Elevate Mentoring

What Elevate Mentoring does

Elevate Mentoring is a UK-registered non-profit (ELEVATE LTD) founded in 2015 in London by Melissa Noakes and Max Fellows as a free, peer-led mentoring programme for the events industry. The core offering pairs mentees with senior industry mentors through a competitive application process — questionnaire plus video submission — over a six-month commitment of roughly one hour per month. Mentors are drawn from CEOs, COOs, founders, and creative directors at companies including Google, Pinterest, Live Nation, Santander, SKY, O2, Shell, and The Drum; the organisation claims 800+ years of combined mentor industry experience and 3,000+ event professionals supported over the past decade.

The product surface has expanded from a single mentoring programme into a portfolio of sub-programmes and content products. Sub-programmes include Elevate NewGen (three-month rolling mentoring for underrepresented talent aged 18-25, operated from a separate domain elevatenewgen.org), the University Bridging Programme (final-year students and postgraduates transitioning into events careers), and the Elevate Motherhood Edition (support group for parents in events). Regional hubs include Elevate North (Manchester, launched November 2025, hosted at Co-op Live) and Elevate ANZ (Sydney and Melbourne, led by Chloe Woodhouse of Curious Nation and Mike Linford of Asembl Group). Content products include the Just One Thing podcast and The Inspiration Sessions, plus a Knowledge Vault resource library and a partner-managed Jobs Board run by CastleBell.

The business model is sponsorship-funded and free to all participants. Revenue comes from corporate sponsors and partners, with three Global Headline Partners (Amplify, Seed, Wonder) and roughly ten Global Partners across the UK and ANZ. Operations are volunteer-run, with the co-founders executing in their spare time alongside a core team of approximately five people and an advisory board. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no institutional investment, no proprietary technology stack, and no AI capabilities — applications are processed via Typeform, communication via standard email, and content distributed through Google Drive. The organisation's competitive position rests on its ten-year brand history, mentor network depth, multi-program ecosystem, and community lock-in across WhatsApp groups and regional meet-ups, rather than on technology or data assets.

Name

Elevate Mentoring

Legal name

ELEVATE LTD

Website

https://elevateme.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Elevate Mentoring is a UK non-profit founded in 2015 that runs a free, peer-led mentoring programme for the events industry, pairing mentees with senior industry mentors from companies like Google, Live Nation, and Santander through six-month engagements, regional hubs, and supplementary content products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Mentoring Services for the Events Industry

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alumni, Peer & Community Networking Programs (EDAMAKAM), Coaching Leadership & Mentoring Skills (EDABAAAG)

Keywords

• Event industry mentoring
• Peer-led mentoring
• Career development programs
• Professional mentorship community
• Industry networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship and Partnership Revenue: The programme is entirely free for participants and is funded through corporate sponsorships and partnerships with events industry companies. Sponsors include Global Headline Partners, Global Partners, and various supporting partners who provide financial support to maintain the free programme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Elevate Mentoring runs a free, peer-led six-month mentoring programme that matches event industry professionals with experienced mentors drawn from companies such as Google, Live Nation, Santander, SKY and Amplify. Mentees apply via Typeform through a questionnaire and short video submission, after which Elevate pairs participants for a minimum of one hour of mentoring per month. The programme is supplemented by sub-programmes (NewGen, University Bridging, Motherhood), regional hubs (North, ANZ), podcasts (Just One Thing, Inspiration Sessions), a Knowledge Vault and a Jobs Board, all sustained through corporate sponsorship.

Product overview

Elevate Mentoring operates as a free peer-led mentoring and community development platform for the events industry. The core offering is the Elevate Mentoring Programme, a six-month pairing of mentees with industry mentors. This is complemented by specialised sub-programmes including Elevate NewGen (for underrepresented talent aged 18–25), the University Bridging Programme (for students and graduates), and the Elevate Motherhood Edition (for parents in the industry). Regional hubs include Elevate North (Manchester) and Elevate ANZ (Australia and New Zealand). Content products include the Just One Thing Podcast and The Inspiration Sessions series. Additional resources include the Knowledge Vault and a Jobs Board, all delivered free of charge to participants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Just One Thing: Podcast presented by Mel Noakes and Max Fellows, featuring industry leaders sharing advice by writing letters to their younger selves. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
• The Inspiration Sessions
• Elevate NewGen
• University Bridging Programme
• Knowledge Vault

