Call for Mentors: Empowering Immigrant Entrepreneurs in Toronto
Priority Application Deadline: October 9, 2026*
*Applications received after this date may be considered if mentor positions remain available.
Are you an entrepreneur, retired business owner, or business professional passionate about sharing your experience and giving back to your community?
Enterprise Bridge Toronto is seeking experienced entrepreneurs, retired business owners, and business professionals to mentor emerging immigrant entrepreneurs as they navigate the early stages of starting and growing their businesses.
About
Enterprise Bridge Toronto is a program offered by the Global Migration Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, designed to empower immigrant entrepreneurs through training, mentoring, consulting, and community connections that help create sustainable new businesses. This program is hosted in partnership with the University of Notre Dame’s Urban Poverty and Business Initiative (UPBI) (external link) to tackle urban poverty in Toronto through entrepreneurship.
What are the goals of this mentorship program?
The mentor is a guide for the mentee-entrepreneur to help them think through the various aspects of their business plan, solidify direction and strategy, or offer advice and guidance on their business operations.
The mentorship is part of a multi-phase program that helps mentees who are emerging entrepreneurs build financially sustainable businesses.
Each mentor will be paired with a mentee, who will have completed a 6-week Entrepreneurship Training Bootcamp, where they were introduced to the major areas of business: finances, strategic thinking, finding resources, marketing, and operations.
What is the time commitment for Mentors?
The mentoring phase runs from January to April 2027. We recommend that you meet with your mentee regularly throughout the four-month period, for example, through biweekly meetings (every two weeks) of about one hour. Meetings can be in person or virtual, depending on what works best for you and your mentee. You and your mentee can adjust the schedule together as needed throughout the mentoring period.
What will Mentors receive?
This is a volunteer opportunity, and your contribution will help emerging newcomer entrepreneurs build their businesses and succeed. We will provide a mentorship orientation package before the program begins to help you get started. At the end of the mentoring period, mentors will receive a small token of appreciation for their time and contribution.
Are there any eligibility requirements for the Mentor?
We welcome individuals who have experience starting or running a business or previous experience mentoring entrepreneurs in Canada.
For more information or questions, please email global.migration@torontomu.ca indicating Enterprise Bridge Mentors in the subject line.