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Mentoring

You don't have to figure it all out alone.

Margarita Dautova presenting at a Thrive with Mentoring Structured Networking Event, with the quote “We don't have to do all of it alone. We were never meant to.”

Sometimes, we get lucky with a manager.

Someone who sees our potential.

Who gives us honest, constructive feedback.

Who challenges us when we're playing too small.

Who cares about us as a person, not only as an employee.

But often, that's not the reality.

And if you're a business owner, freelancer or self-employed professional, the role of a manager is vacant by default.

So how do you keep growing?

Someone whose shoulders you can stand on.

I've always believed in mentoring.

For me, a great mentor is someone who has already walked part of the path you're trying to find your way through.

Someone whose shoulders you can stand on to see a little further.

Someone who can share experience without telling you what to do. Who can challenge you and care about you at the same time. Who asks the question you hadn't thought of. Who helps you see possibilities that are difficult to see from where you currently stand.

The best mentoring relationships I've experienced have had both generosity and challenge in them.

Sometimes, one good conversation with the right person can change the way you see what's possible.

This is why I've always built mentoring into my work.

Earlier in my career, I was fortunate to design and build internal mentoring programmes in the organizations where I worked.

I loved creating the conditions for people to find the right person to learn from — and then watching those relationships develop.

Mentoring has always felt to me like one of the most human ways of supporting growth.

So when I became self-employed, I didn't want to leave that part of my professional life behind.

I wanted to continue building it.

A box of chocolates each labeled with a word like Confidence, Clarity, Courage and Growth, with a note reading 'Pick the word (chocolate) you need most right now'

Thrive with Mentoring

A community where women grow through each other.

In 2025, I joined Thrive with Mentoring as a volunteer Cohort Leader in Munich.

In 2026, we launched our first Munich cohort.

Women from the Thrive with Mentoring Munich cohort gathered together at a networking event

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women in our first Munich cohort (2026) — mentors and mentees, different careers, industries, experiences and ambitions.

What connects them is a willingness to share what they know, ask for support, and help someone else move forward.

Thrive is a global non-profit that connects women with experienced mentors through structured six-month mentoring programmes, alongside learning events, community and a network that continues beyond the individual mentoring relationship. Thrive currently has a presence in 20+ cities and has facilitated more than 1,700 one-to-one mentoring relationships.

Learn more about Thrive with Mentoring →

Women don't have to grow alone.

What makes Thrive different?

A real mentoring relationship

You are matched with an experienced mentor based on your goals, needs and experience. The relationship then develops around what matters to you.

Six months of intentional growth

The core programme provides a structured six-month mentoring journey, with regular one-to-one sessions and support throughout the cohort.

More than the one-to-one relationship

The mentoring relationship sits within a wider community, with learning and networking opportunities that allow participants to connect beyond their mentor or mentee.

A community built on generosity

Thrive is grounded in the principle of radical generosity: sharing experience, knowledge, connections and support without keeping score.

Thrive might be for you if…

You're at a point of growth.

You know you want to develop, but you're not sure what your next level looks like yet.

You're navigating a transition.

A new role, a new country, a career change, entrepreneurship or a completely new chapter.

You want perspective from someone who's been there.

Not another course. Not another framework. A real person who can share what they have learned from experience.

You want to be challenged.

You're looking for someone who will ask difficult questions, offer an honest perspective and help you stretch beyond what feels familiar.

You also want to give back.

Mentoring isn't only about what you receive. Many mentors join because they want to share what they've learned and contribute to someone else's growth. Thrive's programme is designed to create value for both mentees and mentors.

Margarita Dautova wearing a Cohort Lead / Mentee name badge at a Thrive with Mentoring event

The Munich cohort

There is something particularly special about meeting people in person.

The Munich cohort brings together women from different professional backgrounds and stages of their careers, creating relationships that can extend well beyond the six-month mentoring journey.

The launch, networking moments and closing event give the cohort opportunities to meet not only their mentoring partner, but the wider community around them.

And as a Cohort Leader, I get to help create the conditions for those connections to happen.

That's the part I love most.

Get involved

Three ways to be part of this.

Join

2027 Munich cohort

We're preparing for the next Munich cohort. Registration will open soon — join the pre-registration list and we'll contact you in November 2026 with the next steps.

No commitment — just an early place in the conversation.

Join the pre-registration list

Lead

Become a Cohort Leader

As the Munich community grows, we're looking for an additional person to join the Cohort Leadership Team and help us shape the next launch — a chance to build community, develop your leadership through practice, and work with a global organization.

Learn more about the role

Create

Photographer collaboration

We're also looking for a photographer who would enjoy collaborating with us and being part of our in-person events in Munich — someone who likes capturing people, connection and real moments.

Get in touch

Growth was never meant to happen in isolation.

A manager can support you.

A coach can give you space to think.

A mentor can help you see further because they've already walked some of the road ahead.

And a community can remind you that you're not walking it alone.

That's why mentoring matters to me.