Moving beyond mentorship: Why women in tech need sponsors to level the playing field

As is the case in many industries, women face disproportionate barriers to entry when it comes to career advancement. This is a particularly prominent issue in the tech space: in fact, a recent report by Skillsoft found that women make up only about 25% of the tech workforce, with only 11% of those in executive roles.

To face the uphill battle of joining a field typically dominated by men, many women turn to mentorship as their main strategy. However, mentorship alone is not enough to establish gender equity in tech. While finding a mentor can definitely be a great place to start, we believe the answer to bridging the gender gap lies in sponsorship.

Curious about breaking into tech and building confidence as a woman in the industry? Keep on reading as we define what mentorship and sponsorship are, the differences between them, and why sponsorship is the missing piece for real professional development and advancement.

What’s the difference between mentorship and sponsorship?

Before we move any further, let’s establish the definition of sponsorship vs. mentorship and how they differ.

Mentorship is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the influence, guidance or direction provided by a mentor”. A mentor is typically a more experienced professional who provides guidance, advice, and support to a mentee (a less experienced individual). While mentorship can be a great outlet for support, having a mentor does not necessarily lead to tangible career advancement.

Sponsorship, on the other hand, involves actively advocating for one’s career growth. A sponsor helps one access leadership roles by promoting visibility, championing career progression, and connecting the sponsee to advancement opportunities.

For example, a mentor might help you refine your public speaking skills by giving you advice and suggestions on how to improve; however, a sponsor will actually *bring you *into the room where you can apply and practice these public speaking skills in real life.

The reality is that women in tech are often over-mentored but under-sponsored, meaning that many women are equipped with the right tools and knowledge they need to succeed, but lack the active advocacy from senior leaders to propel them in the right direction.

Why sponsorship drives more equity for women

Without sponsorship, the opportunities for women to be promoted in the workplace are significantly lower. In fact, data shows that men receive more sponsorship than women.

For example, McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace report from 2024 found that for every 100 men promoted to manager, only 89 women were promoted. This disparity, in turn, creates a long-term leadership gap, as men are typically given the privilege of faster career progression.

Women of colour and marginalized groups face even more barriers without sponsorship. The McKinsey report also found that women of colour make up only 7 percent of current C-suite positions, with many women saying that they continue to “view gender and race as obstacles to their advancement.”

Although these statistics represent an unfortunate reality, increasing sponsorship opportunities can very well be the antidote we need, particularly in the tech industry. Women with sponsors are more likely to receive high-impact and high-visibility opportunities, leading to more promotions and career growth.

How sponsorship breaks barriers more than mentorship alone

As mentioned, mentorship can be a great resource for women to begin building confidence and developing their skills. Many of our students have leveraged mentorship in the past when pivoting their career into tech, including Corrina C. who now works as a mentor and instructor at Lighthouse Labs.

However, mentorship in and of itself is not enough; rather, sponsorship is truly the key to overcoming biases in the workplace and creating the career acceleration and networking opportunities that women often lack.

For example, as seen in the mentioned statistics, there is clearly a lack of women represented in leadership and decision-making roles. While mentorship can certainly equip women with the skills they need to become leaders, sponsors can increase visibility for women and actually allow them the opportunities to assume those roles.

Sponsorship also helps women overcome biases in hiring and promotions. Women leaders can publicly support a sponsee and their qualifications, challenging existing stereotypes about women’s leadership capabilities.

Additionally, since women are particularly prone to experiencing what is known as "the confidence gap”, women are less likely to self-promote their abilities and/or apply for roles they believe they are not fully qualified for. With the reassurance of sponsorship, however, women leaders can advocate for their sponsee and push them outside their comfort zone.

The business case for sponsorship: Why companies should invest

Although sponsorship typically requires a greater investment than mentorship (whether one of time, finances, or resources), the ROI is evident: organizations that prioritize sponsorship see better gender diversity in leadership.

Why is diversity in leadership a good thing? Well, research shows that companies with more women represented in senior leadership experience greater innovation and profitability. Additionally, from a more holistic perspective, sponsorship programs have been shown to improve employee retention and engagement, as well as overall workplace culture.

With all these benefits in mind, it is clear that organizations should be prioritizing the creation of formal sponsorship programs. But how to begin? Well, it’s firstly important to set clear, attainable goals for the program, noting specific and measurable metrics to understand if these efforts are successful (e.g. promotion rates).

Next, companies should find potential sponsors by identifying existing senior leaders and matching them with high-performing women in the company who could benefit from further visibility. This can include women of colour and marginalized backgrounds, women in early career stages, or women re-entering the workforce (e.g. from maternity leave).

Finally, it’s important to continuously evolve sponsorship programs and seek out feedback from participants. Sponsors should consistently check in with their sponsee to identify areas of improvement as well as strategies for overcoming challenges.

How leaders can be effective sponsors for women in tech

As we’ve discussed, the main difference between sponsorship and mentorship is that sponsorship is typically much more active on the side of the sponsor.

Since those in senior leadership positions have direct access to both the metaphorical and literal rooms where big decisions are made, the sponsor plays a much more dynamic role in uplifting other women.

To be a great sponsor, leaders must ensure that women have access to high-visibility projects. This might mean looping the sponsee into a project where they must communicate or liaise with senior stakeholders for approvals. Having such a direct line of contact can give the sponsee a chance to show they are detail-oriented and reliable by communicating effectively with stakeholders.

A sponsor should also actively advocate for women in leadership discussions, as this can often create a domino effect for promotion opportunities. For example, this can take the form of recognizing an employee’s efforts and identifying them by name in a large department or board meeting.

Such recognition allows senior leaders to familiarize themselves with the women in individual contributor roles, helping put tangible faces to names (which can be an immense asset when it comes to promotion opportunities).

Finally, sponsors should work to challenge biases in hiring and internal mobility decisions. When senior leaders are discussing promotions, sponsors should act as a voice for their sponsee and speak up when they see gender bias sneaking in.

How women in tech can find sponsors

It’s clear that there is immense value in sponsorship, as it actively enables career growth for women in tech. So, how exactly does one seek out sponsorship, especially when it requires more effort and involvement from the sponsor?

One tip is to start by identifying potential sponsors that exist within your own organizations and networks. Search for leaders who are engaged in their community; whether they are active on LinkedIn or attending tech conferences or speaking events, look for evidence that they willingly dedicate time outside of their work to advancing their position as a thought leader in the industry.

Next, begin cultivating professional relationships with these leaders in order to foster potential sponsorship opportunities.

You can start with a cold email or message on LinkedIn, or try finding people in your network who may already be connected to them. Prepare some questions and kindly ask if you can have 15 minutes of their time for a quick chat.

Once you’ve made initial contact with a potential sponsor, it’s important to maintain your relationship with them in a natural way. Some great ways to intermittently connect include commenting on their posts, wishing them a happy birthday. Show you are genuinely interested in their content and identify areas of commonality to create a meaningful connection.

Another avenue for finding sponsorship opportunities is to become an advocate at your work and take initiative in creating them yourself. Consider creating a pitch for a company-wide event and presenting it to your leaders, emphasizing your interest in professional development and growth.


It’s clear that sponsorship is truly the missing piece for real career equity in tech, which is why it’s so important for both women and men in tech leadership roles to step up as sponsors.

If you’re a woman just starting out in tech, we encourage you to also seek out sponsors and advocate for structured sponsorship programs at your organization so we can create career equity in tech for all.

At Lighthouse Labs, we are committed to inclusivity and career support in every single one of our programs, including:

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