M2 mentorship program connects experience with enthusiasm

Meghan Diemel

Contributor

August 10, 2026

STURGEON BAY – Do Good Door County, in collaboration with the Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC), has launched M2 (M-squared) – a new mentorship program connecting experienced professionals (mentors) with individuals seeking guidance (mentees) to start or grow a business or navigate a career transition.

Founder, CEO and Board President Cynthia Germain said the program builds on Do Good Door County’s broader mission of helping residents age in the community they love by creating opportunities for connection, purpose and continued engagement. 

Germain said the goal is to build a dynamic, collaborative community that will enhance, enrich and respect the aging experience in Door County.

Germain said the M2 program expands on Do Good Door County’s efforts to create opportunities for older adults to remain engaged in the community.

Germain said the organization previously developed MatchUp Door County, which launched about two and a half years ago to connect older adults with vetted employers and workforce opportunities. 

She said MatchUp Door County was successful over time, with one of its partners, We Are HOPE – the employability hub in Door County – involved in the program’s original planning.

“At the time, we decided it might be better in their hands, as people who manage employment all the time, versus us trying to do it as a part-time service as one of our programs,” she said. “They took it on in January.”

Germain said the success of MatchUp Door County led the team to begin exploring its next initiative.

Around that same time, she said they had been in discussions with the DCEDC about the number of individuals reaching out to the economic development organization for guidance – whether they were looking to start a business, seeking entrepreneurship advice or considering a career change.

Germain said the mentorship concept also aligns with Do Good Door County’s broader mission of helping older adults remain engaged and connected. 

By serving as mentors, she said participants can share their experience while continuing to grow personally and contribute to the community.

“We have been talking a long time about how we do mentoring because this is a natural [fit] for both parties,” she said. “We finally sat down and hammered out that collaboration, what it looked like and even convened a little planning committee to try and get everything structured and shored up.”

Germain said the program recently moved through a soft-launch phase, with organizers now interviewing potential mentors and mentees.

Natural partnership supports aging residents

Germain said the partnership with the DCEDC fits naturally with Do Good Door County’s mission of building connections and creating opportunities for residents to remain engaged in the community. 

She said Do Good Door County advances its vision by identifying shared concerns and opportunities across the county, then developing programs and initiatives that connect residents, businesses and government to create a supportive community where people can live well at any age.

Germain said the organization also works with community organizations, institutions and civic leaders to identify needs, develop solutions and strengthen the aging experience in Door County.

That collaboration is especially important, she said, in a county where roughly half of the population is older than 55.

Bringing organizations together around a shared goal, Germain said, can make a meaningful difference in helping residents remain connected and engaged.

“We have to address [the needs of that population],” she said. “To be able to do that and do that together is so important.”

Germain said the spirit of collaboration and goodwill is one of the many things that makes Door County so special.

“Organizations come together and… make these kinds of opportunities happen, and I think that’s unique to our community,” she said. “Maybe I’m biased, or maybe I’m just bragging – I’m not sure which – but it’s a nice community that does that. We support each other, especially the nonprofits, to be able to come together and find solutions.”

Matching mentors, mentees through shared values

Once the M2 programming is fully underway as planned, Germain said participants will benefit from personalized, one-on-one mentorship; short-term, achievable goal setting; and flexible engagement options.

At the moment, she said they have more mentors than mentees signed up.

Germain said the mentors involved so far come from diverse backgrounds.

She said the organization continues to interview potential mentors and mentees to better understand what each group needs.

Identifying individuals interested in being mentored, Germain said, was expected to be one of the program’s early challenges. 

However, she said the leadership team remains focused on creating meaningful connections. 

Germain said the group has begun targeted outreach to potential mentees while developing a communication strategy to introduce more Door County residents to the mentorship opportunities available.

She said organizers are also working to ensure successful matches by developing assessment tools, including the “Wheel of Values,” designed to help understand shared values between mentors and mentees.

“We then allow that tool to become a kind of a starting document – here’s what we can share together, here’s what we value together – and then [we] begin the work of mentoring,” she said.

Germain said MatchUp Door County showed the importance of aligning values, noting that participants were more likely to remain engaged when their goals and values matched those of their employer. 

“This is particularly true of older adults – they have years of experience and, shall we say, [are] a little more picky about what they do and who they do it with,” she said.

Germain said ensuring comfort and compatibility between mentors and mentees is a key part of creating successful mentoring relationships. 

“Not just from the idea of passing along skills or experience, but that they share the same values that they have,” she said.

Germain said the vetting process is designed to help create successful mentor-mentee relationships by ensuring both sides understand expectations and goals before a match is made.

During the interview process, she said participants will discuss their objectives and what they hope to gain from the experience.

Though M2 is still in its early stages, Germain said organizers are also exploring the creation of a brief online training focused on respectful communication, civility and other expectations for participants.

“[We want to be] sure they understand that all the conversations should be positive and structured [in a way] that is meaningful for both parties,” she said.

Germain said she knows the rollout of M2 will involve a learning process as organizers work to translate mentors’ years of experience and expertise into meaningful guidance for individuals starting businesses or navigating career transitions. 

“It’s something we have to develop,” she said. “We can put in as many policy SOPs or processes as possible, but then some of it we’re just going to learn on the ground.”

Building skills, connections for life 

In a world where technology increasingly reduces the need for face-to-face interaction, Germain said M2 offers an opportunity to create meaningful connections that benefit both mentors and mentees.

She said Do Good Door County also hopes to build on the program’s success by eventually creating opportunities for people to share non-career skills with others who want to learn them, such as woodworking or other hands-on interests.

“There are so many other things that people have passion for that have nothing to do with work,” she said. “They also want to [share that knowledge] with somebody, and it doesn’t have to be a young person. It can be a person of any age.”

Germain said the timeline for that next phase has not yet been determined, but expanding the mentorship concept remains part of Do Good Door County’s long-term vision.

“[We want to help] individuals connect in the communities,” she said. 

For those interested in becoming a M2 mentor or mentee, visit dogooddoorcounty.org for more details.