I recently shared the news about my engagement with Catalyste+ as an expert advisor in a volunteer capacity. Many congratulations have come my way, along with a few questions – one of the most common being, “How do you find time for these?”

The answer is simple: it’s giving back. Through time, effort, energy, and commitment. I don’t think of it as finding time; I think of it as making time for what matters. Experiences and engagements that allow me to coach, mentor, support, encourage, and guide are the most rewarding, exciting, and inspiring. They don’t feel like an obligation – they feel like an opportunity.

But mentorship, to me, has never been about a formal title or a structured relationship. It’s not something that happens within the confines of an official program with clearly defined goals and timelines. The best mentorship happens organically, through relationships, through shared curiosity, through the willingness to engage in meaningful conversations. It’s not about having more knowledge or authority – it’s about a commitment to sharing, a willingness to build understanding together, and an openness to explore what’s possible. It’s not something you do at designated moments; it’s a way of being.

That’s why I’m excited about Catalyste+. It’s not just about lending expertise – it’s about being part of something bigger. It’s about working alongside mission-driven teams worldwide, offering guidance where it’s needed, but also learning from those navigating complex challenges in real-time. Catalyste+ creates the kind of space where real mentorship – organic, dynamic, and collaborative – flourishes.

The most powerful guidance rarely comes from a rigid curriculum or a prescriptive model. It emerges from thoughtful engagement, from meeting people where they are, and from helping them see what they might not have seen before. True mentorship is reciprocal. The best conversations are the ones where both people walk away seeing the world a little differently. I’ve always believed that expertise is not something to hoard but to share – not because you have all the answers, but because in the act of sharing, better answers emerge.

My work has always centered around strategic design, leadership development, and scaling impact. But strategy is not just about models and frameworks; it’s about people. It’s about how organizations adapt, how they make decisions in complex environments, and how they translate vision into action. Being part of Catalyste+ gives me the opportunity to bring these conversations to teams that are driving real change – helping them refine their thinking, challenge assumptions, and build something sustainable.

And the beauty of mentorship is that it’s intergenerational. Knowledge doesn’t just flow downward from experience to inexperience – it moves in all directions. Some of the most insightful lessons I’ve learned have come from younger entrepreneurs and leaders who see the world differently. The best mentorship doesn’t just pass knowledge from one generation to the next – it builds bridges between perspectives, allowing experience and fresh thinking to collide in ways that lead to new insights. The best ideas emerge when different generations don’t just coexist but collaborate.

I don’t see this advisory role as a responsibility to teach – I see it as an opportunity to engage, to listen, and to contribute. I look forward to working with teams that are driven by purpose, supporting them in sharpening their strategies, and helping them see what’s possible. And in the process, I know I’ll be learning just as much as I’m giving.

Mentorship is not a title, and it’s not a task. It’s a mindset – one rooted in openness, in curiosity, and in the belief that knowledge is meant to be shared. And when it’s done right, everyone involved walks away a little wiser.