Lead(h)er is the mentorship program fueling career and community engagement for women in the workforce.

Mentorship is a voluntary developmental relationship where experiences are shared between a woman of greater experience, with a woman of lesser experience, characterized by mutual trust, respect, honesty, and commitment that creates understanding for the mentee in a safe environment.

Lead(h)er is a community of 900+ women.

Match Stories

“Cara has been such a great leader and mentor! She has helped me navigate work challenges and always followed up to see how things turned out.”

Jennifer (&) Erica

Erica recently completed a post-secondary degree and came to Lead(h)er looking for a mentor who can help her translate the things she is passionate about into her professional life. She was hoping we could match her with someone who is confident both personally and professionally, and who is willing to offer guidance and advice.

Meredith (&) Rhonda

"I look forward to my time with Rhonda because she is so happy to help me and wants to see me grow. She has so much knowledge and is so willing to share everything she has learned. She is a very kind woman with a huge heart to serve.

Jacki (&) Jen

While you might strike a match over a professional topic, we welcome the times when you're able to have a good time while you fuel career and community engagement!

Kate (&) Stephanie

Stephanie encouraged me from the beginning of our mentor/mentee relationship to take steps not leaps and was able to help me see the value in job prospects and opportunities outside of what I had wanted more clearly.

Beth (&) Madelyn

I love that Madelyn is the age of my children, and despite the age difference we have much in common...The other day we were discussing the need for discipline when writing. Set aside specific times and places conducive to tapping our creativity

Michele (&) Olivia

Over and over, they tell us that they get just as much out of mentoring as they give to it. Michele's story is no different and we are so grateful she shared it with us!

Holly (&) Cassie

Cassie has taught me so much about being real and giving selflessly to others. Her future is so bright and I’m so proud of how much she’s achieved in the short time we’ve been matched

Our Story

Lead(h)er was founded by Melissa Pepper in 2016 to bridge the gap in professional development opportunities available for QC working women. Today, Lead(h)er has served more than 1,100 women through our free, Strike A Match Mentorship program.

In 2024, Lead(h)er is celebrating our 8th anniversary of empowering QC women through mentorship! Lead(h)er is beyond grateful to our amazing Quad Cities community, generous sponsors, dedicated mentors, and unstoppable mentees who have made this journey so impactful!

Here’s what our Found(h)er Melissa Pepper said about the launch party for Lead(h)er back in 2016 that started it all:

"It was incredible to see 100 people turn out for the kickoff back then! To feel the support and energy in the room further ignited my passion for what was then just an idea. I was and am so grateful for the community’s support."

Lead(h)er knows mentorship is for everyone

At Lead(h)er, we are committed to fueling a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion through genuine connections to create belonging.

Our identities lie at the core of our individual experiences and by embracing the diverse stories of our own and others’ identities, we enable ourselves to build and fuel stronger mentorship relationships.

We believe that by committing to our own developmental journeys we can strengthen what we do and who we are TOGETHER in order to impact our workplace, our Quad Cities community, our world, and beyond.

Lead(h)er mentors and mentees are ON FIRE.

Hear more from Strike a Match matches each month with a new episode of Her Stories.

The Lead(h)er family is made of Quad Cities area leaders who believe in mentorship.

230265344_567034234665372_236209101358038448_n (2).jpg — meet the team

Lead(h)er is a Royal Neighbors of America
Nation of Neighbors Award recipient.

Lead(h)er was founded in 2016 when Royal Neighbors awarded our organization with a Nation of Neighbors grant to ensure the first 10 women were matched! Over the years, Royal Neighbors has continuously stepped up to ensure mentorship is free to any woman who applies.