Mentors

For Mentors

Mentoring through this mentorship program is a meaningful way to give back to the stuttering community while also gaining valuable personal and professional growth.

Why become a mentor?

Make a lasting impact
Help shape the career journey of individuals who stutter by offering support, perspective, and encouragement. Your guidance can be a turning point in someone’s professional life.
Develop leadership and coaching skills
Mentorship builds and strengthens essential soft skills like active listening, empathy, constructive feedback, and coaching—skills that are highly valued in today’s workplaces.
Expand your professional network
Connect with a diverse group of mentors and mentees from a wide range of industries. You’ll gain access to exclusive community spaces and events designed to foster collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and peer learning.
Gain fresh perspectives
Engaging with mentees at different stages of their careers exposes you to new ideas, challenges, and ways of thinking—keeping you curious, adaptable, and empathetic.
Enhance your professional brand
Being a mentor and advocate for workplace inclusion and accessibility reflects positively on your values as a leader and ally. It demonstrates your commitment to equity and mentorship, both within and beyond your organization.
Learn from the community
Whether you're a person who stutters or a dedicated ally, mentoring is a two-way street. Many mentors report learning just as much from their mentees as they give—especially when it comes to navigating workplace dynamics, communication styles, and resilience.

Mentors receive resources and guidance from the WS@W committee to support their mentees effectively and become part of a growing professional network committed to workplace inclusion. It’s a chance to give back, build community, and grow personally and professionally.

Our Mentors

Dr. Saundra Russell-Smith

Dr. Saundra Russell-Smith is a proud person who stutters, an award-winning educator, and the founder of Limitless Leaders LLC, a leadership development company that helps people turn what limits them into what leads them. After three decades as a teacher, principal, and district administrator, as well as multiple degrees in education, she now empowers others to lead with authenticity and confidence—especially those with hidden disabilities. Her book, Limitless Leaders: Leading Beyond Your Disability, shares her journey from silence to strength and inspires others to own their voice at work and beyond. When she’s not mentoring or speaking, she loves traveling, storytelling, and spending time with family.

Industry: Education & Leadership Development
Title: CEO & Founder, Limitless Leaders LLC
LinkedIn URL

Chris Monello

Chris Monello lives in Tinton Falls, New Jersey and is a person who stutters. He started attending NSA local chapter meetings in 2014 and was quickly comforted by the stuttering community and inspired to help others who stutter. In 2021, he joined the We Stutter at Work Board to help advocate for people who stutter in the workplace. He’s passionate about his career as the Head of Marketing at Scientific American Magazine. When he isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with loved ones, traveling and yoga.

Industry: Media
Title: Director of Marketing
LinkedIn URL

Emmett Myers

Emmett Myers is a person who stutters and a Software Engineer from Omaha, Nebraska. He attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he majored in Computer Science and served as a Head Teaching Assistant for multiple Honors Software Engineering courses. Emmett has been coding since high school and has interned at companies including Google, Garmin, and Bosch. As someone who stutters, he’s passionate about helping others build confidence in their communication and careers, and he hopes to show that stuttering and strong technical leadership can go hand in hand. Outside of work, Emmett enjoys playing basketball, watching sports, and spending time with friends and family.

Industry: Technology
Title: Software Engineer Intern
LinkedIn URL

Ashish Gupta

Ashish has a Masters in Computer Science and specializes in Artificial Intelligence. His work experience spans startups and bigtech, mostly in the field of AI infrastructure.

Industry: Technology/Healthcare
Title: Senior Backend Engineer
LinkedIn URL

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