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Webinar: Mentoring Matters

December 9 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

December 9, 2025 | 1:00–2:30 PM ET | Open to Everyone

Charting a career shouldn’t feel like setting sail without a compass. Yet for many in our communities, that’s exactly what it is. For many, it can feel like pushing off into choppy, uncharted waters with no clear map for “people like me.” What feels like a safe harbour to one person can just as easily be stormy seas for another. That’s where mentoring makes a real difference. It offers not only direction, but also a steady hand at the wheel, guiding us forward together toward new horizons.

This webinar, presented in partnership with QueerTech, will feature leaders who are redefining how mentoring can strengthen our community and shape its next wave of leaders. Together, we’ll explore:

  • Innovative mentoring strategies with Jennifer Petrela of Mentorat Québec, who will share insights from the groundbreaking Mentor Me Equal project, which is rethinking mentoring to level the playing field for people of all genders.
  • Evidence from the field with QueerTech Co-Founder & COO Eustacio (Andy) Saldaña, who will present the latest research on mentoring’s role in supporting talent development, and what the data reveals about creating sustainable mentor programs.
  • Corporate leadership in practice with Mackenzie Kybele from TD, who will discuss how TD Bank is rising to these challenges with programs that empower employees and strengthen leadership pipelines.

Panelists

Jennifer Petrela (she/her)
Executive Director, Mentorat Québec

Jennifer Petrela is the executive director of Mentorat Québec and an expert in inclusive mentoring. Jennifer publishes articles, hosts events, and speaks publicly in French and English about the theory and practice of mentoring in different settings and sectors. She speaks regularly on the intersection of mentorship and equity, diversity and inclusion and has launched national and international partnerships to make inclusive mentoring more accessible to members of equity-deserving groups. A proud ally, in 2004 Jennifer advised Canada’s LGBTQ+ Chambers of Commerce on Out For Business, the chamber’s mentorship program for entrepreneurs. Jennifer volunteers regularly as a mentor and is herself a mentee in perpetual evolution.


Eustacio (Andy) Saldaña (he/him)
Co-Founder & COO, QueerTech

Eustacio (Andy) Saldaña is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of QueerTech, a Canadian non-profit focused on empowering, connecting, and increasing the visibility of 2SLGBTQ+ technologists and entrepreneurs. The organization is dedicated to the mission of queering the tech ecosystem. Previously, he served as the Executive Director of the NY Tech Alliance, a non-profit organization that runs the world’s largest Meetup group, the NY Tech Meetup (NYTM). With over 60,000 members and a mission to build a more sustainable, diverse, and equitable technology industry for all New Yorkers, the organization is a central figure in the NY Tech ecosystem. A fervent advocate for diversity, access, and inclusion in technology, Andy excels in building relationships and fostering dialogues that drive change. His efforts have been recognized with several accolades, including a spot on Crain’s New York Business 2020 Notable LGBTQ Leaders and Executives list, and inclusion in the 2019 Tech Power 50 by City & State, a leading media company covering New York’s government and politics.

Mackenzie Kybele (she/her)
Regional Manager, Business Development, TD Bank

Mackenzie Kybele co-leads 2SLGBTQ+ Business Development within the GTA Market to leverage TD’s strong position in the 2SLGBTQ+ community to identify and acquire new business opportunities, deepen our existing customer relationships and amplify the TD brand in the community. She brings 5 years of experience at TD starting within Retail Banking and moving into Wealth Management. From her dedicated support to financial planners to then supporting the entire wealth line of business from the national office, Mackenzie brings deep subject matter expertise on the Wealth client experience and strategy while building relationships across the field. Mackenzie has been a visible leader in the transgender community for the past decade from supporting local initiatives both internally at TD and externally at the 519, while also mentoring younger transgender and gender diverse folks.

Facilitator

Colin Druhan (he/him)
Executive Director, Pride at Work Canada

Colin Druhan (he/him) is the Executive Director of Pride at Work Canada, and mentorship has shaped his career from the very start. When he moved from Nova Scotia to Toronto more than 20 years ago, Volunteer Toronto played a vital role in his development. He later returned the favour by volunteering with the community that once mentored him, eventually being elected President in 2018.

Colin has mentored newcomers through programs like Jumpstart Refugee Talent’s Welcome Talent Canada initiative and shaped nonprofit leaders through the Enchanté Network’s mentorship program, helping dozens of leaders start over in Canada or build their careers from scratch. He also created Pride at Work Canada’s signature leadership programs THRIVE and FLOURISH, which have supported hundreds of leaders across Canada and beyond.

Accessibility

  • Spoken language: English
  • Automatic translation: English to French
  • Closed captioning provided: English and French
  • Format: Virtual (Zoom in webinar mode)
  • Engagement type: participants invited to engage via chat (no audio or video)

Please register below for additional accessibility requests. Any questions may be sent to events@prideatwork.ca












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