MÁS Mentors · An Impact MÁS program
MÁS Mentors connects mentors and mentees in relationships built on mutual growth, not one-way guidance. Wisdom shared freely, in both directions, for as long as it lasts.
Where it started
When I was little, I was lucky to have a mother who made sure I met people who could help me dream big, and who could help me unlearn the biases I didn't yet know I carried. Three of them changed how I see the world.
The Patron
I remember Jerry, a warm-hearted patron of my mother's library. He was a gentle giant of a man with a grand smile framed with the scruffiest of beards. His glasses were held together with chemistry lab tubing, and holes pierced through the black sneakers he wore through a lifetime of street stories. He also had one of the smartest minds I have ever known. Over summer afternoons at the library, Jerry, who possessed no formal education, no computer, and unfortunately, no job, unselfishly shared his self-taught knowledge of web design with me. He unlocked a life-long appreciation of technology and design, and left me with a lesson that has stayed with me longer than any of the code: never judge a book by its cover.
The Teacher
I remember Mrs. Sethi, a brilliant and firm but fair teacher. Her middle school science, environment, and systems thinking teachings still shape the way I approach work and life today. She treated us like adults, teaching us the importance of earning and giving respect to others, and of working hard to find our fullest potential. She believed in us and in turn helped us believe in ourselves. I hope to never forget her vividly colorful stories about her childhood in India. Each story slowly awakened a sense of global discovery within me and became a piece of the Eternal Traveler I have become today.
The Veteran
And I remember Lanny, his voice hoarse from years of yelling across battlefields, his laughter capable of warming any home, and his heart filled with the genuine care to help others succeed. For nearly 20 years, I timidly approached his home's front door every holiday before he sadly passed away. Visiting Lanny and Mrs. Myra was one part homecoming and one part making sure my goals were in order. Lanny had a strict rule, one refined by decades mentoring veterans and corporate leaders alike. After exchanging pleasantries in a living room adorned with family photos and a bayonet reminding us of his service and sacrifice, Lanny would ask, "So tell me about your 1, 3, and 5," a reference to goals and progress towards each time horizon. Non-compliance meant an early end to the conversation and a not-so-subtle reminder that future visits would require thoughtful preparation. To this day, Lanny's mentorship and framing have done so much to help me approach life, contemplate what is possible, and map a path to achieve my dreams.
I've been fortunate to be shaped by mentors like these, along with remarkable colleagues, neighbors, and friends, including the University of Michigan's Intentional Community. In 2004, inspired by my first mentee, Juan, I started mentoring formally. That relationship became MÁS Mentors.
What this is
MÁS Mentors isn't built on the idea that guidance is a debt to be paid back. It's a space where mentors and mentees both grow, and where individual relationships add up to something bigger.
Every relationship runs in both directions. Mentors learn as much as mentees do.
Guidance here isn't a transaction. It's freely given, the way it was freely given to us.
Forty-plus relationships across fourteen-plus countries add up to one community, still growing.
Get involved
Whether you have wisdom to share or you're looking for someone who's been where you're headed, there's a place for you here.
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