Our Team

Dedicated experts with a proven record of success.
We have a global team of mentors who are prepared to help students who are interested in all types of career paths.

We would like to thank the hundreds of teachers and thousands of mentors who have been crucial contributors to the success of our program for the last 23 years. It is their invaluable contribution that has improved the lives of our 48,000 mentees. We’ve partnered with the best minds in the business to ensure every learning encounter is built from expert knowledge. Our industry experts hail from the companies below, with other Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, and NGOs around the world.

 
 
 

Executive Team

 

Leigh Teece

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Leigh Teece is Chairwoman, CEO and Founder of World Mentor, dedicated to revolutionizing mentorship's role in the teaching of STEM skills and innovation in education. Leigh is Co-founder and Director of Mentored Pathways, a game-changing program of World Mentor, which uses proprietary technology and deep experience to bridge the gap between education and careers. 

Leigh’s mission is to change our model of education such that we enable students to learn the skills of innovation and entrepreneurship. In today's hyperconnected world, this mission is best accomplished through partnerships with like-minded organizations. Partners include STEMConnectorMillion Women MentorsMENTOR, Project Lead the Way and the University of California at Berkeley, among others.

Leigh sits on the boards of Cal Performances of the University of California, BerkeleyKravis Leadership Institute of Claremont McKenna College and Global Citizen Year. 

She is Chair of the Silicon Valley Institute for Business Innovation (SViBi), President of the Teece Family Foundation, and co-founder and owner of Mt. Beautiful Winery and the Teece Family Farms in North Canterbury, New Zealand. Prior to raising four industrious children, she was co-founder and Senior Vice President of Technology Interlink, Vice President of Technology Funding Venture Capital, and Vice President of Wells Fargo & Co.

Leigh earned her MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, and her BA from the University of Southern California’s School of International Relations.

Leigh’s belief in the need to develop the Bionic Learning skills of dynamic learning, in order to cope well with rapid change, leads her to support innovation, entrepreneurs, accelerators, and life-long learning.

 
 

David Neils

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David joined World Mentor in 2015, when the WM team became committed to creating the Mentored Pathways program, of which he is currently co-founder and Executive Director. Their purpose was to use their extensive combined experience to create a multiyear program that has a profound impact on careers. 

David's original organization, the International Telementor Program was founded in 1995 and is a foundational pillar of Mentored Pathways. Previously, David was a software developer for Hewlett-Packard. Through Mentored Pathways, the team has made it possible for more than 48,000 students to receive mentoring support from thousands of industry professionals worldwide, representing numerous fields. Always student-centered, he serves as the Executive Director of Mentored Pathways. 

David is also an integral supporter of World Mentor's partnerships with STEMconnector, Million Women Mentors, Project Lead the Way and the University of Colorado, among others.

David earned his Masters in Computer Information Systems from Colorado State University and his Bachelor of Science in Forest Sciences and Biology from the University of Montana.

David is a frequent speaker on the value of mentoring, as well as the school-to-work transition and purpose-driven education.

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Kurt Friedmann
 

Kurt Friedmann has a 25-year background in entrepreneurship, mentoring, coaching, sales management, customer experience development, and training. As founder of The KJF Consulting Group and a co-founder of World Mentor and Mentored Pathways, Kurt also serves as a board member and advisor to multiple entrepreneurial companies. 

Having played a critical role in launching and scaling four high-growth startup companies, Kurt currently serves as a mentor and Small Business Development Center Advisor to over 30 startup companies. 

Kurt currently resides in California and received a degree in business finance from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. 

 

Board of Directors

 
 

Partners

Leigh Teece
Executive Chair, World Mentor
Co-Founder & Director, Mentored Pathways

Kurt Friedmann, Board, Mentored Pathways

David J. Teece, PhD., Chairman, Berkeley Research Group, LLC

Alexei Dunayev, MBA, BS, Bcom (Honors), Technology Entrepreneur

Dr. Daniel B. Goldstine, Ph,D., Berkeley Therapy Institute

 

Resource Team

Hannah Natali Dondero, Founder & Creative Director, Archetype Identity

Lila Schoenfield, Account Executive, Sparkpr

Patrick & Karen Hedgepath, Pegasus Web Productions, LLC

Ari Laquidara, Owner, Bay Area Tech Hero

David Mitroff, PhD, Founder & CEO, Piedmont Avenue Consulting, Inc.

Advisors

 

Stuart Chrisp, Director at Rothbury Kinross Executive Search & Totara Fund Management

Jerome Engel, Adjunct Professor Emeritus, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley

Todd M. Gravetti, MSN, BSN, RN, CNML, Senior Manager, Hospital Operations ACT, Kaiser Permanente

 

Tami Hart, J.D., Project Lead the Way Master Teacher

Kristin Hueter, President, Hueter & Associates, Inc.

Caroline Winnett, Executive Director at SkyDeck Berkeley, University of California, Berkeley