New Study Explores Flash Mentoring as a Digital Strategy for Building Social Capital Among Young Women
Rhodes JE, Werntz A, Jasman M, Morton DD. Stocking the Pond: Empowering Young Women to Recruit Social Capital Through Technology-Rhodes JE, Werntz A, Jasman M, Morton DD. Stocking the Pond: Empowering Young Women to Recruit Social Capital Through Technology-Enabled Flash Mentoring. Youth. 2026; 6(1):35. https://doi.org/10.3390/youth6010035
Introduction
Rhodes and colleagues (2026) examine barriers to social capital among young women from marginalized backgrounds and propose flash mentoring as a scalable solution. Social capital, or resources gained through relationships, strongly predicts academic and career opportunities, yet marginalized youth often have fewer professional connections and networking opportunities. The authors integrate social capital theory, youth-initiated mentoring, and “web of support” frameworks to design a digital intervention combining two strategies: teaching mentees networking skills and expanding access to professional mentors.
The project partnered with Step Up Women’s Network and used the MentorPRO platform to enable short, targeted mentoring interactions intended to broaden career guidance and professional networks.
Methods
Researchers conducted a community-based program evaluation using a user-centered design approach. Workshops and discussion sessions with diverse women aged 18–29 informed development of the MentorPRO flash mentoring platform, a short-term, focused mentoring model that connects mentees with experienced professionals for brief, goal-oriented interactions. Mentors created searchable profiles and mentees initiated connections via messaging and video meetings. Evaluation relied on descriptive platform metrics and feedback rather than experimental testing.
Results
Over two years, 285 mentors and 363 mentees engaged with the platform, exchanging 5,008 messages and holding 316 meetings. Most mentees set goals and used check-in tools, often identifying career development and finances as key challenges. Design refinements addressed mentor responsiveness, technical barriers, mentee hesitation, and choice overload when selecting mentors.
Discussion
Findings indicate flash mentoring is feasible and acceptable for expanding networking opportunities. Combining mentor pools with networking skill development allowed mentees to engage multiple professionals while maintaining support from an anchor mentor. However, causal effects on career outcomes remain untested, and mentor responsiveness and trust-building remain critical challenges.
Implications for Mentoring Programs
Technology-enabled flash mentoring may complement traditional mentoring by increasing access to professional networks, encouraging mentee agency, and scaling mentor availability. Programs should include mentor training, structured outreach guidance, and accountability systems to ensure responsiveness and equitable access to social capital.
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