February 23rd, Emerge Tampa Bay held their Annual Mentor/Protégé Kick-Off Reception at Stageworks Theatre in Channelside. Emerge is a young professional leadership program of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce designed for emerging leaders ages 21 to 35. The Mentor/Protégé program is an excellent way for young professionals to learn from business leaders in the Tampa community. On the panel was Elevate, Inc. President Aakash Patel who shared his experiences in the program.
The event featured a meet and greet for the first portion of the program where all the mentors and protégés discovered their pairings and get a chance to chat. Guests then moved into the theatre for the panel discussion where panelists really encouraged participation and open-mindedness. The young professionals were encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and really take the time to meet and listen to what their mentors had to say.
Aakash has participated in the program for several years and has benefited greatly from it. He encouraged the group to not only create a professional relationship, but a personal one as well. Having been on both sides of the Mentor/Protégé relationship he said that he was able to learn no matter what his role was. Building relationships is key to growth in your professional and personal career.
