Whitnie Low Narcisse knows mentorship is the secret sauce to success. She’s helping you get it. This July, with her second child due in two weeks, Whitnie Low Narcisse, the 34-year-old VP of talent and community resources at First Round Capital started planning her funeral. This hyper-organized, 100 percent healthy lady started with a color-coded Google spreadsheet, filling one column with her favorite R&B songs; she wants it to feel like a party. Mary J. Blige’s “Just Fine” topped her playlist. But the guest list gave her more trouble. “I want people I’ve impacted,” she says. “If I’ve ever placed you at a job or connected you with someone who you fell in love with, or touched your life through teaching …” It’s going to be busy in that church. Narcisse has made a career out of connecting people; in the last year alone she’s matched hundreds of people to mentors. Mentorship’s a word that’s frequently thrown around in Silicon Valley, with everyone from Jack Dorsey to Sheryl Sandberg saying that good mentorship has been critical to their success. Founders who are mentored by high-level entrepreneurs are 33 percent more likely to be successful, according to a report by Endeavor Insights, and 92 percent of small businesses credit good mentorship as key to their companies’ survival, reports data platform Kabbage Inc. But getting connected to the right person isn’t that simple, especially if you lack privilege. | 