At Endeavor Puerto Rico’s AmplifyHER: Women Who Multiply, a panel hosted by Cristina Tamayo brought together leaders from Abarca Health, Piloto 151, GroupRaise, and Endeavor for a conversation on mentorship, trust, and what it really takes to help others move forward.
Growth rarely happens alone
Some of the most meaningful turning points in a career do not come from a promotion, a title, or a perfectly mapped-out plan. They come from people. From someone who challenges the way you think. From someone who makes room for you in a conversation you were not sure you belonged in. From someone who sees your potential clearly enough to help you move toward it.
That spirit shaped “Multiplying Through Mentorship,” one of the conversations featured at Endeavor Puerto Rico’s AmplifyHER: Women Who Multiply. Hosted by Cristina Tamayo, Managing Director at Endeavor Puerto Rico, the panel brought together Mercibel Gonzalez of Abarca Health, Sofía Stolberg of Piloto 151, and Devin Baptiste Co-Founder, CEO of GroupRise and mentor for Endeavor for a discussion that felt honest, relevant, and deeply human.
Rather than treating mentorship as a polished concept, the conversation explored what it looks like in real life: how it begins, how it evolves, and why it matters not only for individual growth, but for leadership, culture, and community.
Mentorship is rarely linear and that is part of its power
One of the clearest ideas to emerge from the panel was that mentorship is not one-size-fits-all. It does not always begin formally. It does not always unfold in a straight line. And it does not always look the same from one season of life to the next.
Instead, mentorship often shows up in motion. In trial by fire. In the uncomfortable moments that force people to grow faster than they expected. In the relationships that challenge, sharpen, and expand what someone believes is possible for themselves.
That perspective gave the conversation real depth. It moved mentorship away from the language of perfect pairings and formal programs and into something far more useful: a living practice shaped by trust, timing, chemistry, and the willingness to stay open.
The best mentors do more than support us. They stretch us.
One of the reflections on the panel came from Mercibel Gonzalez of Abarca Health, who spoke to the kind of growth that does not come easily. As she put it, “If you’re not failing, you’re not learning.” It was a simple line, but it captured something larger: real growth rarely happens inside comfort.
That honesty gave the conversation weight. Too often, mentorship is talked about only in terms of encouragement. But the best mentor relationships do more than reassure. They stretch people. They ask for humility, self-awareness, and the courage to keep going when the process feels uncomfortable. The relationships that shape us most are not always the easiest ones.
They are often the ones that stretch us.
Mentorship also requires initiative
Another strong theme from the panel was that mentorship is not passive. It rarely appears fully formed. More often, it begins when someone takes the first step — asks the thoughtful question, reaches out for time, follows up, stays curious, or chooses to learn from someone whose path looks different from their own.
That was part of what made the conversation feel so practical. It offered a view of mentorship not as something reserved for a select few, but as something people can pursue with intention. Not by forcing a formula, but by being willing to seek out the right voices, advocate for their own growth, and remain teachable along the way.
In that sense, mentorship is not just a relationship. It is a posture.
Paying it forward is part of the multiplier effect
If one idea tied the conversation together, it was this: mentorship does not stop with what we receive. Its full impact is felt in what we choose to multiply.
That is where the panel took on a broader meaning. Sofía Stolberg of Piloto 151 spoke from years of building community and supporting others within Puerto Rico’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Devin Baptiste of Endeavor brought the lens of sustained mentorship and what it means to invest generously in founders over time. Mercibel Gonzalez of Abarca Health added the perspective of building a corporate career while continuing to champion others along the way.
Together, their reflections pointed to a shared truth: mentorship matters not just because it helps individuals grow, but because it creates a culture of contribution. It invites people not only to rise, but to reach back.
What mentorship culture looks like in practice
The conversation also made clear that mentorship is not only personal. It is cultural.
It shows up in the environments leaders create. In whether people feel safe enough to ask questions, honest enough to seek feedback, and supported enough to grow in public. It shows up in whether organizations make room for connection, for learning across levels, and for the kind of conversations that help people see what is possible.
That is part of what made this panel especially resonant. It did not speak about mentorship as an abstract ideal. It spoke about it as something that can be built into the way people lead, the way teams grow, and the way institutions create opportunity.
A conversation aligned with what leadership should multiply
At its best, mentorship is not about having all the answers. It is about helping others find clarity, confidence, and courage. It is about knowing when to challenge, when to encourage, and when simply making space can make all the difference.
That is what made “Multiplying Through Mentorship” such a meaningful conversation within AmplifyHER. It reflected the heart of what the event set out to do: create a space where leadership is not measured only by personal achievement, but by the opportunities, perspective, and support people extend to others.
And that may be the most powerful lesson of all. Growth is rarely a solo act. It is shaped in relationships. Strengthened in conversation. And multiplied when people choose to invest in one another with intention.
About Endeavor Puerto Rico
Endeavor Puerto Rico aims to transform the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Puerto Rico by integrating founders into a global community that is driving innovation-based economic development across borders.
In addition to providing strategic support as these entrepreneurs scale their businesses, Endeavor also provides a platform for entrepreneurs to broaden their impact by paying their success forward, contributing to the growth and expansion of a robust entrepreneurial community.
About Abarca Health
At Abarca, we believe in an Unstoppable Drive for a Better Way. Our commitment to making healthcare seamless and personalized for all drives us to innovate in AI, specialty pharmacy, and predictive analytics. By transforming challenges into opportunities, we deliver PBM like no one else. Join us in shaping the future at the intersection of technology and care!