SCORE Mentors

📚 Low-cost business learning opportunities await!

Join a SCORE Santa Fe & Northern NM webinar or workshop this week and 🚀

Motherhood changed Madhu’s life. It also sparked the idea that would change her career.

After earning her master’s degree in electrical engineering and working in the semiconductor industry, Madhu found herself searching for a diaper bag that balanced two things: the practicality she needed as a mom and the style she wanted. When she couldn’t find it, she decided to create it herself.

That idea became Pretty Pokets, a line of stylish, practical bags designed to make life easier for women on the go.

But turning a great product idea into a growing business takes more than creativity. Madhu needed guidance on everything from e-commerce and supply chains to protecting her ideas.

She found that support through SCORE. Since her first counseling session in 2016, Madhu has met with mentors more than 50 times, tapping into their expertise as she grows her business. SCORE mentors have helped her navigate challenges, explore new opportunities, and keep moving forward.

Today, Pretty Pokets has built a loyal customer base, expanded into boutique retail, and successfully repaid its first Kiva crowdfunding loan. Now, Madhu is raising funds again to grow her product line.

She didn't just create the bag she couldn't find. She built a business around making everyday life a little easier for women like her.

SCORE mentor Jyoti Jaiswal knows there’s something powerful about watching an entrepreneur go from “I have an idea” to “I think I can really do this.” 💙

Behind every business is someone taking a risk, figuring things out as they go, and trying to turn a vision into something real. They shouldn’t have to do it alone.

Sometimes, the right guidance, resource, or conversation can be the thing that turns uncertainty into momentum.

That’s why mentors show up. To listen. To share what they know. To remind entrepreneurs that they have someone in their corner.

Ready to be that person for an entrepreneur? Become a SCORE mentor.

Learning never stops when you’re building your dream! 🌟

Join SCORE mentors and small business experts for low-cost webinars and local events designed to help entrepreneurs like you succeed.

New month, new opportunities to grow your business! 💡

Our October webinar lineup covers practical topics to help you work smarter, make informed financial decisions, and plan for what’s next.

👉 Swipe through to see what’s coming up, choose the sessions that interest you, and register for free!

We look forward to learning with you this month. 💙

“In one session I got more usable direction than in months of reading.”

Timo Srinarmwong recently discovered SCORE and quickly experienced the difference between learning on your own and having someone in your corner.

As Timo puts it, books, podcasts and YouTube can give you frameworks. A mentor can look at your numbers, your clients and your specific challenges and help you see what to do next.

“You don’t have to figure it out by yourself. You just have to ask!”

Sometimes, the next step starts with asking for a little help.

Real end-of-year SMB planning = no fluff.

What’s one unwritten rule you have for holiday prep? Drop it below 👇

💡 Ready to take your business to the next level? SCORE offers live webinars and local workshops to help you start, grow, and thrive.

Pin it to the SCOREboard 📌

What's one skill Future You will thank you for learning?

We'll use the comment section as a sounding board to offer resources and support.

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Have something YOU want to ask other entrepreneurs? DM us to submit your prompts. 📩

“Starting Mothership Coffee Roasters was personal for me.”

For Juanny Romero, coffee became a vehicle for creating the kind of connection and community she wished she had growing up. A child of immigrants from the rough side of Queens, she built Mothership Coffee Roasters around a simple mission: create meaningful connections through great coffee.

Fifteen years later, that mission has grown into six cafes, regional retail partnerships, and coffee sourced from women-owned farming cooperatives.

Along the way, SCORE has been part of Juanny’s journey, providing mentorship, encouragement, and the perspective she needed to grow from a passionate entrepreneur into the CEO of a multi-chain, multi-vertical business.

But for Juanny, success isn't just about how much the business has grown. It's about what that growth makes possible: supporting women coffee producers, investing in her community, and creating spaces where people can connect.

Her advice to other entrepreneurs? Embrace mentorship. The right guidance can help you break through limiting beliefs and see what's possible.

Join SCORE Mentors on September 29 at 1 PM for their 'Beyond the Barcode: Manage Inventory, Navigate Retail Channels and Prepare to Scale' webinar! 🛍️

Discover how barcodes can support inventory management, prepare your business for wholesale distribution, and MORE!

Register here ➡️: https://f.mtr.cool/hpli68wfej

“Yesterday was only our first conversation, but deciding that I don’t need to figure everything out alone already feels like progress.”

After being matched with a SCORE mentor, entrepreneur Mehal Jivan is already seeing the value of having someone in his corner to challenge his thinking, spot blind spots, and help him stay accountable to his bigger vision.

“The right mentor helps you ask better questions and become a better leader.”

Sometimes, progress starts with realizing you don’t have to do it alone.

For SCORE mentor Hasan Saifullah, mentorship is a two-way street. 💙

Through SCORE, Hasan brings his experience as a growth strategist to early-stage founders, helping them navigate the challenges of building a business from the ground up.

But every mentoring conversation gives something back. The entrepreneurs he works with challenge his thinking, offer new perspectives, and help him continue growing as a leader and advisor.

And being part of a community of fellow mentors makes the experience even more meaningful.

That’s what makes mentorship so powerful: entrepreneurs gain guidance and perspective, while mentors grow alongside them.

Ready to put your experience to work? Become a SCORE mentor. 💙