Women in Big Data Podcast: Career, Big Data & Analytics Insights

23. Mentoring: Meet Them Where They Are - A Talk With Deborah Sgro (Beyond The Glass Ceiling & Women In Big Data) & Erika Lunceford (RBC Capital Markets)

• Desiree Timmermans • Episode 23

Share episode

Listen and get insights into "Mentoring - Meet Them Where They Are" in this talk with Deborah Sgro and Erika Lunceford. Deborah is the founder of Beyond Glass Ceiling and Global Mentoring Director at Women in Big Data, as well as an advisory board member. Erica is leading to transformation and delivery for City National Bank at RBC Capital Markets.

In this episode you will get insight into the impact and success of the Women in Big Data Global Mentoring Initiative, as it marks its 5th anniversary in 2026. The conversation covers the mentoring program's start and the results from its first multi-year study: mentors and mentees profiles, categories, and feedback, and expected program improvements based on lessons learned. Additionally, our guest also share their career insights.

"Technology is gonna change. We've seen it change a lot in our lives. And, it's going to continue to do so. And so it's important to know how to learn new technical skills, but the focus of the mentoring oftentimes needs to be more on the strategy. So that's my favorite part of mentoring, is really helping people step back: look at where they are, and think strategically about where they wanna go, and a plan that fits who they are at that point in time." - Erika Lunceford.

Guest Info


Hey There! Become a supporter by clicking the link above and help us create great Women In Big Data Content for listeners everywhere who want to learn about Career Insights and how to harness the power of Big Data and Analytics to stay ahead of the curve, drive innovation, and create a better future for all.

Mentoring Program - Women in Big Data
Mentoring is essential to success at every stage of a women’s career, both as a mentee and mentor. The many WiBD mentoring programs are open to WiBD members and cover opportunities for junior, mid-career, and senior women in technology. Not yet a member? No worries. By joining a mentoring program, you automatically become a WiBD member. Both membership and mentoring are free of charge.


Website: Women in Big Data Podcast
LinkedIn: Follow - Women in Big Data
Contact us: datawomen@protonmail.com

[00:00:00] Intro: Hello, welcome to the Women in Big Data Podcast where we talk about big data analytics and career topics. We do this to connect, engage, grow, and champion the success of Women in Big Data. 

"Technology is gonna change. We've seen it change a lot in our lives. And it's going to continue to do so. And so it's important to know how to learn new technical skills, but the focus of the mentoring oftentimes needs to be more on the strategy. So, that's my favorite part of mentoring, is really helping people step back, look at where they're at, and think strategically about where they wanna go and a. Plan that fits who they are at that point in time." - Erika Lunceford

In this episode, we talk with Deb Sgro and Erika Lunceford about Mentoring: Meet Them Where They Are. Deborah is the founder of Beyond Glass Ceiling and Global Mentoring Director at Women in Big Data, as well as an advisory board member. Erika is leading to transformation and delivery for City National Bank at RBC Capital Markets.

Let's start.

[00:01:12] Desiree: So, Deb, Erika, welcome to the Women in Big Data Podcast. Today we're gonna talk about the Women in Big Data Global Mentoring Initiative. I understand that next year it'll be the 5th anniversary. Congratulations to both of you. 

So, Deb, why did you start with this mentoring initiative? 

[00:01:30] Deborah: Well, first let me say thank you, Desiree. It really is an honor to be speaking with you again. 

From the earliest days going back to when Women in Big Data was organizing themselves, they recognized the critical role of mentorship and how it assists women's success at every stage of their career. The founders, and particularly the Global Mentoring Initiative executive sponsor Tina Tang, made sure that the mission included statements about high quality mentoring.

Let me tell you about how this particular initiative got started. Erika and I are both members of Women in Big Data, but our friendship goes back to when we worked together on the same team at BNY Mellon. And we had the opportunity not only to work together, but to serve on a committee to launch executive sponsor programs for women in technology.

Now when I've retired in 2020, Erika invited me to join Women in Big Data's Bay Area chapter which she was co-leading at the time, and suggested that we start a mentoring program. And at that time, mentoring was an initiative from the various chapters. There was really no central or global mentoring effort.

