Canada - EN
70-85% of jobs are never posted – they’re found through the people you know.1
Ten Thousand Coffees (10KC) puts that network within reach – smart-matching you with mentors, peers, and subject matter specialists through an online platform that can help you open doors and propel you forward, no matter where you’re starting from.
Why Networking & Mentoring?
Having a strong, diverse network can help accelerate your career, give you access to other people’s hard-won knowledge, and help you navigate opportunities you couldn’t find on your own. Networking can be as simple as a real conversation and can help you:
- Exchange ideas and open doors to opportunities you wouldn’t find on your own
- Understand what career paths and opportunities actually exist
- Build the communication and relationship skills that come from real practice
Most jobs are filled through networking rather than public postings — yet not everyone starts out with equal access to the people, advice, or opportunities that make that possible.
Ten Thousand Coffees, supported by RBC, exists to help you close that gap.
How it works
10KC matches you with a mentor or peer based on your goals, and gives you simple, step-by-step guidance on how to make the most of the conversation. From there, 10KC will:
Deliver smart introductions to a mentor or peer based on your goals and interests
Send introductions straight to your inbox, with an invite ready for your calendar
Help coordinate a time to connect — in person over coffee, or online from wherever you are
Share tips, conversation starters, and best practices to help you make the most of every connection
Provide an official LinkedIn certification recognizing your commitment to continuous learning and career growth
Students & Alumni
The Network & Skills That Help Get You Hired
Connect with students and alumni across Canada for meaningful conversations: the kind that turn into interview tips that land the job, introductions that open doors, and a network that keeps paying off long after graduation.
Mentees
Mentees, this is for you if you’re a student or recent job seeking graduate (less than one year) ready to grow your network. Prepare for and launch your career, and develop the skills needed for professional success.
Mentors
Mentors, this is for you if you’re you a professional and/or an alumni of a postsecondary institution, and want to give back to students and new grads. This is your opportunity to develop leadership skills and stay connected with the next generation.
Join your school’s hub or our open-access community.
Newcomer Connections
Landing Your Career in Canada
You bring real experience, real credentials, and real ambition – sometimes built halfway across the world. What’s standing between you and your next job usually isn’t skill, it’s a way in. Newcomer Connections pairs you with a mentor who’s already built their career in Canada and is ready to help you do the same – from decoding the hidden job market to walking into your next interview with confidence.
This community is designed to support newcomers to Canada build the skills and relationships they need to find meaningful work and prepare for the jobs of tomorrow. Support your development through a rich curriculum with curated discussion guides to get the most out of your mentorship journey.
Mentees
Mentees, this is for you if you’ve settled in Canada within the last couple of years and are ready to grow your career, your network, and your sense of belonging.
Mentors
Mentors, this is for you if you’re 5+ years settled in Canada, and want to give back to the newcomer community and develop leadership skills.
Not quite the right fit?
International students are encouraged to join the Students & Alumni program, and small business owners and entrepreneurs are encouraged to join Entrepreneur’s Edge. If one of those sounds like a better match, you’re welcome to join whichever program suits you best.
Entrepreneur’s Edge
Guidance to Grow Your Business
Building a business is one of the most rewarding challenges you will ever take on – and most often, there isn’t a straight road to get there. Informal connections with peers are proven to matter as much to a startup’s growth as access to financing or workspace.[8]
The Entrepreneur’s Edge is a structured mentoring and networking ecosystem designed to provide you with the mentorship, community, expert insights, and strategic guidance you need to propel your venture.
Mentees
Mentees, this is for you if you’ve built a business plan and/or already launched your business in the last two years.
Note: If you’re still in the idea stage, come back once you’re actively launching or growing your business.
Mentors
Mentors, this is for you if you have been in business for two or more years, previously owned a business, or work in a small business advisory capacity.
BIPOC Impact Mentoring
Mentorship to Overcome Systemic Barriers
You’ve got the ambition, the drive, and the talent — what’s too often missing is the mentor, the sponsor, or the introduction that turns potential into progress.
Impact Mentoring pairs BIPOC-identifying people with experienced professionals for six months of one-on-one mentorship, building the confidence, connections, and career clarity that too many doors have kept out of reach.
Mentees
Mentees, this is for you if you’re a BIPOC-identifying student or early in your career and are ready to grow your career, your network, and your sense of belonging.
Mentors
Mentors, this is for you if you’re a BIPOC-identifying or an ally professional, who wants to give back to the BIPOC community with your professional experience.
FAQ
By growing your network of professionals and being genuinely curious to learn from and support others, you learn a lot about yourself, different career paths, and job and learning opportunities — including the ones that never get posted publicly. Networking also builds skills you’ll use throughout your career: professional communication, job-search savvy, and interview readiness, among others.
10KC’s smart-matching connects you with a mentor or peer based on what actually matters — your career goals, industry, and job function — no cold outreach needed. From there, it’s structured 1:1 mentorship, ongoing networking introductions, and live group Office Hours led by subject matter experts on topics like resumes, interviews, and industry insights. It’s one platform, four programs — built for students and alumni, newcomers to Canada, BIPOC youth, and entrepreneurs — because everyone deserves a network that opens doors.
- Post-secondary student or alum? Join the Students & Alumni Network.
- New to Canada and building your career here? Join Newcomer Connections.
- Building or growing your own business? Join Entrepreneur’s Edge.
- BIPOC-identifying and early in your career? Join Impact Mentoring.
Program Impact to Date
130,000+
people reached
75%
participants felt more prepared
84%
felt they made a valuable addition to their network
11
provinces and territories served