Products and services

• Elevate Mentoring Programme Free peer-led six-month mentoring programme that matches event industry professionals with experienced mentors using a questionnaire and short video submission. Pairs commit to a minimum of one hour per month, providing career development, networking and skills growth.
• Elevate NewGen Three-month rolling mentoring programme supporting underrepresented talent aged 18–25 looking to build a career in the events industry, delivered through mentor pairings and community support.
• University Bridging Programme Programme for final-year students and postgraduates bridging the gap between education and employment in the events industry by connecting them with mentors, alumni and opportunities.
• Elevate Motherhood Edition Support group for mothers, expectant parents and events professionals considering parenthood, providing a safe community through WhatsApp groups and virtual meet-ups that address isolation during pregnancy, maternity leave and return to work.
• Just One Thing Podcast Event industry podcast presented by Mel Noakes and Max Fellows in which industry leaders write letters to their younger selves, sharing career advice and industry insights, available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
• The Inspiration Sessions Series of inspirational talks curated by the Elevate team featuring guest speakers on personal development, creative thinking, career growth and professional skills, available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000+ event professionals supported over 10 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• AmplifyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Headline Partner. Amplify is an experiential marketing agency and one of the most prominent supporters of Elevate. Founder Jonathan Emmins serves as an advisor and featured podcast guest.
• SeedflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Headline Partner. Student Gen Z specialist agency providing strategic support and alignment with Elevate's mission.
• WonderflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Headline Partner. Independent specialist creative events agency reimagining what is possible across business experiences.
• CventcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Partner providing event management technology platform support for the Elevate ecosystem.
• IdentitycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Partner - brand experience and experiential agency supporting the Elevate community.
• FirstcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Partner - events and experiential agency.
• Powwow EventscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Partner - events agency supporting Elevate as part of their corporate social responsibility.
• PSPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Partner - event production company.
• The Production DepartmentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Partner - production services company.
• CastleBellcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTraining Partner managing the Elevate Jobs Board. CastleBell also provides recruitment services and helps facilitate job postings for the community.
• Special Sauce TrainingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTraining Partner providing learning partner services. Matt Bolton-Alarcón delivers Inspiration Sessions content including topics on creative thinking, personal development, and team building.
• Times Ten CoachingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPeople and Culture Partner. Zoe Tuffs delivers coaching content including career growth, confidence, and leadership development sessions.
• Nic NealcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPeople and Culture Partner. Nic Neal provides people and culture consulting expertise, contributing to sessions on career development and workplace culture.
• Protein StudiosminorOthersVenue Partner providing space for Inspiration Sessions recordings and live events in Shoreditch.
• White Rabbit StudiosminorOthersVenue Partner (White Rabbit Studios) in Shoreditch hosting Inspiration Sessions with live audiences.
• Jack Morton WorldwidecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Partner - experiential marketing agency.
• Live UnioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Partner - events and experiential agency.
• We Are ColliderminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner agency contributing to the Elevate ecosystem.
• Curious NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting Elevate ANZ expansion. Chloe Woodhouse from Curious Nation leads the Sydney hub.
• Asembl GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting Elevate ANZ expansion. Mike Linford from Asembl Group leads the Melbourne hub.
• Co-op LiveminorOthersHost venue for Elevate North quarterly meet-ups. UK's largest entertainment arena providing space for community events.
• Sterling Event GroupminorOthersTechnical partner for Elevate North events providing event production expertise.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Mentorloop: Mentoring software platform used by employers to run internal mentoring programmes. Comparable as a peer-mentoring infrastructure provider, though its model is enterprise SaaS rather than free community programme.
• PushFar: UK-based mentoring and career progression platform. Directly comparable as a peer-to-peer mentoring marketplace, though PushFar is a tech SaaS product rather than a free non-profit programme.
• ADPList: Global free mentoring community connecting mentees with mentors across disciplines. Closely comparable as a free, peer-led mentoring platform, though it is broader and tech-led rather than vertical-focused.

Broad incumbents

• Meetup: Large-scale community and meet-up platform. Comparable to Elevate as a peer-group facilitation and event-discovery tool, though it operates at vastly greater scale and is not vertical-specific to the events industry.
• Cvent: Major event-management technology platform. A Global Partner of Elevate and comparable as an incumbent serving the same events-industry customer base, but focused on event software rather than career mentoring.
• PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association): Global events-industry association delivering education, networking, and career resources. Comparable as a community serving events professionals' career development, though at much larger scale and with paid membership.
• Jack Morton Worldwide: Global experiential brand experience agency. A Global Partner of Elevate and comparable as a large established events-industry employer feeding mentors into the programme, though operating as a commercial agency rather than a mentoring platform.
• Meeting Professionals International (MPI): Global association for meeting and event professionals offering education, certification, and networking. Comparable as an established events-industry community and learning provider, though structured as a paid membership association.

Emerging players

• Chronus: Mentoring cloud platform powering enterprise mentoring programmes. Comparable as mentoring infrastructure, though focused on B2B SaaS deployment rather than free vertical community.

Regional players

• The Drum: UK-based media brand for the marketing and events industries. A mentor-supplier to Elevate and comparable as a UK-centric content and community platform serving overlapping event professionals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@elevatementoring/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elevatementoring

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elevate Mentoring