Take a Mentor Minute with Zena Lum: June 2026
By: Zena Lum, WOC National Advisory Committee Member and Mentorship Expert
Take a Mentor Minute with Zena Lum is a monthly advice column where Zena imparts expertise to empower mentors and deepen their relationships with their mentees.
Last week, I attended the 2026 WOC Symposium and Awards Ceremony. This was WOC’s first fully in-person Symposium since its founding, and the camaraderie and joy of meeting, connecting, and reconnecting with friends and colleagues was electric. We were even able to gather current and past Check-in Chicas and Mentor Match participants in attendance to take a photo before we settled in for the excellent Keynote Panel.
I was struck that throughout the day’s sessions, which spanned topics from the debate over AI to Executive Search to the “New Donor Reality,” mentorship and coaching was a recurring theme. Panelists acknowledged the importance of formal and informal mentors to their careers, and there were questions from the audience about how to go about cultivating a circle of mentors or advisors.
While there are a multitude of opportunities for you to identify potential mentors in your personal and professional circles, one direct way is to take advantage of WOC’s Check-in Chicas and Mentor Match programs. Applications for Cohort 7 are planned to open later this year, so please look for that announcement in a few months.
I was so pleased to see one of my current Mentees and a Check-in Chica participant, the New York Executive Director of Thrive Scholars Christiamilda Correa, CFRE, be recognized with the WOC Shine Award. As a Mentor since the inception of this program, I have had the privilege of being part of the journey of so many incredible women like Christiamilda whose collective impact as leaders and advancement professionals is immeasurable.
For those who are ready to pay it forward, please consider becoming a mentor. For those who are seeking to learn from peers and/or soak up the wisdom of those who are more seasoned in their careers, please look to WOC as a resource for your leadership journey.
Zena Lum
WOC National Advisory Committee Member and Mentorship Expert
