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Lately, at every networking event or leadership roundtable, Im hearing the same things on repeat. CEOs are focused on growth in an uncertain context. HR leaders are worried about retention and employee burnout. Managers are trying to figure out how to build connection in hybrid workplaces that feel more transactional by the day. Everyone is chasing new strategies for engagement, inclusion, and belongingyet most are overlooking one of the simplest, most powerful tools we all have: mentorship. In an age where technology evolves faster than people can keep up, mentorship is the real accelerator. Its how knowledge sticks, how culture travels, and how innovation spreads. The companies that will win the next decade arent just the ones adopting AItheyre the ones teaching their people how to keep learning, growing, and lifting the next generation of leaders as they climb. The reality is that the workforce is changing in ways that we have never experienced before. Innovations have shifted the way we operate. Roles and responsibilities have changed. And in August, U.S. unemployment rose again, all while the number of new entrants getting jobs decreased by almost 200,000 (compared to the previous month). Were watching a generational disconnect unfold in real time. The Harris Poll found that nearly half (45%) of Gen Z job seekers feel AI has made their college education irrelevant, and over half (51%) viewed their degrees as a “waste of money.” This is a striking signal that the promise of education no longer feels aligned with the realities of todays workplace. This isnt just about the cost of collegeits about the gap between whats taught in classrooms and whats needed to thrive beyond them. Employers see the same cracks: Theyre struggling to find qualified candidates even as millions of capable young people are eagerbut unsure howto start. I talk to a lot of peoplenonprofit professionals, business leaders, researchers, and parents of young adults like myself. But its often the conversations directly with young people that reveal the challenge, and the solution, most clearly. Take Josue. He graduated from college this spring and possesses a sharp wit, a creative mind, and a dream of working in the legal field. But like so many first-generation and lower-income students, he was weighing that dream against financial reality. Was law school even an option? Through a network of mentors, Josue connected with a seasoned legal professional who opened his eyes to career paths he didnt even know existed, roles in the legal field that didnt require a law degree. In just a few conversations, that mentor helped him explore options, prepare applications, and gain the confidence to take the next step. Josue is currently working at a law firm, in a job that he loves. This simple act of mentorship provided career exposure and set Josue on a new trajectory in life. But thats not the reality for all young people navigating the workforce today. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, in partnership with the Harris Poll, surveyed 1,000 Gen Z youth from across the country and found that only 41% felt high confidence navigating todays job market. At the same time, the data showed that 83% of young adults believe a mentor could help them as they enter the workforce. Young people want mentorship support, even if the mentor doesnt have all the answers. In fact, 84% of mentored young people attribute their mentors to opening doors to opportunities they didnt know existed. Guidance from a mentor can not only help a young person navigate their entrance to the workforce but can also cultivate the next generation of leaders, foster loyalty, and strengthen workplace culture. Consider also that HR leaders need confident employees with durable skills, like communication, adaptability, and teamwork. These are all skills that young people attain through mentorship. Companies with mentoring cultures see increased retention, innovation, and employee engagement. In fact, it benefits them just as much as it benefits young people. For example, UPS has created career exploration opportunities for young people so they can see the careers that exist within the shipping and logistics industry and ask questions. Mentorship holistically supports a stronger, more diverse talent pipeline. Todays leaders are leaning in by creating access for young people in ways that we can scale. Think back to a moment when you needed a nudge or a champion, who was the person who did that for youthe mentor who helped you see possibilities you couldnt yet imagine? Where would you be without them? So, before your next strategy meeting or AI pilot, ask a Gen Z employee whats helping them navigate the uncertainty of work and life right now. You wont hear about new tools or training modulesyoull hear about people. Someone who listens, believes in them, and shows them the next step forward. Thats the opportunity in front of us. To make sure every young person, in every workplace, has access to mentorship. Because the real measure of leadership isnt just how fast we moveits how many people we bring with us.