So, we launched a peer group mentoring program and it went really well. And not too long after that launch, some of the folks on the board of directors reached out and asked me to lead an effort to create a proposal for a Global Mentoring Initiative. Erika and others joined on that team, and in October of 2021, the board approved our plan.

The first mentoring program that was rolled out was on International Women's Day in March of 2022, and we've been going strong ever since. It is a global initiative, and we offer three mentoring sessions every year: one starting in February, another in June, and then the third in October. 

During these sessions, a variety of different programs and events are offered. For example, the traditional one-on-one mentoring programs, peer group circles, speed mentoring events. Those are the types of things that one could choose from. It really has been an incredible growth: both for the program and for the people involved. And I say that with confidence because we have some data behind a statement like that.

So, let me ask Erika to continue the story by talking about the recent study that we conducted this summer. 

[00:04:49] Desiree: I'm excited to hear all about it. Erika, go ahead. 

[00:04:53] Erika: Yeah, so thanks so much for having us, Desiree. It's really nice to be here. 

Over the past few months, we completed our first multi-year study on the impact of our mentoring programs. And it was a chance for us to step back and really see what our alumni have experienced since their participation.

So, we wanted to understand how people were growing over time, not just during the sessions and getting their immediately feedback, but to see what types of impacts - or more accurately experiences - they had over that time. And it was incredibly helpful to understand the impact and see how we can double down on success for the program itself.

We were looking for the real career moments, including promotions, new roles, shifts into different fields or landing their first tech job. Now we saw great outcomes and experiences. Alumni share that they had gained practical skills like leadership, communication, and proactively navigating their careers.

A lot of people talked about feeling more confident and more willing to take on responsibilities or stretch into unfamiliar areas. And just as important, many talked about the relationships they built and the community they stayed connected to. So, some even came back as mentors, which really shows how the program builds a cycle of support from being a mentee and then going into being a mentor.

What we took away from this study is a clear understanding of the program's real community-wide impact. So, for example, the respondents expanded or strengthened their network that applies to interpersonal skills. And overall study confirm that mentoring when structured well and delivered with intention creates lasting benefits in people's careers, confidence and sense of community.

[00:06:41] Desiree: Well that's wonderful. What good that you did the research and what the great result. 

So Erika, who are the participants, mentors, and the mentees participating in the Women in Big Data Mentoring Initiative? 

[00:06:54] Erika: So, our mentors are mid- and senior-level women in technology, many with advanced degrees and 10 to 20 years of experience.

Our mentees are primarily early career women and graduate students, also highly educated, who are building skills or transitioning into tech. And the community is truly global. One mentee who had just completed her PhD and was struggling to break into data science, said her mentor helped rebuild her confidence and prepare for interviews. She landed her first data science job, and today she's a seniors data scientist at a major US utility. 

And then from the mentor perspective, we had one participant with 20 years of experience, and she described mentoring four women from around the world and continuing to collaborate with them afterward. She said the experience strengthened her leadership, expanded her cross-cultural network and introduced her to peers she never would've met otherwise. 

And so together the demographics and personal stories illustrate both who our alumni are and the lasting impact this program has on mentees and mentors across the globe.

[00:08:07] Desiree: Well, thanks for that. 

Deb, something you would like to add, because I understood the participants have different categories? 

[00:08:14] Deborah: Yeah, there's a variety of folks who seek us out. Let's talk about it from the mentee's point of view. 

Some folks are beginners. They're just getting started in a data or tech related field, looking for guidance how to get started. And some people are starting at the point of exploring: what are the possibilities, what are the options, are those options right for me? Other folks may have an idea, they might wanna get into data analysis, data science. They want to know what's required: can they do this with or without a master's degree? So they're looking to understand what is expected to be able to secure a career of their choice. In addition to building their confidence and learning how to navigate the workplace culture. That's one segment of folks who would seek us out.

Another are what we call returners. And these are folks who have come back after a voluntary or involuntary career break. What they want is to be able to reconnect, rebuild their networks, update their skills so that they can move again back into the work world. 

