Mentors for Ukraine: How 400+ Professionals Are Helping Ukrainians Rebuild Their Careers

One conversation at a time, experienced professionals worldwide are helping displaced Ukrainians navigate new labour markets, prepare for interviews, and find their footing in unfamiliar countries.

Key Takeaways

• Mentors for Ukraine connects 2,000+ Ukrainian professionals with 400+ volunteer mentors worldwide
• The platform operates on a self-serve model where mentees browse and book mentors directly
• Mentoring covers career coaching, technology, business, entrepreneurship, and professional skills
• The programme is part of TEEI’s complete pipeline from language learning to employment
• Professional credentials recognize mentors and mentees for their commitment and sessions completed
• Corporate partnerships enable skills-based volunteering with clear metrics and ESG alignment
• Every session is free for mentees; all mentors volunteer their time

Quick Facts

Andrii Kostiuchenko has attended 77 career mentoring sessions. Before the war, he had a career. After displacement, he had questions: How do hiring processes work in this country? What do employers actually want to see on a CV? How do I explain a gap that was not my choice?

He found answers through Mentors for Ukraine.

Andrii is one of 2,000+ Ukrainians who have used the platform to connect with professionals who understand how careers actually work. Not through a course. Not through a textbook. Through real conversations with people who have been on the other side of the hiring table.

This is what Mentors for Ukraine does. And after three years of operation, it has become one of the most effective ways to support Ukrainians rebuilding their professional lives.

What Mentors for Ukraine Actually Is

Mentors for Ukraine is a global 1-to-1 mentoring platform run by The Educational Equality Institute (TEEI). It connects Ukrainians affected by war and displacement with experienced professionals worldwide for free video mentoring sessions focused on careers, skills, and professional development.

The platform currently serves 2,000+ mentees supported by 400+ mentors from hundreds of organisations across the globe.

Here is what it is not: a job placement service. A recruitment agency. A training course.

Here is what it is: a way for someone rebuilding their career in an unfamiliar country to sit down with a professional who understands their field and get honest, practical guidance. The kind of conversation that used to happen naturally through professional networks. The kind of conversation that becomes nearly impossible when you have had to leave everything behind.

Since 2022, the platform has delivered thousands of mentoring sessions across career coaching, technology, business, entrepreneurship, and personal development. Every session is free for mentees. Every mentor volunteers their time.

Who Uses the Platform

The Mentees

The Ukrainians using Mentors for Ukraine are not starting from zero. They are economists, engineers, marketers, project managers, and software developers who had careers before the war disrupted everything. Many hold advanced degrees. Many have years of experience in their fields.

What they lack is not capability. It is context.

They need to understand how hiring works in Germany, or Poland, or the UK, or wherever they have landed. They need someone to review their CV and tell them honestly whether it makes sense to a recruiter in their new country. They need to practise interviewing in English. They need to understand which of their skills transfer and which credentials matter.

The platform serves:

• Students and recent graduates navigating their first job search in a foreign market
• Mid-career professionals adapting their expertise to new contexts
• Women re-entering the workforce or transitioning into new fields
• Early-stage entrepreneurs testing business ideas
• Career changers moving into digital, tech, or new sectors
• Participants in TEEI’s upskilling and language programmes who want additional support

Mentee profiles are private by design. Many users are refugees or internally displaced persons in vulnerable situations. The platform protects their information while giving them access to the guidance they need.

The Mentors

The 400+ mentors come from every corner of the professional world:

• HR professionals and recruiters who know exactly what hiring managers look for
• Software engineers, data scientists, and AI specialists
• Marketing and communications professionals
• Product managers and UX designers
• Finance and consulting professionals
• Entrepreneurs and startup founders
• Educators, trainers, and coaches

They come from companies and institutions across Europe, North America, and beyond. Some have been volunteering since 2022. Some have completed dozens of sessions. A few have completed over 100.

What they share is not a specific background but a willingness to give their time and expertise to someone who needs it.

How It Works: A Self-Serve Model

Mentors for Ukraine operates on a self-serve model. There is no application process where mentees wait to be matched. There are no structured cohorts or intake cycles. Mentees browse available mentors directly and book sessions that work for their schedule.

