MindFrame Connect Final Program Evaluation

While mentorship is widely recognized as a vital support mechanism that offers guidance, knowledge sharing, and access to networks, mentorship programs for entrepreneurs often overlook the skills needed to build effective and trusting relationships. Structured training that addresses communication, power dynamics, and goal setting is often absent, limiting the potential impact of mentorship, especially for equity-deserving groups who may require different strategies to build trust and navigate systemic barriers. Entrepreneurs also face high levels of stress, uncertainty, and failure, making psychological skills like resilience an indispensable characteristic for them to cultivate. 

MindFrame Connect, launched in 2021 by Dalhousie University and funded by the Future Skills Centre, was developed to address these gaps by offering training in mentorship and resilience through virtual and in-person workshops and eCourses. The program was designed to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of entrepreneurs, while also responding to long-standing gaps in mentorship practices. It draws on research across sectors and disciplines to emphasize core principles of effective mentorship and the psychological skills needed to sustain entrepreneurial wellbeing. 

This evaluation builds on the earlier interim assessment of the MindFrame program, which reviewed data from learning sessions delivered in 2022–2023. It examines participation and outcomes from both synchronous and asynchronous delivery formats held between January 2023 and December 2024. During this period, the program engaged over 3,000 attendees through live workshops and 480 learners through its self-paced eCourses.

A key learning from the evaluation of the program was the importance of designing data collection processes that are aligned with evaluation goals. Limited access to participant information and the lack of key demographic and business data made it challenging to assess engagement, measure impact, and understand the experiences of equity-deserving groups.