REA is currently developing a global mentorship program together with the REA Global Board, our local chapters and their networks, and professionals across firms including Blackstone, Greystar, KKR, Morgan Stanley, and others. The idea is simple: use the scale of REA to connect members with people who can offer relevant guidance at the right point in their careers.
Why we are building it
Most mentorship still follows geography and convenience. Students speak to alumni from their university, professionals they already know, or people working in the same city. Those relationships can be valuable, but they also limit the range of perspectives (and opportunities!) available.
REA can do it differently. Our chapters connect universities across markets, while our industry relationships extend across firms, functions, and geographies. That creates the possibility of matching people based on fit and ambition rather than proximity.
A member of REA Shanghai, for example, could be matched with a mentor at J.P. Morgan in New York, working in Private Markets Sales and able to provide direct guidance on entering the US market. That kind of relationship is difficult to create locally. Across a global network, it becomes much more realistic.
How it will work
The program will be supported by the REA Platform, which will make it easier for members to discover mentors, understand their backgrounds, and apply for available places.
Mentors will come from different professions, seniority levels, firms, and markets. Each mentor will offer a limited number of places, and members will apply with an explanation (video) of why the match would be valuable. Selection will focus on genuine motivation, relevance, and fit on both sides.
The goal is not to create as many pairings as possible. It is to create relationships that are worth maintaining.
At the same time, the scale of REA matters. A wider pool of mentors and members should allow us to offer far more relevant matches than any single university, chapter, or local network could provide on its own.
Building the program now
The program is currently being developed with support from teams across REA and professionals throughout the wider network. We are also building a dedicated leadership team to help shape and operate it.
Interested in helping build the program?
We expect the first version of the Global Mentorship Program to roll out in Q1 2027.
If REA can connect the right people across markets, firms, and generations, mentorship becomes more than a local benefit. We believe it could become one of the most useful network effects we can create.