The Platform

The programme runs on Kintell’s mentoring infrastructure, combining search, booking, video conferencing, messaging, and analytics in one place. It works on web and mobile (iOS and Android), handles time zones automatically, and syncs with calendars.

Every mentor has a public profile card showing:

• Their professional headline and background
• Languages they speak
• Topics they can help with
• Their work history and LinkedIn profile
• Star ratings and written reviews from previous mentees
• Number of completed sessions

Mentees search by category, skill, topic, or language. They read profiles, check reviews, and choose mentors who match their needs. Then they book directly from the mentor’s available time slots.

Two Modes of Mentoring

Flexible on-demand mentoring: Mentors publish their availability. Mentees book one-off sessions for quick questions, CV reviews, interview preparation, or focused advice. This works well for specific, time-sensitive needs.

Structured long-term mentoring: Some mentor-mentee pairs develop ongoing relationships. They meet regularly over several months, working through career goals systematically. Mentors can enable recurring sessions for this kind of deeper support.

Both modes run on the same platform. Mentees choose what works for them.

A Typical Session

Sessions typically run 30 to 60 minutes. The mentee joins a video call through the platform at the scheduled time. No external tools required.

Afterwards, mentees can leave ratings and written reviews. These help other mentees find the right mentor and help mentors understand what is working.

What Mentors Help With

The platform organises mentoring into categories that cover the full spectrum of professional development:

Career and Job Search

This is where most conversations start. Mentors help mentees with:

• CV and résumé reviews tailored to specific countries and industries
• LinkedIn profile optimisation
• Interview practice with real feedback
• Understanding local hiring processes and what recruiters actually look for
• Job search strategy for specific markets
• Decoding job descriptions and requirements

Technology and Digital Careers

For mentees moving into tech or already working in the field:

• Web development and software engineering career paths
• Data science, analytics, and AI roles
• UX/UI design and product management
• Remote work and freelancing in tech
• Navigating technical interviews and coding assessments

Business and Entrepreneurship

For those building businesses or considering the entrepreneurial path:

• Testing and refining business ideas
• Building MVPs and finding early customers
• Funding basics, pricing, and go-to-market strategy
• Pitch preparation and storytelling
• Operations, legal, and scaling questions

Professional Skills and Growth

For broader professional development:

• Navigating workplace culture and expectations in new countries
• Leadership and management challenges
• Communication and presentation skills
• Building confidence in professional settings
• Personal branding and networking

Additional Categories

The platform also covers marketing, finance, design, HR, project management, consulting, and more. If a mentee needs guidance in a professional area, there is likely a mentor who can help.

Part of Something Larger: The TEEI Pipeline

Mentors for Ukraine does not exist in isolation. It is one component of a broader ecosystem TEEI has built to support Ukrainians from language learning through to employment.

Language Connect for Ukraine

Many Ukrainians face a fundamental barrier before they can think about career strategy: language. Language Connect for Ukraine provides free 1-to-1 conversation practice with volunteer tutors worldwide. It runs on the same Kintell platform as Mentors for Ukraine.

8,000+ learners have used Language Connect to build confidence in English, German, Polish, and other languages. For many, this is the first step. Once they can communicate professionally, career mentoring becomes far more valuable.

Want to volunteer as a language tutor? Join Language Connect

TEEI Language Courses

Structured group language classes complement the conversation practice. Free, teacher-led online courses run 2 to 3 times per week for 2 to 3 months, using materials from partners including Babbel and Oxford University Press.

Upskilling and Employment Programme

TEEI offers free online courses in web development, software engineering, data science, marketing, HR, project management, and more. Every learner in these programmes can request a mentor to support their learning journey and job search.

Women’s Entrepreneurship (WEEI)

The Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative supports Ukrainian women building businesses. Mentors for Ukraine provides the mentoring layer, connecting founders with professionals who can advise on strategy, product development, finance, and growth.