A third group are referred to as pivoters. These are professionals making a transition from one field to another. I am surprised by how many people came to our mentoring programs who had well established careers in other fields - whether it be pharmaceuticals or education or academia - and they're looking to apply that sector knowledge into data science and AI and using or combining those two areas. So those are the pivoters, looking for how can they transfer the skills and knowledge they have into a new role or a new vehicle. 

And then finally, there's the advancers. And these are folks who have already established their career identity: they know what their career choice is. And they're preparing to take steps to move forward. Very often they come to the mentoring program because they're looking to develop a strategic approach to their career plan. So that's the who. 

Let me tell you about the why: why some people would join and explore opportunities through the mentoring program? Some are looking for in-depth information about a particular area, machine learning, AI governance, cybersecurity, while others are more focused on developing skills like technical team management, self-advocacy, job searching, or as I mentioned before, developing an overall career plan. 

It's been amazing to hear what people are drawn to. And each one of them has a unique story. So I'd like to share two stories that came out from the recent study. 

One is a mentor from Canada. And she is a digital product manager, has 15 plus years of professional experience in that field and she tells us: being a Women in Big Data mentor since 2022 has been incredibly rewarding in that the program had expanded her network, deepened her strategic thinking and strengthened her ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity while giving back. And of course that has been a repeated response that we hear from the mentors: the ability to give back often comes through clearly. 

And a mentee in South Africa with five years experience, who is working as an Innovation Associate at EY tells us: being a part of this program shed so much light on the importance of soft skills in technical roles. She tells us that her mentor was exceptional at developing these skills in her simply by creating an opportunity for robust conversation that challenged her way of thinking and her approach to work. So those are really heartwarming feedbacks to get. 

[00:13:37] Desiree: Well, It's great to get such feedback. I can imagine that it motivates you. 

[00:13:41] Deborah: It certainly does motivate to keep going to do this again and again, and to see how people participate, engage, and what they're able to take away from it. 

[00:13:54] Desiree: And for instance, what are the lessons learned for you from this study and does it have an impact on your approach to mentorship?

[00:14:01] Deborah: It was very rewarding to see the evidence that what we thought was happening as far as benefit, quality, engagement was actually happening. That was substantiated not only for the individual sessions people were encountering, but that it had that carryover effect. That's what we really wanted out of these programs, is that it could carryover into people's careers.

One of the things I realized from the feedback was that the mentors and the mentees both come with a wide range of opportunities and outlets that they're looking for. And some of them can be satisfied through the mentoring program. We're able to provide them with those opportunities. 

Some of them are outside of the capability or the mission of the mentoring program. And what that taught me, which I need to do more of, is cultivate channels between the mentoring participants and other Women in Big Data initiatives. For example, the DataCamp program for technical skill development, the hackathons, the AI for Healthcare. And also just reading recently in a Women in Big Data newsletter about a new initiative: AI for Cybersecurity. What this told me from the study, my job is to make sure that the mentoring population knows about these programs and make the connections for them. 

[00:16:08] Desiree: So, then everything comes together, all the initiatives from Women in Big Data 

[00:16:13] Deborah: Right. Without each of us trying to duplicate what's already being offered. 

Desiree, there was one other lesson that I took away from that, and it was the confirmation that mentoring program development is iterative. As a program developer, we started with a one-on-one mentoring program, mentor-mentee. And then we added peer group mentoring. And then later we introduced speed mentoring events. These are single events, about 75, 90 minutes and of course done virtually where mentors will volunteer and be put into a cohort with three, four, maybe five mentees, and they meet for a certain amount of time. And then they go to another group. So, then the mentees will go to another mentor. They get the benefit, both of the attention and feedback from the mentor. Equally as important, they get the attention and the feedback from the other mentees in the cohort. They're all responding to each other, drawing out areas of concern or suggesting: well, let me tell you how I handled that situation. 

You had asked me about what kinds of things we might be doing next. And one thing that occurred to me is I'm thinking about offering Mentoring office hours. Mentoring office hours would be like a drop in, or facilitated discussion, for anybody who shows up at that time to get feedback or information when they need it. It's an on demand kind of situation. 

[00:18:14] Desiree: I think it's a great initiative. It's easy also for people to participate in office hours, and if you have a question that you know: oh, I can ask that question. 

[00:18:24] Deborah: Right. Meeting people where they are, that's been important for us in the Mentoring Initiative.

