Wevise’s many dedicated volunteers have worked tirelessly over the last several months to make June 3’s Chicago TechPath Alliance kickoff event a reality. Among those passionate volunteers is Wevise CEO Janice Levenhagen, whose vision of partnering with nonprofits and corporations to jump-start careers in tech came to fruition at the event.
“It was a lot of fun seeing everyone take part and seem fully engaged and excited to be there,” she said. Thanks to Janice and Wevise’s efforts, the event saw participation from dozens of mentors and mentees, as well as keynote speeches, breakout sessions and speed networking led by some of Chicago’s foremost leaders in tech, innovation, and community mentorship.
Speakers included Kate Liebelt, an executive at Genentech-Roche, and Bevon Joseph, a Chicago community organizer who has helped hundreds of under-served children in the city find careers in finance. Their messages, focused on empowerment, access, and the value of mentorship, resonated deeply with attendees, Janice said.
“You have people here who have never been mentored or have never known that mentoring was a possibility, and they are seeing firsthand how impactful it can be in their lives.”
She also noted that the speed networking in particular seemed to be popular with participants. It was extremely well-received, allowing mentors and mentees to maximize the chance to meet a large number of people in a short amount of time. She noted that networking can be difficult, especially for under-represented groups, so having a chance to come face-to-face with a potentially helpful mentor, even for just a few minutes, is completely invaluable.
“It’s really special not only to see both the mentors and mentees genuinely engaged, but also to notice how all the work we’ve done at Wevise and with our partners is paying off in real time,” Janice said.
Thanks to the work of Janice, the Wevise team, and their community partners, the Chicago TechPath Alliance kickoff has laid a strong foundation for an inclusive and action-driven mentoring initiative. With future events already in the works, the momentum continues, with an open invitation to all who believe in the power of connection to create change.
