The Power of a Meaningful Mentorship
Capital One, GSD&M and Mindful Media’s strategic partnership leads to winning results.
In April 2022, Capital One’s Director, ESM, Head of Supplier Diversity Reuben Essandoh invited GSD&M to support its mission of building its supplier diversity program through mentorship of a Black-owned business. Within months of the introduction, the Capital One | GSD&M | Mindful Media Mentoring Project was given its wings and launched in July 2022.
GSD&M’s core value, Community (We’re All In This Together), was the driver and influencer of its mentoring efforts, serving as the catalyst behind the project. “We consider all small and diverse partners as part of our Vendor Partner Diversity program which are representative of the inclusive work we do on behalf of our clients,” said Vice President of Vendor Partner Diversity/SBLO Max Rutherford.
He mentioned that GSD&M mentors all small and diverse business concerns that seek their help with an overarching intent to enable underrepresented vendor partners to gain valuable assistance through mentoring and advocacy that will enhance and improve their capabilities and growth potential. They also understand that Black entrepreneurs continue to face challenges and barriers in getting access to capital. “Our mentoring efforts provide a platform for Black business owners to tell their stories and share their competences.”
According to Rutherford, the Capital One | GSD&M | Mindful Media Mentoring Project was client specific for a Black-owned business of their choice. “We reached out to our regional NMSDC (National Minority Supplier Development Council), the Southwest Minority Supplier Development Council (SMSDC) to help us vet a worthy vendor partner. Mindful Media, a certified MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) digital content creation company, was recommended as the best mentoring candidate for this endeavor.”
Rutherford acknowledged that analysis and getting a good understanding of Mindful Media’s needs was a critical part of the mentorship process. “We recruited a brilliant team of GSD&Mers to help craft the deliverables sought by Kara Elyse Henderson, founder and creative director of Mindful Media. It was important to all involved parties that autonomy of charting their own path was critical to augmenting their existing structure and future strategic growth and objectives,” he said.
Mentorship programs can play a pivotal role in the personal and professional development of an individual. GSD&M’s VP/Account Director Jodi Bucciarelli agreed to be project lead and liaison with Henderson to help build their brand as a premier partner and provider of digital content creation. A reporting structure with meetings and timelines was established. All parties involved agreed to be active participants, define goals and planned tasks, attend scheduled meetings, brainstorm ideas, and follow-through on all items to ensure deliverance of the metrics and milestones for a successful mentorship project from branding, business plan, finances, website and project management. “Mindful Media’s goals were priority number one,” said Bucciarelli.
Henderson attested that one of the most significant benefits was the face time and real conversations with experienced talent across GSD&M’s departments. Guidance from senior leadership, including the chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as well as from the web development, social, production, and project management teams, resulted in clear feedback and direction informing her company’s internal and external operations.
“Getting executive, senior, and leaders of practice areas total buy-in for support of this project was a phenomenal success. Their willingness to unconditionally and genuinely share their time, resources, knowledge, and wisdom was extremely refreshing,” said Henderson.
Moving forward, GSD&M will continue to provide support whenever needed throughout Mindful Media’s journey as a startup to being able to be a company that can scale and meet targeted growth areas. “We aspire and constantly seek to identify potential opportunities for our diverse vendor partners. We are hopeful that this mentoring project becomes a north star to other fledgling entrepreneurs in the advertising industry’s ecosystem like Mindful Media,” said Rutherford.
LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE IN ARTS AND DISABILITY (LEAD®)
The program advances the full inclusion of people with disabilities in arts and culture. With a focus on expanding the breadth and scope of accessible programming, LEAD provides an opportunity for professionals in the field to develop best practices and resources, engage in conversations with colleagues and experts from around the world, and learn practical methods for designing inclusive arts experiences and environments.