[00:18:32] Desiree: Okay. 

And Erika, for you, the lessons learned?

[00:18:33] Erika: I worked with Deb early on and we did some of the mentoring itself, and she's obviously the one who's been carrying this program forward. So I'm speaking more from a mentoring perspective and just how powerful it can be because I think it's really important for people to consider how they work this into their career. It teaches them just as much as it teaches the person that they're helping. 

So there's two main things I've really learned from the mentoring. The first is that most people are trying to get their careers better managed. And they often start by focusing on technical skills. So they think: oh, I need the latest this or the latest that. And the real growth in their career happens when they connect that to their business context and the softer skills that make someone effective in an organization. So, how do they work with other people? What are they able to do to influence? Those are the types of skills that really move your career along.

Technology is gonna change. We've seen it change a lot in our lives, and it's gonna continue to do so. And so it's important to know how to learn new technical skills, but the focus of the mentoring oftentimes needs to be more on the strategy. So, that's my favorite part of mentoring, is really helping people step back, look at where they're at, and think strategically about where they want to go, and a plan that fits who they're at that point in time so you also evolve. 

So, Deb was talking about how the mentoring program is iterative. Also, your career is iterative. At certain points in time, maybe you suddenly have small children and you need a certain type of support in your career. Once you become an empty nester, maybe you wanna do something else. So those are examples of where your life evolves. And so you might wanna repeat mentoring programs or pick up mentoring when you're going through those things in your life. 

The second thing I learned is how much mentoring helps me as the mentor. It reminds me of the lessons I've received throughout my own career, and it helps me put those pieces together for someone else. And that then makes me better because it reminds me to use those skills. Sometimes you forget to use a skill. And when you start to talk to somebody about the skill, you're like: oh, you know what, I could use it over here in something I'm dealing with right now. And then I always encourage people to really mentor someone. That's the gift of it, is that you get to give and receive at the same time. 

[00:21:09] Desiree: It's always nice to pay it forward 

[00:21:11] Deborah: To the point that Erika just made, we often will say to the mentors: this is an excellent opportunity for you to develop your talent development skills, which is something that technical managers are often looked to do. 

[00:21:27] Erika: I think one other thing to add to that, that Deb and I have talked about is how when you mentor, it builds your network too, because you're actually meeting new people by doing this mentoring process across to other mentors as well as the mentees themselves.

[00:21:43] Desiree: I can recognize what you said, Erika. 

So I also have some other questions for both of you, some lightning questions. So Deb, who's a Women in Big Data that you admire and why? 

[00:21:54] Deborah: I admire the "only's". The only woman in the statistics class, the only woman in the research lab, the only woman in a meeting or a boardroom. Unfortunately, that's still a reality for many of us. So I admire them. 

[00:22:15] Desiree: And Erika, who's a Woman in Big Data that you admire and why? 

[00:22:19] Erika: Well, I actually think that Deb is a person I admire very much. And I know she's very humble and so I appreciate that about her. And she always listens really well and is thoughtful then in her response and structures things in such a nice way. And that's been when I worked with her in finance, in delivering technology to banks. And then now with this program. She really thinks about things and she comes up with things that are very reliable and are doable, and she has good judgment on how all that gets put together. So I've loved working with that.

[00:22:58] Deborah: Well, thank you for those kind words, Erika. I greatly appreciate that.

[00:23:02] Desiree: I agree with Erika. You're very thoughtful and structured. 

So my next question is, Erika, what is the best career advice you have ever received? 

[00:23:11] Erika: I had a manager when I was kind of earlier on in my career, and he gave me some really good advice about creating something. So, some of us we like everything to be perfect, and you try to put this thing together. And then two things happen. One is it's not quite what people expected, or two, you just get a barrage of feedback and it can make you feel a certain way if you've put a huge amount of effort into making it what you consider to be perfect.

And he said that don't go for the A, go for the high C or B. And then get people's feedback to make it an A. It taught me some really valuable stuff. One is that something's never done until you've involved other people. It's not done until then. And secondly, that's a way to make sure that your product is not only as good as it can be, but you also protect yourself because you feel better about it when people give you feedback. You want that feedback to make it an A versus being like: I did all this effort and now people are telling me I need to change this, that, and the other. So, it made me a much more balanced person in the way that I approach things. And I think that was one of the best career advices.

