2023 UF Mentor Protégé Program Graduation

Earlier this month, the UF Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity celebrated its annual Mentor Protégé graduation. This special event recognized the achievements of this year’s Mentor Protégé teams and highlighted their accomplishments. 

Mentors in the program consist of mature and established companies that currently work or have worked with UF, or a comparable sized entity within the last year. Protégés are small businesses at various stages of development, interested in providing their products or services to the institution. 

“Since last year’s relaunch of the UF Mentor Protégé Program due to COVID, the number of protégé graduates has almost doubled and the industries represented are becoming more diversified by including technology systems, multimedia and event coordination,” said Dwan Courtney, the Director of Small Business and Supplier Diversity. “As a department, we have been intentional in our efforts to recruit quality small businesses to take part in this program with the goal of building a pool of suppliers that can meet UF’s needs.”

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For nearly 30 years, the UF Mentor Protégé program has nurtured the establishment of strong relationships between well-established companies and emerging small businesses, including those owned by women and minorities.  

“We’re fortunate to have mentors who have been a part of the Mentor Protégé Program for more than ten years, most of whom were Protégés who have grown to become mentors,” says Dwan. “Their commitment to serving our small business community and their wealth of knowledge and experience makes them an invaluable resource for firms learning to be successful with UF.” 

The graduation ceremony serves as a recognition of the exceptional dedication and accomplishments of the Mentor Protégé Teams. The program requires both mentors and protégés to participate in monthly meetings and additionally, protégés are required to participate in structured monthly workshops throughout the year. 

To see the full list of 2023 Mentor Protégé Program Teams visit here. 

For more information about the Mentor Protégé program, please visit the Small Business & Supplier Diversity website. 

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To view the full gallery of photos from the 2023 graduation ceremony, click here.