Careers for Ukraine

TEEI’s job board lists opportunities suitable for programme graduates. Mentoring prepares candidates to compete effectively for these roles.

The Pipeline

Together, these programmes create a complete pathway:

Language learning → Conversation practice → Skills training → Career mentoring → Employment or business creation

A Ukrainian professional might start with language courses, build confidence through conversation practice, develop new skills through upskilling programmes, work with a mentor on job search strategy, and ultimately find employment through the careers platform.

Mentors for Ukraine is the connective tissue that helps people move from learning to doing.

Your Impact Now Has a Name: The Professional Credential System

In January 2025, TEEI launched something new: a Professional Credential System recognising the people who power these programmes.

Until then, contributions existed only in spreadsheets. Charmaine De’Ath had completed 707 language tutoring sessions. Andrii Kostiuchenko had attended 77 career mentoring sessions. Their commitment was real but invisible.

Now it is recognised with professional credentials.

How It Works

The system includes 8 tiers across 4 tracks: mentors, career fellows (mentees), language tutors, and language learners. As participants complete more sessions, they automatically qualify for higher credentials.

For Mentors for Ukraine Mentors

For Career Fellows (Ukrainian Professionals)

What You Get

Every credential includes:

• A professional digital badge in TEEI’s signature teal and gold, featuring the Together for Ukraine logo, your name, tier, and session count
• A PDF certificate suitable for printing or including in portfolios
• An instant verification page with a unique URL that anyone can check
• One-click LinkedIn integration

When someone clicks your badge, they see your name, achievement, session count, and issue date, all verified by TEEI.

Why This Matters

For Ukrainian professionals, these credentials demonstrate commitment, consistency, and professional development during an extraordinarily difficult period. A “TEEI Principal Career Fellow” badge represents 50+ sessions of active career development work. Employers can verify it instantly.

For volunteers, it documents the hours they have given and creates a tangible recognition of sustained commitment.

TEEI built the entire system in-house because existing badge platforms did not meet the standard required. When a volunteer shares their credential on LinkedIn, it needs to look exceptional. When a Ukrainian professional adds “TEEI Career Fellow” to their profile, recruiters need to take it seriously.

Read the full announcement at Your Impact Now Has a Name.

For Individuals: How to Become a Mentor

Becoming a mentor requires professional experience, not mentoring experience. If you have worked in your field for a few years and can communicate clearly, you have what it takes.

Requirements

• 3+ years of professional experience in any relevant field (HR, tech, marketing, finance, consulting, design, education, business, or similar)
• Ability to communicate in English or another widely spoken language
• Willingness to listen, be honest, and focus on practical next steps
• Respect for privacy and safeguarding principles

You do not need teaching credentials. You do not need coaching certification. You need real-world experience and the willingness to share it.

The Sign-Up Process

1. Visit the Mentors for Ukraine sign-up page and select “Advise and help others”
2. Verify your identity with your corporate email address
3. Select your areas of expertise
4. Complete your profile with your background, LinkedIn URL, and relevant experience
5. TEEI reviews your application
6. Once approved, create your mentor card and set your availability

Time Commitment

You control your schedule completely. Set availability when it works for you. Accept or decline booking requests as they come. Even 1 to 2 hours per month makes a real difference.

Many mentors start with a few sessions per month and adjust based on what works. Some have scaled up significantly. Penelope Morcillo has completed 41 sessions. Laman Bakirli has completed 34. Malsha Jayasekara has completed 29.

What You Gain

Beyond the satisfaction of helping someone navigate a genuinely difficult situation, mentors develop coaching and communication skills, gain cross-cultural experience, and earn professional credentials they can add to LinkedIn.

Complete 2 sessions and earn your first TEEI Mentor badge. Keep going and progress through the tiers.

Start Mentoring →

For Companies: Corporate Mentoring Partnerships

Mentors for Ukraine offers a ready-made, low-friction corporate volunteering programme that aligns with ESG, DEI, and refugee response goals.

Why Companies Partner with TEEI

Skills-based volunteering that matters. Employees use their actual professional expertise, not generic volunteer tasks. An HR professional helps with interview preparation. A software engineer explains technical career paths. A marketing director reviews positioning strategy for a new business.

