Highlights from Our 2026 Boston Women’s Event — Guided Beginnings: Mentorship for a New Year

At Goulston & Storrs, mentorship isn’t just a talking point — it’s part of how we strengthen our community, advance our careers, and show up for one another. In recognition of National Mentoring Month, we brought that commitment to life during our 2026 Boston Women’s Event, Guided Beginnings: Mentorship for a New Year, which highlighted the importance of connection, guidance, and shared growth.

The start of a new year is a natural time to reflect on what we need to thrive, the goals we want to set, and how we’ll reach them. Mentorship plays a vital role in women’s professional development, supporting confidence, leadership, and belonging. Yet we also know that while many women recognize the value of mentorship, few have access to it in a meaningful, consistent way. Our event was designed to help bridge that gap: creating space for authentic conversation, intentional networking, and real resources to help support women in setting and achieving goals in 2026 and beyond.

The People Behind the Connections

This year, we intentionally focused our event where it matters most: on relationships. The event centered on conversation and connection, giving attendees time to meet someone new, reconnect with peers or colleagues, and engage in mentorship-based experience. That focus was reflected not only in how the evening was structured, but in the voices and partners we brought together.

We were honored to welcome Jocelyn Goglia Senior Director, Commercial Interiors at WS Development, as our featured speaker. Jocelyn is a commercial real estate leader who is passionate about building strong teams, navigating complex challenges with clarity, and leading through genuine relationship-building. She also serves on the CREW Boston Board of Directors, a 700+ member chapter of the global CREW Network organization focused on advancing women in commercial real estate.

We were also proud to partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts, whose mission underscores the transformative value of mentorship and access. Attendees were moved by remarks from Victoria Rozzi, Associate Director of Girls Programming, who spoke about the lasting impact that mentors and volunteers have on the lives of young people, helping to build confidence, open doors, and create pathways to opportunity that extend far beyond a single moment.

Additionally, throughout the event, attendees engaged directly with a thoughtfully curated group of women-led organizations and mentorship-focused businesses, each offering unique opportunities for connection, collaboration, and confidence-building. From personalized styling guidance and professional headshots to curated gifts, wellness resources, and community-driven initiatives, both attendees and partners had the opportunity to interact, learn, and build meaningful connections. Featured organizations included Black Owned Bos., William James Gifts, BRIX, The Cat Connection, Styled by Shani, Redwood Speaking, Jo Smith Headshots Photography, gen-well, and Top Shelf Cookies — each bringing their own lens on the meaning of connection, confidence, and community.

Jocelyn’s remarks reflected a common thread that resonated throughout the evening: meaningful mentorship often grows from everyday moments, such as working alongside people you respect, offering feedback, answering questions, or opening doors to opportunity. She also spoke to a reality many women recognize instinctively: success isn’t just about competence, but about navigating unspoken dynamics, and mentorship, especially among women, helps bridge gaps that formal structures don’t address through small, timely acts of support.

Creating The Ripple Effect

What stayed with many attendees wasn’t a single takeaway — it was the feeling of being seen, supported, and connected.

By focusing this year’s Women’s Event on mentorship in all its forms, including formal and informal relationships, peer-to-peer connections, and those that span generations, we carved out time to reflect on how we show up for one another. Mentorship isn’t just something we talk about at an event; it’s something we can practice in everyday moments, whether that’s checking in, making introductions, offering guidance, or building relationships.

As we move forward, we hope this serves as a reminder to keep creating space for connection by reaching out to someone new, deepening an existing relationship, or getting involved more formally through organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters and other mentoring initiatives.

Small, consistent efforts matter. When we mindfully invest in each other, we strengthen not just individual paths, but the broader communities we’re part of. As Jocelyn shared, “We didn’t come this far to only come this far.”

Guided Beginnings was a meaningful moment, but it’s really about what we choose to do next.