Be Inclusive Hospitality's Elevate Mentorship Scheme to return

30-Aug-2024 - Last updated on 30-Aug-2024 at 12:27 GMT

Be Inclusive Hospitality has announced its fifth Elevate Mentorship Scheme, a six-month mentorship programme for hospitality professionals from Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority backgrounds, which will run from January to June next year.

Participants in the scheme will be matched with hospitality industry leaders who will be committed to share knowledge, feedback, and advice, guiding them toward their business and career goals.

The scheme is being partnered with reservation booking platform OpenTable and will include multiple mentors including Laure Bornet, OpenTable’s vice president of international growth.

Be Inclusive Hospitality’s Inside Hospitality Report 2023 revealed that 77% and 65% of Black and Asian respondents respectively found mentorship to be the most helpful form of support for career progression.

“To date, the Elevate Mentorship Scheme has supported over 100 mentees with over 600 hours of mentorship, leading to over 70% of mentees achieving their career and business aspirations during or soon after the scheme ends,” says Lorraine Copes, Be Inclusive Hospitality CEO and founder.

“I’m delighted to partner with OpenTable on supporting restaurant founders to step-change their business performance and shine a light on the UK’s diverse dining scene.”

Be Inclusive Hospitality is a social enterprise and non-profit organisation that works to advance racial equality and representation within the UK hospitality industry.

“Be Inclusive Hospitality has made big strides in helping to advance racial equality and representation within the hospitality industry, and we’re proud to partner with them to continue to do this,” says Bornet.

“The partnership reinforces our dedication to championing restaurants and making hospitality careers more accessible in the UK, and I’m thrilled to take part in the scheme as a mentor this year, helping to empower founders to elevate their businesses.”

The partnership also extends to OpenTable’s sponsorship of the Be Inclusive Hospitality Spotlight Awards, set to take place on 21 October. The awards recognise the exceptional talent and achievements from Black, Asian, and other ethnic minorities working within the hospitality, food, and drink sectors.

Applications for the 2025 scheme close on the 30 September 2024.