Clear metrics and reporting. The platform tracks mentors, sessions, hours, topics, and feedback. TEEI provides engagement reports showing exactly what your employees contributed and the impact they had.

Flexible and remote. Mentoring happens online, fits into existing schedules, and requires no travel or coordination overhead. Employees control their own availability.

Strong alignment with corporate priorities. Supporting displaced professionals aligns with refugee response initiatives, education access programmes, and workforce development goals. It also develops employees’ coaching and leadership capabilities.

How Corporate Partnerships Work

Option 1: Corporate Mentoring Partner

Recruit mentors from your staff through internal communications. Run campaigns targeting specific expertise areas your employees can offer. Receive regular engagement and impact reporting.

Companies can start small with a single business unit or team and scale based on results.

Option 2: Strategic Programme Partner

Co-develop focused mentoring tracks for specific populations: women in tech, data careers, youth professionals, veterans, or other groups. Combine mentoring with specific courses or bootcamps. Shape the programme to align with your CSR priorities.

Option 3: Funding Partner

Support the platform’s scaling, technology, and coordination through direct funding. Combine financial support with employee volunteering for maximum visibility and impact.

Getting Started

1. Identify an internal sponsor (CSR, HR, DEI, or business leadership)
2. Define target regions, business units, and volunteer outreach approach
3. Launch with a pilot cohort and clear KPIs
4. Review engagement data and scale based on results

TEEI provides materials for internal campaigns, onboarding support for new mentors, and ongoing reporting.

Explore Corporate Partnerships →

For partnership enquiries, contact partnerships@theeducationalequalityinstitute.org.

Learn more about employee volunteering programmes.

The Numbers Behind the Programme

Since launching in 2022, Mentors for Ukraine has grown into one of TEEI’s flagship programmes:

• 2,000+ mentees have joined the platform
• 400+ mentors from hundreds of organisations worldwide
• Thousands of mentoring sessions delivered across career, tech, business, and personal development
• 50+ countries represented by participants and volunteers

These are cumulative figures representing everyone who has engaged with the platform since launch. The programme continues to grow as more mentors join and more Ukrainians discover it.

Why Mentoring Matters

Formal education and training are essential. TEEI invests heavily in both. But they are not enough on their own.

What many people need, especially those navigating unfamiliar systems in unfamiliar countries, is a person. Someone who knows how things actually work. Someone who can look at a CV and say honestly what needs to change. Someone who can explain the unwritten rules of a job interview in this country, in this industry, at this level.

That is what mentoring provides. Real conversations with real people who have relevant experience.

For Ukrainians rebuilding careers after displacement, these conversations can be the difference between months of unsuccessful applications and a clear strategy that leads to meaningful work.

For professionals worldwide with expertise to share, these conversations are a direct, high-impact way to help.

Hear From Our Community

These are real stories from the people who make Mentors for Ukraine work: the mentors who volunteer their time and the Ukrainian professionals rebuilding their careers.

From Ukrainian Mentees

From Volunteer Mentors

Expert Career Advice

Join the Community

For Ukrainians Seeking Career Support

Browse mentors by industry, language, or skill. Book your first session for free. You control the process.

Find a Mentor →

Також доступна українською: Знайти ментора

For Professionals Ready to Mentor

You do not need mentoring experience. You need professional experience and willingness to share it. Sign up, complete your profile, and open a few time slots. Complete two sessions and earn your first TEEI Mentor credential.

Become a Mentor →

For Companies and HR Leaders

Integrate Mentors for Ukraine into your corporate volunteering programme. Skills-based volunteering with clear metrics, minimal admin, and strong ESG alignment.

Corporate Partnerships →

Employee Volunteering Programmes →

For partnership enquiries: partnerships@theeducationalequalityinstitute.org

The Educational Equality Institute (TEEI) is a Norway-based NGO with US 501(c)(3) status. Since 2022, TEEI’s programmes have reached 20,000+ Ukrainians across 50+ countries through career mentorship, language education, and skills training. Learn more →