Meet Four Female Leaders Who Mentor Other Women
23 July 2025
4 Mins Read
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Who is your biggest female inspiration? Perhaps it’s your mother, a teacher, or someone famous you look up to. These are the women who led you, believed in you, and mentored you.
Leadership is something that can be learned, and women who mentor young, aspiring leaders are setting up future generations for success. Atifete Jahjaga, the first female president of Kosovo, recently said, “When women rise together, they don’t just break barriers, they build a better future.”
This year, DRC Ventures co-hosted a powerful celebration with ELYSIAN to honor ELYSIAN’s 10th birthday. This celebration brought together over 200 women from around the world for a day of connection, inspiration, and impact. The driving force behind the celebration was Dr. Christina Rahm, the founder and CEO of DRC Ventures. This event was a collection of networking, panel discussions, and, most importantly, growth as a group.
The Importance of Mentorship
Mentorship offers numerous benefits, particularly when it comes to woman-to-woman mentoring. Mentorships’ main purpose is to support personal and professional development. Historically, women have been underrepresented in executive positions and the STEM field, but things are starting to change. A study by McKinsey found that companies with more than 30 percent women in executive positions were more likely to outperform those with 10 to 30 percent women in leadership.
In turn, companies with 10 to 30 percent women in executive roles outperformed those with fewer or no women in executive positions. Current generations are learning from the mentors who helped change the narrative, but there’s still a long way to go. Continuous mentoring fosters inclusivity and creates an environment that encourages women to lead.
Skills Development
In the workplace, there is always something new to learn, whether it be a new coding mechanism, a new form of writing, or a way to enhance your work ethic. Aspiring young women leaders learn business norms and required skill sets from their mentors, which can give them a leg up in the workplace. This enhances job performance, boosts productivity, and fosters self-confidence.
At the DRC and ELYSIAN event, several expert-led panels were held across multiple industries, covering topics such as business, global politics, STEM, and the creative industries. This allowed women to hear from different perspectives and learn in a group mentoring setting.
Leadership Development
Leadership is defined as “the process of influencing and guiding a group of people towards achieving a common goal.” Young women mentored by successful leaders can learn important leadership skills and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their leadership styles. Mentors can guide and inform individuals on decision-making, communication skills, and successfully managing a team.
DRC and ELYSIAN brought together leaders and mentors who were open and eager to learn from one another. South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette said, “As a woman in leadership, it is truly inspiring to witness the impact of this partnership and the powerful network it is building for women who are transforming every sector.” This is a living mentorship model. As women share their experiences, they open the door for others to follow, creating a continuous, self-sustaining cycle of support.
Increased Diversity and Inclusion
Statistically speaking, while women are underrepresented in leadership positions, this does not mean they are any less powerful. The DRC and ELYSIAN event brought together women from around the world, giving the women in the room the opportunity to hear from diverse perspectives. For example, President Jahjaga spoke on post-conflict resilience and the importance of investing globally in women. These discussions underscore the importance of mentoring in advancing diversity and inclusivity, particularly for female business leaders, by creating opportunities for marginalized voices to take the lead and encouraging others to follow in their footsteps.
Making an Impact
Dr. Rahm is an entrepreneur paving the way for young female leaders, and her mentorship program is dedicated to supporting women under 35 on their path to leadership. Her program was launched to bridge the gap to a more equitable place for women, no matter their background.
She is certainly not alone in her mission. Here are other women centering mentorship in business settings:
- Monica S. Smiley: Started the “Enterprising Women Foundation”, a nonprofit that advances the growth of women in entrepreneurship. This program’s foundation comprises two programs: “Young Enterprising Women” and “Peace through Business.”
- Ananya Asthana: Founder of “WiStem”, a nonprofit that focuses on women and gender minorities in the STEM field.
Cherie Blair: Founder of the “Cherie Blair Foundation”, a nonprofit that works to empower young women entrepreneurs in developing countries through mentorship.
Coming Together
Women mentoring women is not just learning; it is creating legacies. Karen Floyd, the founder of ELYSIAN, said, “Together, we are amplifying the voices of women who are mentoring, leading, and creating a legacy of transformation.” Women are the past, present, and future, and the possibilities of success are infinite through mentorship and shared growth.
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