[00:24:27] Desiree: And Deb, what is the best career advice you've ever received?

[00:24:30] Deborah: The best career advice I'd say would be summarized in something I heard someone say: we're all in business for ourselves, whether we're working for a company on a team. In addition, we are in business for ourselves, advancing our careers. And that struck me at the time that I heard that. I never really thought of that since my focus was very much on collaboration, teamwork, moving the group ahead, all of that. And this acted as a very nice balance for me that in addition to making sure the group is successful that I am successful. And that my aspirations are known and accomplished, that I am able to enjoy what I'm doing. It really put me on a road of thinking that led to studying and understanding skills like self-advocacy and being able to know what my worth was. And more importantly, helped me develop the ability to communicate my worth and value. So this whole idea of we're in business for ourselves and recognizing that and accepting that as part of what I do was very transformational for me. 

[00:26:10] Desiree: Okay. 

So, then my last lightning question, Deb: what three ingredients go into your successful career recipe?

[00:26:17] Deborah: When I retired from financial technology, one of the things I did do was get certified as a career coach. And in that training I came across a lot of literature that talked about three components that we need to cultivate to be successful. The three components are: continually renewing and refreshing one's technical, professional skillset. And for many of us, that's where we stop. We think that's the only coin of currency we need. 

The second one is expanding my interpersonal skills, whether they be communication, leadership, influencing negotiation. A wide variety of interpersonal skills and different skills needed in different levels of one's career and in different situations.

And then the third one - which is the one that unfortunately we are not made aware of until too late - that is developing business acumen skills: understanding how one's business works, how they make their money, who their customers are, what are the challenges, obstacles, competition in one's industry or sector, and how to make decisions based on financial information.

So those are the three I always keep an eye on: technical professional skills, interpersonal skills, and business acumen skills. 

[00:28:04] Desiree: And Erika, if you have to add three ingredients, what will go into our recipe? 

[00:28:08] Erika: I really think it's about curiosity. Always asking questions, wondering why something is the way it's. And a lot of that links to what Deb was talking about with business acumen. That's how you build your business acumen, is you ask people questions, not just about their technical skills, but also about the business itself. 

The second thing is collaboration. So, you have to work with other people. It's about negotiating with people. It's about understanding how to bring value. Then that collaboration leads to alignment.

So alignment would be my third. How do you align things either where you can do one thing and you get value for two, or you can align across an organization and get people to work together. So, there's all sorts of different ways to align and always looking for those opportunities of alignment. 

So it's really those three things: the curiosity, the collaboration, and the alignment Is what I say has been the key ingredients to my career. 

[00:29:05] Desiree: Well, I love both your ingredients. 

So, anything else you would like to add, Erika, because you are already coming to the end of the podcast?

[00:29:13] Erika: I would just like to re-encourage everybody: if you can mentor and if you're at a turning point in your life, become a mentee. And it doesn't matter what stage of growth you're at. I think being a mentee can always help. I've actually seen examples of what they call reverse mentoring, which is, and they call it that because a senior executive will get mentored by an intern for an extreme example, right? And what that senior executive is learning from that intern is maybe new skills or how a new generation thinks, and how to better manage or bring those people into their organization. So, you can always learn something and be a mentee at any stage in your career. 

[00:29:56] Desiree: That's really nice. 

And for you, Deb?

[00:29:59] Deborah: I'd like to thank all of the mentors, the allies and the Women in Big Data community for partnering in this effort. And a special thanks to the Women in Big Data leadership for supporting the work that's being done. 

[00:30:20] Desiree: Well, thank you for that. 

And Deb, Erika, I would like to thank you for your time, for your insights, and for sharing your expertise. Thank you very much. 

[00:30:39] Outro: Thanks for listening to the Women in Big Data Podcast. For more information and episodes, subscribe to the show, or contact us via datawomen@protonmail.com 

Tune in next time!

Head Shot

Désiré Timmermans

Host
Head Shot

Deborah Sgro

Guest
Head Shot

Erika Lunceford

Guest