Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has started a new mentorship program pairing diverse business owners with an executive at the hospital.
The program focuses on business owners of color as well as LGBTQ, veteran, female and disabled business owners. Small businesses or businesses in economically distressed communities are also considered.
"Through the Mentor/Protégé program, proteges can get valuable business development help from their mentors in several important areas, from strategic planning and business development to accounting and marketing," Joni Rittler, vice president of supply chain at CHOP, said in an Oct. 5 news release. "At the same time, our executives at CHOP will also gain valuable new insights, including a better understanding of the challenges protégés face in the current business climate and exposure to new and different perspectives."
The first class includes six businesses from the Philadelphia area who will be paired with CHOP executives from external affairs; public relations; marketing; supply chain; the office of diversity, equity and inclusion; operations; and legal.
The program will last 15 months with quarterly feedback between the mentors and proteges.