Mentorship Program
About the Chapter Mentorship Program |
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The PMI San Diego Mentorship program has been recognized at PMI North America Leadership Institute Meeting in 2025 as embodying the PMI Culture Values of Be Welcoming and Aim Higher. Chapter members who are ready to make meaningful progress toward a professional goal will have the opportunity to work with experienced mentors in a structured, outcome-based format. There is no charge to apply or participate in the mentorship program, if selected. Mentees must have an active PMI-SD membership.
Registration is now open for the Fall 2026 Cohort. Please go to the Coaching Pods page for more information.
What is a Mentor?
A mentor is an experienced project management professional who volunteers to facilitate a Coaching Pod. Mentors guide structured group discussions, support mentees in defining and pursuing their professional goals, and create an environment of accountability and peer learning.
What is a Mentee?
A mentee is an active PMI San Diego Chapter member who wants to make meaningful progress toward a defined professional goal. Mentees may be early-career PMs, experienced practitioners navigating a transition, or professionals looking to develop specific skills or confidence.
How does the group mentorship program work?
Coaching Pods — A group mentorship format using an Outcome-Based Mentoring (OBM) approach. One experienced mentor works with 4–5 mentees over a 7-week cohort. Each mentee defines a professional goal and works toward it through structured weekly sessions, peer accountability, and mentor guidance. Coaching Pods are offered twice per year (Spring and Fall). Fall 2026 registration is now open. Refer to the Coaching pods page to register.
Mentors draw on their experience to guide discussions, ask strong questions, and point mentees toward relevant resources. Mentees share their experiences, take action between sessions, and support one another’s progress. The pod format creates peer learning that extends beyond what any single mentor-mentee pair could produce.
Mentors and mentees will be requested to provide feedback about their mentorship experience and lessons learned to the mentorship committee.
Contact Information
For any questions contact: [email protected]
What Participants Are Saying
Johanna Schnell, Mentee (Spring 2026 Coaching Pod, May 2026)
"Couldn't recommend the mentorship program more! From the small group sizes to engaging activities, what a great opportunity to learn, grow, and network. Thanks PMI-SD and all the mentors for making this possible!"
"I joined the San Diego chapter because I saw it was active and this mentorship program was offered. I'm very grateful for my mentor's time and the coordinators who matched me with a group that fit so well. This has encouraged me to get more involved locally — thank you PMI-SD!"
"The PMI San Diego mentorship program was a transformative experience. My mentor’s real-world insights and strategic guidance helped me shift from tactical project execution to thinking like a CEO. Her commitment including offering 1:1 sessions when I missed group meetings made me feel truly supported. I gained clarity, confidence, and a deeper understanding of how to lead with impact. I’m grateful for the community and excited to stay involved as a volunteer."
"PMI San Diego’s mentoring program was an impactful experience towards my professional development. Valuable nuggets of wisdom and actionable strategies/skills were provided by our mentor, Vanessa Bourgeois, who created psychological safety to make this short time truly meaningful. I would recommend this program and community of professionals.">
"This program was invaluable and I am so grateful that I was able to take advantage of this opportunity. Not only did I expand my network and grown my PM community, I have been able to take away various perspectives that have been inspiring to me in my journey. Additionally, there are things I learned in this POD from my mentor and other group members alike. If I can commit to timing and schedule in the future this is absolutely something I will continue to be a part of. Well done!"
"The best moments are when something clicks for a mentee — they take an idea, try it at work the following week, and come back having had success. That's when you know the effort was worth it."
"PMI-SD is a very active chapter. I enjoy volunteering with this chapter very much. The mentoring director is very engaging and supportive throughout the program, which is commendable. This program is benefiting mentees in achieving their objectives. I will continue to volunteer."
"I am happy that I volunteered as a mentor at the PMI SD 2024 Fall Coaching Pods. The pod and I brought topics of interest in career progression. Along the sessions and the topics, I provided my perspective and experience. The information helped some to lead their career path towards project management, while other realized that this is not what they are looking for."
"PMI mentorship program provides both mentees and mentors valuable opportunity to learn from each other, provide support, build connections and realize that many of us encounter similar issues in our jobs. We inspired and educated each other and our group came away with renewed sense of excitement to our chosen career paths, no matter where we are in our individual journeys."
