Volunteer Mentors

Professionals in Canada who chose to give their time to support those just arriving

Are you a professional in Canada and want to support newcomers?

Register as a mentor

These mentors have no obligation to be here, they're here because they remember what it felt like to arrive in a new country and want to make someone else's journey a little easier. A 30-minute coffee chat can change someone's professional trajectory. Thank you to each of them.

V
Victor Medina Gutierrez
Head of Software Engineering · Scotiabank
Banking
📍 Toronto · from Peru
English Español

Tech leader and professional with vast experience on manufacturing and recently banking, digital transformation

S
Sandra Lopez-Zamora
Senior Manager, Risk Technology · Scotiabank
Banking
📍 London · from Colombia
English Español

I am a Senior Manager in Risk Technology at Scotiabank, where I have delivered impactful solutions within cloud migration and data-driven decision making initiatives, and built credit risk models acr…

M
Martin Figueroa Perez
Senior Manager, Data Strategy & AI Initiatives · Scotiabank
Financial Services
📍 Toronto · from Peru
English Español

MBA and PMP-certified strategy leader with 8+ years of experience delivering corporate strategy, strategic planning, business transformation, and strategic analytics across consulting and financial …

C
Citlalli Rios
President · Hispanotech
Non-profit
📍 Toronto · from Mexico
English Español

Citlalli is a proud Mexican-Canadian, trilingual professional in social innovation, business strategy and non-profit governance. She is passionate about diversity, equity, women's empowerment, and su…

How to make the most of your conversation

These mentors are giving their time voluntarily. Coming prepared is the best way to honor that.

  • 📋 Do your research first
    Check their LinkedIn. Know their industry and background before reaching out.
  • ✉️ Reach out clearly
    Introduce yourself in one or two sentences: who you are, where you are in your transition, and what you're hoping to learn from them. Let them know you found their profile on SofIA — it gives them context and reminds them they chose to be here.
  • ⏱️ Respect the 30 minutes
    Arrive on time and wrap up on time. If they want to continue, they'll say so.
  • 🎯 Come with specific questions
    Prepare 2–3 concrete questions. Vague conversations don't serve anyone's time well.
  • 🤝 Don't ask for a job referral first time
    The goal is to learn and build a genuine relationship. Opportunities come with trust.
  • 💌 Always follow up with thanks
    Send a thank-you message after. Tell them what was most useful. They care to know they helped.