Our mentoring programme.

Our mentoring programme runs annually (usually starting in May or June of each year), and aims to turbocharge the careers of our mentees through a structured six-month long mentoring programme, led by senior sports business professionals.

Our programme is completely free of charge and all our mentors give their time pro-bono, based on a shared belief in the value of creating a thriving and diverse sports business industry.

What we look for in mentees

Our mentees all come from black, Asian or other underrepresented minority backgrounds and are typically at or near the start of their sports business careers, allowing them to take full advantage of the experience of our mentors (who typically have 10+ years of experience).

Most importantly, we look for people who are committed to sports business and who will contribute to, and be good citizens of, the DiBS community as we continue to grow.

For us, DiBS isn’t just about creating great connections and enhancing the knowledge our mentees through our mentoring programme; it is also about building a global and dynamic network of sports business professionals who are committed to taking active steps to create and sustain a thriving and diverse sports business industry.

Still not sure if this is for you? Email us at hello@dibs.community - we’d be happy to answer any questions you have.

When to apply to be a mentee

We accept applications all year round, so you can apply at any time. Successful applicants will be placed in the next available cohort of mentees. We are currently recruiting for our 2024 cohort (expected to start in May/June), so get your applications in now!

How to apply to be a mentee

All you need to do to apply is:

  1. Read through the info on this page to make sure the mentoring programme is right for you

  2. Send an email to applications@dibs.community with the following information:

    (a) a copy of your CV/resume

    (b) a short cover letter containing the information described below (“What to put in a cover letter to be a mentee”)

What to put in a cover letter to be a mentee

Be open and honest with what makes you tick, what you're looking to get out of the programme, and how you could see yourself contributing to the DiBS community now or in the future.

Please also let us know in your cover letter which of the following four profiles best describes your current situation and why. This allows us to provide the best mentor/mentee match and most appropriate content for the programme.

  1. Progress (“Climbing”) - Those in roles in the sports business industry and who wish to progress within it. This might be you if you are in your first role in sport and want to progress your career.

  2. Transition (“Jumping”) - Those wanting to transition into sports business, having gained experience in a different field. This might be you if you have been a consultant or a lawyer who wants to work in sport.

  3. Entry (“Starting”) - Those not in the sports business industry and who wish to enter it. This might be you if you are a recent graduate looking for their first post-graduation job or a former athlete looking to move to the business side.

  4. Understand (“Learning”) - Those not yet in industry, who are actively curious about it and want to understand more to help shape academic or early career choices. This might be you if you are a student at college or university looking at career options.

Programme structure

  • We typically have about 8 to 10 mentees in each programme, meaning you get to know everyone really well. Your peers will be likeminded, curious, open and ambitious people looking to make progress into, or within, sports business.

  • Each mentee is matched with an individual mentor, and they have regular 1:1s throughout the programme. Mentors are all senior industry professionals from diverse backgrounds and who share a passion and commitment to work with our mentees. You’ll get to know your mentor really well, and the strength of these relationships and the DiBS community means these connections last well beyond the end of the formal programme.

  • All mentees also come together for monthly group sessions with one or two mentors, to look into specific industry or professional development topics. These are a great chance to get to know the other mentees and mentors, and to build connections with other members of the DiBS community.

  • We are a global programme, so all of our sessions are held on Zoom, although we do encourage people to meet up in person where time and geographies allow. We also hold ad hoc community events from time to time so we can meet in person.

Programme length, start date and time commitment

The programme lasts for six months and we run one programme per year.

We anticipate starting our next programme in May/June 2024 and would encourage you to apply now if you want to be part of it.

The time commitment is roughly 2-5 hours per month for the duration of the programme, and there is a decent degree of flexibility to ensure the programme fits around work and other personal commitments.

Programme location

We’re a global programme and we run all our formal sessions online, although we encourage people to meet up in person where time and geographies allow.

This means we accept applications from mentees from all over the world. Our mentors and mentees have been based around the world, from Singapore and Hong Kong to the UK, the Middle East and Switzerland.

Our mentors

Our mentors are all from black, Asian and other underrepresented minority backgrounds and have senior level experience in leading sports business organisations, such as premier league football clubs, national and international governing bodies, sports and media agencies, professional service companies and other organisations and stakeholders within the sports business ecosystem.

Our mentors come from a variety of roles within the industry (including commercial sales/partnerships, marketing, data measurement, production, finance, law and others) and our aim is for mentees to get exposure to a wide range of people and roles to give them a uniquely rounded perspective on the industry and to allow them to start to build the foundations of a broad professional network.

This means our programme is not aimed at a specific profession or business function or role and the DiBS mentoring programme will benefit mentees regardless of the roles/functions/professions they pursue within the sports business industry.

If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, please get in touch with us for a chat by sending an email to hello@dibs.community. We’d love to hear from you!