Announcing the WInners of the 2026 Tools Competition!

2026 Winner

Evidence-Based Career Mentorship

Turning workplace volunteering into structured mentorship and measuring effects on student career outcomes

United States of America

Focus Area:

Post-Secondary Learning

Prize Level:

Growth Prize

Project Description

Mentor Spaces helps colleges and employers deliver career mentorship that reliably moves student outcomes. The platform embeds mentorship into the corporate volunteering programs employees already use — but access alone isn’t enough, so it structures each relationship around David Yeager’s mentor mindset: pairing high expectations with the support students need to meet them. Mentors are guided to help students build confidence, a sense of belonging in professional settings, and a clearer view of their own path forward. For the first time, institutions can measure whether these relationships translate into what matters — internships, jobs, and momentum. Working alongside researchers, Mentor Spaces is building the evidence base for what makes mentorship work, and making it work at scale.

Meet Our Team

Chris Motley

Founder & CEO

Jang Kim

Head of Product & Engineering

Ryan Stoner

Head of Growth & Customer Experience