As we mark National Mentoring Day (27th October), it's a moment to reflect on the unique value of human connection, empathy, and creativity that business mentoring brings in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms and automation.  

AI tools certainly have a valuable role to play and embracing new technology is essential for any founder wanting to future proof their business. At Virgin StartUp, we’re finding that entrepreneurs and small business founders are at the forefront of AI adoption in the UK. In our latest Founder Barometer survey, 45% of founders say they have used AI tools this year compared with only 34% in 2024, and AI adoption will only continue to rise. But while technology can delivery speed and efficiency, often at a fraction of the price, I’d argue that it’s people that provide businesses with genuine inspiration. This is where mentors come in.   

Mentorship is integral to the founder experience. It’s more than just advice, it’s about trust, empathy and lived experience. It’s about someone believing in you when your confidence wavers, holding you accountable when the stakes are high and sharing not just knowledge, but perspectives. These are profoundly human qualities, and what shape entrepreneurs into leaders.   

Early in my entrepreneurial journey, I had the privilege of being mentored by a successful female business founder – Alex Depledge. Alex was one of the first customers of our business and called us up straight after using the service to say how much she loved it – and that she wanted to help us grow. The rest is history.   

For the next decade, Alex challenged me to think bigger and supported me through countless moments of uncertainty. Every Monday morning, we’d take boxing classes together to ignite that fire in my belly, and after we’d spend hours discussing business, ideas and ambition. That combination of physical grit, human connection and shared drive, gave me the resilience I needed to push forward.  

In the early days, Alex was a crucial part of our success as she helped me and my co-founder navigate the world of funding. Her network opened doors that would otherwise have remained firmly closed, and those connections helped us to secure the investment that supercharged our growth. Having Alex as a mentor to help us form those business connections demonstrates the incredible power of community – we wouldn’t have grown without it.   

Alex’s mentorship stretched far beyond just business strategy and introductions. She understood the personal pressures of being a female founder and building a company while also raising young children. She empathised with the guilt, the juggle and the constant balancing act, and she offered reassurance that these struggles didn’t make me a failure – they made me human. Having someone who not only believed in my business but also in me as a person gave me the drive to keep going when things felt overwhelming.    

Alex has since gone on to become the first-ever advisor to the Treasury for entrepreneurship – a role that underlines the importance of support business founders nationwide. Alex’s journey is proof that mentorship doesn’t just change lives, it can change systems too.   

At Virgin StartUp, we see every day how mentorship shapes success. Founders in our online business community – which has one of the UK’s largest networks of business mentors – are constantly sharing ideas, energy and ambition. Founders in the community can book 1:1 sessions with experienced entrepreneurs, a service that’s proved incredibly popular and has led to powerful collaborations, new investment opportunities and transformative moments for founders.   

This National Mentoring Day, I would encourage entrepreneurs to take a step back from Chat GPT for the day and seek out a mentor, or, if you are already an experienced entrepreneur, consider giving up your time to be a mentor. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely road and while technology offers efficiency, it can’t offer empathy and real-life experience. In the age of AI, human connection isn’t just valuable, it’s irreplaceable.