Why Every Black And Latine Professional Needs A Personal Board Of Advisors
Black and Latine professionals navigating corporate America are often told to “find a mentor.” While mentorship can be helpful, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. What we really need is a personal board of advisors: a career dream team tailored to our unique goals, experiences, and ambitions.
Sometimes referred to as a “Personal Board of Directors” or a “Personal Board of Advisors”, the concept is the same: a diverse inner circle that supports, challenges, and advocates for you at every stage of your journey.
In her TEDx talk, Lisa Skeete Tatum, founder and CEO of Landit, refers to this as a “dream team” and outlines six critical roles every professional should fulfill: mentor, sponsor, connector, point expert, executive coach, and close friend. Each brings a different kind of value, from strategic guidance to emotional support, and each plays a key role in building a sustainable and fulfilling career.
Why It Matters for Black and Latine Professionals
Mentorship and sponsorship opportunities are especially important for increasing job satisfaction among Black professionals in tech. A 2023 study found that satisfaction rates nearly double when Black employees have access to either, narrowing the gap with their peers.
Yet access remains uneven. Many professionals of color lack entry into influential networks, making it harder to secure mentorship or sponsorship. The Harvard Business Review reports that only 5% of Black professionals report having sponsors, compared to 20% of their white peers, even though sponsorship can boost career advancement by up to 65%.
Women of color stand to benefit the most from career development resources, but often have the least access to them. Nearly half of white women say their managers consistently support their advancement and promote their contributions, compared to around just 40% of Black and Latina women.
This is why building a diverse board of advisors, one that includes mentors, sponsors, and more, is so essential.
Who should be on your board?
To build a strong board, think of yourself as a startup, with each advisor playing a role in your personal and professional growth. Tatum suggests the following six board members:
- Mentor – Your career development strategist and thought partner who helps you articulate your goals and holds you accountable.
- Sponsor – Your personal evangelist who creates opportunities and opens doors for you.
- Connector – Someone plugged into networks that are helpful to your career and willing to help you navigate and access them.
- Point Expert – Highly knowledgeable about topics important to you, this person shares critical information that helps you grow.
- Executive Coach – A trusted, independent voice who asks powerful questions to guide you to your own answers.
- Close Friend – Someone who knows you well personally and professionally, helping you process both challenges and wins.
The final, often overlooked, seat on your board? Your employer. Tatum says companies must also play a role by offering structured programs, tools, and resources that enable growth.
Build Your Board Intentionally
Tatum advises professionals to “think about little bite-sized ways that people can have a role so that you can have the right ask of the right person at the right frequency of touch.” It’s not about asking one person for everything; it’s about knowing who to turn to and when.
Abadesi Osunsade, founder and CEO of Hustle Crew, emphasizes the need for advisors who both open doors and understand your struggles. “So there’s one person who has a ton of power in your industry… They’re the person you go to to understand the puzzle, the jigsaw that is moving up, getting influence in your industry,” she explains on the Techish podcast. “And then you actually want someone on your board of mentors that has shared those struggles with you so that you can feel validated and affirmed in them.”
Michael Berhane, CEO of POCIT, takes a more casual approach: “I don’t believe in this outdated term of mentorship. You should be looking for friendship with people who are at your level and above and just building genuine connections so when it’s your time to get help, it’s time to get help.”
Image credit: freepik
