The mentorship gap is real
Not everyone gets a mentor at work
This is a true Story
Some employees get guidance, direction, and visibility. Others are left to figure things out on their own. And over time, that gap shows. Not because companies or a business doesn’t care but because mentoring doesn’t scale.
I’m Caoimhe Duggan, founder of Ten Mentors. And I saw this first hand as a company I was helping to expand, grew. A quiet divide started to form. Some teams were supported and developed. Others were simply expected to figure things out as they went along. The gap wasn’t intentional — but it was real. Then one comment brought it into the open for me:
“The Sales teams get plenty of direction… but most support staff are left to figure it out alone.”
And once you see that, you just can’t unsee it. This happens in every workplace whether we realise it or not. Guidance flows toward the obvious roles. While others like the admin, assistants, apprentices, shop floor teams are left without a clear place to start. And it’s not because they matter less, it’s because there’s no system for them.
That’s why I built the Ten Mentors Box. A simple starting point for every employee. No complex programmes. No dependency on having the right manager. Just a clear way to get started; to help build direction, confidence, and momentum from day one. Because growth shouldn’t depend on who you happen to sit next to, right?
What We’re Building – Guidance for Everyone. Not just the few.
Mentorship shouldn’t depend on role, visibility, or luck. But in most companies or business, it still does. The Ten Mentors Box is a simple starting point.
A way for any employee to build direction, confidence, and momentum, without needing a formal programme or the “right” manager. It doesn’t replace mentoring. It just gives people somewhere to begin.
So progress becomes something consistent, not something reserved for a few.
For businesses, the impact is clear:
Better supported people
More confident teams
Stronger performance over time
Our mission is to close the mentoring gap — so no one is left to figure things out alone.
Why a box?.
Mentors matter. The evidence is clear. Guidance helps people grow, build confidence, and perform better at work. The problem is that one-to-one mentoring is hard to scale. It’s just so expensive and therefore many employees never get that support, especially early on when it could make the biggest difference. So we built a practical place to start.
The Ten Mentors Box gives people tools, structure, and direction they can use straight away. The box before the mentor. A simple first step in the mentoring journey. Because support should start before someone gets lucky enough to find a mentor.
Key Stats
of people think mentors are improtant, but only 27% have one
(fORBES 2019)
oF EXECUTIVES SAY MENTORS PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS
(Forbes 2019)
employees with mentors are twice as likely to be engaged with the business as those who are not
(Galllup 2023)
of people, said they rarely get a mentor at work. That’s not just lost potential — it’s lost growth for entire economies.
Why It Matters
When guidance is uneven, potential doesn’t disappear; it just never gets the chance to show up.
So people hesitate, they second guess and then they stay smaller than they need to be. Not because they lack ability. But rather they lack a clear place to begin. When that changes, everything changes:
- Confidence builds – quietly at first.
- People start taking ownership.
- They speak up more,
- They step forward.
- And teams don’t just perform better — they feel different.
And one moment matters more than most: the start.
So skip the mugs and socks when it comes to onboarding. Give people something that actually helps them move forward. The Ten Mentors Box isn’t just a welcome. It’s a huge signal saying:
We believe in your growth from day one.
Because guidance shouldn’t be a luxury. It should be part of how people begin.
“
“Mentorship isn’t a luxury. It’s essential.
The greatest thing you can do before you die is pass the ladder down.”
Caoimhe Duggan (Keva)
Founder
About me.
“My name is Caoimhe, pronounced Keva. I come from Ireland and grew up in a big family of 11. With so much going on around us, my parents simply did not have the time to mentor each of us closely. From an early age, I learned to take initiative and realised that my life was ultimately my responsibility. That mindset stayed with me and shaped how I approached work, growth, and opportunity.
For nearly 20 years, I have worked in operations and helped scale businesses and offices around the world. Deep down, I always felt I would one day become an entrepreneur. When I began to see how many people were trying to navigate life and work without guidance or support, something clicked. I knew this was the problem I wanted to dedicate myself to solving.
That became the beginning of Ten Mentors.
Over the past few years, I have been building a practical starting point for people who never had access to mentorship. It has been full of setbacks, failures, curveballs, uncertainty, and learning, but that is also the beauty of building something meaningful. Growth doesn’t happen in comfort.
Outside of work, I have travelled to more than 120 countries, climbed mountains, taken flying lessons in acrobatic planes, and even hiked down into burning volcanoes. After losing two of my brothers at a relatively young age, I came to believe deeply that life comes around once. I want to experience as much of it as possible while hopefully making a small positive contribution along the way. I have lived in many places ranging from Singapore to Sweden, embracing different cultures, perspectives, and ways of life.
I also have two dogs and a great partner who keep life interesting and grounded. Whenever I get spare time, I am usually planning the next adventure or planting potatoes.
