At the heart of Gateway CEO are relationships. ❤️

One of the most important parts of our year-long experience is building relationships that help our students grow—not just as entrepreneurs, but as individuals and leaders. Two groups play such a vital role in that journey: our parents and our mentors. Both bring unique perspectives, encouragement, and support to our students, and building connections within each group matters just as much as the relationships they build with our students.

As our program continues to grow, we always want to ask ourselves, How can we do this better?

A few years ago, following our second year, parents shared something simple but meaningful: “I wish I had met some of the other parents earlier.” We listened! The following fall, we hosted our first Parent Happy Hour, creating an opportunity for parents to connect with one another as their students navigated the CEO experience. It was such a great addition to our program that we’ve continued the tradition ever since.

Last year, we recognized a similar opportunity with our mentors. With more people than expected willing to invest their time and experience in our students, we wanted to create space for them to learn more about the program, connect with the team leading our mentor experience, and build relationships with one another. Our first Mentor Meetup was a great success!

So this year, we thought… why not bring everyone together in one evening?

Thanks to the generosity of Shannon Hogg, an incredible Gateway CEO supporter who has welcomed students for site visits, served as a mentor, and is also an alumni parent, we gathered at the beautiful Town Square Terrace in Highland. In addition, this night was only possible through the planning by Board Members Teresa Reiniger and Anna Harpstreit, who are leads for our Gateway CEO Mentor Program. Our mentors joined us at 4:00 p.m., followed by our parents at 5:30 p.m.

The result? An incredible evening of connecting, sharing, brainstorming, and simply enjoying one another.

We are so grateful for the people who surround our students and believe in what we’re building through Gateway CEO. When parents, mentors, and community supporters have opportunities to connect with one another, we strengthen the very relationships that make this experience so meaningful.

Because building a business is part of the CEO experience—but building relationships is at the heart of it all.

Thank you, Shannon, for opening your beautiful space to us, and to every parent and mentor who continues to invest in our students and our program. And to our Board Members who consistently show up, build relationships, share their wisdom, and invest their time and energy into making Gateway CEO stronger—we are so grateful for you! It truly takes a community of people who care to create an experience like this for our students. 💙

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