N°4 JCI Toronto: Meet your Mentor
Jeremy O’krafta is a great Leader and Mentor, that succeeds in the many enterprises in which he’s involved. He was one of the JCI Toronto’s President until 2011, managing Mentorship Programs for our community.
He has an intense curiosity about the way we learn and advocates training & continuous improvement, that is why when analyzing the needs of our community he decided to get involved in the role of Partnership lead.
Tell us a little about you?
I’m fascinated by the relationships and experiences that help shift our perspective on life.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
When I was a child, I wanted to be: a hockey player, a dentist, a lawyer and a politician. These ideas all reflected what the world around me was telling me was important at that time: fame, money and power.
In which University did you go? Why did you choose this field?
I attended Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo for Economics. My original intention was to become a Chartered Accountant (CPA) — I was really good at accounting and economics in high school.
How was your life as a Student? And the beginning of your work life?
After my first summer running a painting business (you can listen to more about that here), I began uncovering my path as an entrepreneur. I enjoyed working with customers and building a team. I was also beginning to experience freedom, creativity and having a strong peer network around me.
Why have you been interested in contributing to the JCI project?
JCI helped to shape the early part of my career. It provided me with a network of other young entrepreneurs and professionals committed to making change happen in the world; and supporting our local community. I’m committed to seeing associations like this thrive, for the current generation of young leaders.
What would you share with the students about building a Mentorship program, like all those that you’ve created?
I spent 7 years helping to launch and grow mentorship programs for entrepreneurs and students.
Mentorship programs are like school — they provide a place to learn about the process of mentoring relationships. They provide structure around how to develop and nurture supportive relationships. They provide willing mentors, who support the initial phase of the relationship. Mentorship programs provide training and accountability to practise the skills of effective mentoring relationships.
Reflecting on this question for many years, I’ve come to believe that the most important mentoring relationships are formed outside of a program. They’re developed organically in communities: business associations, peer groups, volunteering and working on projects together. Mentorship programs, prepare us to notice when one of these mentoring opportunities presents itself and how to develop and navigate the relationship.
Connecting with mentors will happen to the degree that you understand the process of building relationships — and establish yourself in networks of people, who are committed to supporting each other.
