Mentor the Leaders of Tomorrow—Be a Company Advisor.
Company Advisors (CAs) volunteer to spend a week mentoring teams of 8 – 12 high school students, sharing their real world experience.
As long as you’re over 21, have at least 3 years of professional experience, and are excited to support students, you’ve got what it takes to be a CA.
Schedule 20 minutes to chat with our team about the volunteer opportunity.
Give Back
Being a Company Advisor is a great way to use the skills you’ve developed in your career to support the next generation.
This skills-based volunteering opportunity offers a second-to-none way to impart lessons you fought hard to learn to students.
Develop Your Skills
As a Company Advisor, you’ll hear from all the incredible speakers and presenters Washington Business Week brings to students oversee a university level business simulation, while also developing your skills as a leader and a facilitator, through WBW’s CA specific training.
Create an Impact
Students remember their Company Advisors (CA) decades later. You can help shape a student’s story. Inspiring them to achieve or teaching them a lesson they’ll never forget.
Being a CA means you can be a lasting part of someone’s life.
Make Change
Most Business Week students come from groups underrepresented in corporate leadership today.
You’ll help students make connections and learn lessons that will get them far ahead in their careers and play a role in changing the face of tomorrow’s board room.
Washington Business Week (WBW) places professionals with high school students in a dynamic workplace simulation where students role play as industry professionals, launch a company, and solve real-world challenges.
As a Company Advisor (CA), you will be the team’s guide. This unique opportunity to educate and empower students also develops your leadership skills firsthand. Share your expertise in your team’s “workplace”, engage them in critical thinking exercises, and provide feedback on mission and vision.
Behind the scenes, you and other volunteer professionals from around the world will network, gain practical management insights from our program staff, and learn from each others’ experiences to inspire your team to victory.
Company Advisors often call WBW one of their favorite weeks of the year, as the week brings them deep fulfillment while also helping them grow as people and as leaders. You’ll be surprised the lifelong connections you make with students and deep friendships and community you forge with other CAs.
CAs identify coaching/mentoring, adaptability, influencing, presenting information, delegating and teambuilding as some of the competencies they sharpened.
If you’re interested in becoming a Company Advisor the best way to get started is to book a 20 minute introductory call.
“By Friday, when I was reflecting on the best moments of the week, I started crying because not only did I see the impact I made on [my students], but they truly made an impact on me.”
Summer Company Advisors
5-6 days
Empower a team of 8–12 high school students to run a company for one week during the summer. Share your expertise, engage them in critical thinking exercises, enjoy a series of dynamic speakers, industry tours, and networking with other professionals like you.
In-School Company Advisors
4–5 days
These community-focused day programs include the best components of the summer program in a short period of time at select rural Washington locations. Students attend our in-school programs as a graduation requirement.
FAQS
Who can signup to be a Company Advisor?
You don’t need to an expert to be a company advisor. You simply need to have some work experience and an excitement to support the next generation. Washington Business Week will help you gain the skills to support high school students through our program.
Ideally, a Company Advisor candidate will:
- Possesses a sincere desire to mentor young adults and ignite their potential.
- Is over 21 years old with 3+ years of professional work experience.
- Understands the fundamentals of the business or industry they work in.
- Is excited to network, meet new people, and have fun.
What is the time commitment?
Washington Business Week delivers day and overnight programs.
Day Programs run from Monday – Friday and require CAs from 7:30am – 6pm each day. CAs are also required to attend a day of training on the Sunday prior.
Overnight Programs run from Sunday – Friday and require CAs from 8:00am – 7pm each day. CAs are also required to attend a day of training on the Saturday prior.
What kind of training will I receive?
Washington Business Week gives a day of training to all CAs before starting the program. There you’ll learn the fundementals of the program, as well as how to support high school students. Throughout the week, you’ll recieve additional training on specific skills to bring to students.
WBW also offers advanced paid training to companies and individuals to go deeper on the skills students and volunteer CAs learn. This is a great oppourtunity if you want to hone more your management skills or that of your team. If you’re interested to learn more, get in touch.
Are accomidations provided?
Yes! WBW offers free private dorm rooms to Company Advisors at all our overnight programs. However, if you don’t want a throwback to your college experience, you’ll need to book on your own.
Based on university restrictions, some dorms have private bathrooms, some will be shared with another Company Advisor.
If you have any concerns, please reach out.
How do I get the time off work?
Being a Company Advisor at Washington Business Week is a big time commitment (but we promise, it’s worth it!)
Many Company Advisors don’t need to use their vacation time to attend. Often, it’s as easy as talking to your boss. Many companies offer paid volunteer time and you might not know it. Even if your company doesn’t we’ve found many managers to be very accomidating to employees volunteering for WBW as it’s a great way to give back and develop yourself at the same time. If you need some help convincing your boss, you can use this email template.
WBW also offers advanced paid training to companies to upskill their employees. In this model you might be able to use your company’s training policies to attend while learning deeper skills than simply volunteering. If you’re interested to learn more, get in touch.
