StepAhead platform aims to transform the way individuals connect with experienced mentors for career guidance and support.
Two UCD undergraduate commerce students have created a new mentorship platform to connect individuals with experienced mentors.
The StepAhead platform, created by UCD Lochlann Quinn School of Business students Oisín Mallon from Omeath, Co. Louth, and Oisín Walsh from Killarney, Co. Kerry, is built on a simple but powerful idea, connecting individuals seeking guidance with mentors who have recently navigated similar paths.
“We were frustrated with the lack of practical, relatable advice, and realised there had to be a better way”
Rather than relying on traditional career counsellors or outdated advice, StepAhead offers mentees, such as secondary school students, college-goers, and recent graduates, access to relatable, real-world insights from those who are a step ahead of them in their career path.
Born of frustration
“We are delighted to unveil StepAhead, a new mentorship platform which we are developing to address the challenges young people face when making critical educational and career decisions and which was born from our own personal experiences,” Mallon explained.
“Coming home from work during our internship year, we both felt completely lost about what we wanted to do after graduation. We were frustrated with the lack of practical, relatable advice, and realised there had to be a better way.”
StepAhead aims to take the guesswork out of guidance and to level the playing field in career guidance, ensuring access to good advice is not limited by personal connections or advantages, by connecting mentees with mentors who have recently navigated the same path.”
Last December StepAhead was one of only 10 projects from around the world selected to pitch at the Red Bull Basement 2024 World Final in Tokyo, Japan. This competition, which attracted over 110,000 applications, champions student innovators who are tackling real-world problems with fresh ideas and creative solutions.
“To represent Ireland and to be recognised at the Red Bull Basement main stage among the top 10 finalists was an incredible honour,” Walsh said.
“It demonstrated to us how universal the need is for good, real-world mentorship and guidance.
“For the year ahead, our focus will be on advancing the development of the StepAhead platform and forging strategic partnerships to bring our vision to life, with the goal of formally launching the platform in Q3 this year. With a mission to re-engineer how people access career guidance, we believe StepAhead has the potential to make a significant impact not only in Ireland but around the world.”
Main image at top: Oisín Walsh and Oisín Mallon, StepAhead, at the Red Bull Basement 2024 World Final in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Jason Halayko / Red Bull Content Pool
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