Everyone deals with challenges throughout their career, from conquering self-doubt to upskilling and taking on new responsibilities while aiming for a promotion. Sometimes, you’re forced to confront those hurdles on your own. But what if there were an easy way to link up with someone who’d already faced similar obstacles, and come out the other side with valuable advice to share?

That’s the idea behind Pay-it-Forward, a new global Avanade platform designed to connect mentors and mentees so they can learn from each other, share experiences and develop professional skills. Sponsored by the Women’s Employee Network, the platform is geared toward helping all Avanade employees – especially women – form meaningful connections while advancing their careers.

“We wanted to support others, as we know women face a number of hurdles and challenges,” says Magda Amegashitsi, who worked alongside Alessandra Ercolei, Anastasia Kartashyan, Juan Idowu and Niquee Branca to build Pay-it-Forward. “If I was able to overcome one of those challenges, or if I had a strength in a certain area, I should be able to use that knowledge to help someone else in return.”

Here’s how it works: Potential mentors and mentees register on the platform by completing a brief intake form, which asks them to share their goals, core values, areas of expertise and any skills they’re looking to improve. From there, program participants are matched as mentors and mentees. The mentorship program runs for three months, during which time the mentors and mentees meet regularly, establish activities related to the mentees’ goals, tackle any ongoing challenges and celebrate their achievements. At the end of the process, both participants emerge with new lessons to carry with them throughout their careers.

The initial idea for Pay-it-Forward was developed in 2022, when several of the women were participating in the six-month Avanade Leadership Program for Women and reflecting on their positive experiences with mentorship. In search of funding, they presented the concept to Avanade Chief Financial Officer and Global Women’s Employee Network Executive Sonia Webb, who “loved the idea,” Magda says.

From there, they outsourced additional talent to help bring the idea to life. Niquee took on the development process, while Anastasia and Juan – who developed an idea for a similar platform as winners of the 2023 International Women’s Day hackathon – joined the team soon after. The team credits Niquee for bringing an extra layer of dedication to the project, working with a small team of developers in Collaboration Solutions Studio team to transform Pay-it-Forward from an idea into a fully realized platform.

“I got so excited when Magda came to me with the idea,” Niquee explains. “As she was explaining it to me, I already started designing the structure for the platform in my head – I knew I wanted to be a part of it right away.”

Pay-it-Forward officially launched in early March, just in time for International Women’s Day. The finished product contains not only the functionalities for the mentorship program, but a host of educational features – including articles, inspiring videos from Avanade leaders and mentorship success stories.

Eventually, the team would like to expand access to people outside Avanade – like university students in the Avanade STEM Program – but for now, everyone within the company is encouraged to get involved as a mentor or mentee. Their only ask? Take some time to think about how you can use your new skills to uplift someone else, whether that means sharing your experiences or becoming a mentor yourself.

“Once you use [the platform], you should be able to pay it forward,” Magda says. “You have to be prepared to help someone in return.”

How a group of Avanade women built a brand-new platform for career mentorship