROUP logo with TIER above GROUP in gray text, and a blue geometric symbol resembling 4 and a person to the right of TIER..

We also extend our gratitude to our WIT Forum Partners:

A grid of 20 company logos, including Cox, Google Cloud, Salesforce, State Farm, Cargill, Norfolk Southern, Coca-Cola, and others, all in various styles on a white background.

Women in Technology (WIT) creates possibilities for more women to explore, pursue, persist, and lead in technology. Learn more at mywit.org.