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E-Commerce
The average U.S. employee clocks nearly 21 full business days working from their phone each year. Thats according to new research from Adobe Acrobat, who surveyed over 1,000 full-time employees on their habits and opinions around work phone etiquette. As worklife boundaries continue to blur, the work doesnt stop when you step out of the offices four walls. For many employees, they now carry it with them in their pocket, checking emails first thing from bed, or making calls on the go between meetings. In the early days of the iPhone, the sent from my . . . signature conveyed status. Back in 2013, The Atlantic referred to it as a humble brag. More than a decade on, and over half have used the brief disclaimer that youre simply too busy to be sat at a desk typing out a response. Turns out those three words are dividing the office: Gen Z are more likely to say it looks rushed or informal, while older generations consider it normal work culture. Gen Z respondents report spending 23% less time on their phones for work than older workers, with over one in four reporting it makes them anxious. And 21% even worried it will get them fired. This generation gap may simply be a case of seniority. Only 41% of entry-level employees have sent an email with a Sent from my . . . signature, the lowest of any job level. Junior employees may feel they still have something to prove and fear that the same signature could be perceived as harried or unprofessional. Higher-level employees have no such fears. Instead, the Sent from my . . . signature can signal authority, the same way in which a painstakingly typed email is met with a curt thumbs-up from the CEO. In fact, a 2012 paper entitled Sent From My iPhone: The Medium and Message as Cues of Sender Professionalism in Mobile Telephony found that those receiving a message containing spelling and grammatical errors were more forgiving of mistakes with a sent from my email than those sent from a desktop or laptop. Of course, not every task is suited to a small screen. (Theres a time and a place for laptop purchases, for example, despite what Gen Z may think.) Sensitive or high-importance tasks probably arent worth risking an accidental emoji, or hitting send with a photo of your lunch attached. For those surveyed, the convenience of being able to fire off emails on the fly also comes with its own drawbacks: 56% say that work-related notifications have blurred the line between their personal and professional lives. But in an always-on work culture, as digital devices continue to embed further into our work and personal lives, the sent from my . . . isnt going anywhere soon. Sent from my iPhone.
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E-Commerce
The Bezos vs. Musk battle for satellite internet service is heating up In whats rapidly becoming the new space race: Amazon will start testing its high-speed internet service that its building out to compete with SpaceXs Starlink service. With a broader rollout planned for next year, Amazon announced on Monday some updates to its Leo networkincluding a new program that will see select businesses taking part in an enterprise preview of the forthcoming service. In turn, Amazon can collect feedback to tailor services for specific industries. “Amazon Leo represents a massive opportunity for businesses operating in challenging environments,” Chris Weber, vice president of consumer and enterprise business for Amazon Leo, said in a statement. “Weve designed Amazon Leo to meet the needs of some of the most complex business and government customers out there, and were excited to provide them with the tools they need to transform their operations, no matter where they are in the world.” BILLIONAIRES IN SPACE RACE Amazon Leo is part of the broader retail giants business, and not Blue Origin, the space technology company that was also founded by Jeff Bezos. It will compete with Starlink, which is owned by SpaceX, the space technology company founded by Elon Musk. That means the billionaires are competing both with space exploration and internet-from-space services for hard-to-reach places. [Photo: Amazon] Since April, Leo has launched more than 150 satellites into space. By comparison, Starlink has more than 7,800 satellites in orbit, according to figures released this month by the company, along with more than 6 million customers worldwideincluding major cruise lines and commercial airlines. Some of the companies that have signed on for early adoption of Amazon Leo include JetBlue, Hunt Energy Network, and Connected Farms. Amazon announced earlier this month that it had rebranded its low Earth orbit satellite network to Leo from Project Kuiper. The company said it plans to eventually launch 3,000-plus satellites as part of its mission to provide fast and reliable internet to customers beyond the reach of existing networks. COMPETING FOR THE LIONS SHARE For Leo, taking a bite from the lions share of this specific industry thats dominated by Starlink may be diffuclt, but Amazon seems intent to compete at least on speedif not price. On Monday, the Seattle-based company showed off the final production design of Amazon Leo Ultra, the enterprise-grade terminal that will provide download speeds of up to 1 gigabits per second (Gbps) and upload speeds of up to 400 megabits per second (Mbps). By comparison, Starlink said earlier this month the median download speed across 2 million-plus active Starlink users during times of peak demand is nearly 200 Mbps as of July 2025. How the two companies will compete on pricing is harder to know yet, as Amazon has yet to disclose pricing. Starlink prices its residential service starting at $40 per month and going up to $165, and business plans ranging from $65 per month to more than $2,150.
Category:
E-Commerce
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