MentorMe

Inspiration

We were inspired by the APEC 2021 theme of “Join, Work, Grow. Together.” and the challenge of empowering MSMEs and other groups with the untapped economic potential to participate in global digital trade. We wanted to create a platform that would connect them with mentors, experts, and investors who can provide them with guidance, feedback, and funding for their digital trade ventures.

What it does

MentorMe is a one-stop solution for MSMEs and other groups with untapped economic potential who want to participate in global digital trade. MentorMe allows them to:

Create profiles, browse and apply for mentorship programs, access online courses, webinars and resources on digital trade topics, and join a supportive and inclusive community of digital entrepreneurs across the APEC region. Learn from the best mentors, experts and investors in digital trade who can share their knowledge and experience, offer feedback and advice, and support their digital trade ventures. Connect with other digital entrepreneurs who share similar goals, challenges and opportunities, and collaborate on projects, events and initiatives. Grow their skills, network and business potential in the global digital trade ecosystem. MentorMe also allows mentors, experts and investors to:

Create profiles, offer mentorship programs, share their knowledge and experience, and discover and support promising digital trade ventures. Find and match with mentees who are interested in their areas of expertise, have potential for growth and impact, and are committed to learning and improving. Provide personalized mentorship and support to their mentees through online sessions, messages, feedback forms and reviews. Invest in their mentees’ digital trade ventures if they see fit, or connect them with other investors who might be interested.

How we built it

We built MentorMe using html, css, js and web3 as well as flask for the front-end, python for the back-end, and Bootstrap web3 and css, XML for the UI design. We used vs 2022 for prototyping and GitHub for version control. We also used various APIs.

Challenges we ran into

Some of the challenges we ran into were:

Finding reliable and relevant data and resources on digital trade topics and trends for the APEC region. Designing a user-friendly and intuitive UI that would cater to the diverse needs and preferences of our target users. Implementing the mentorship matching algorithm that would consider various factors such as skills, interests, goals, availability, location, etc. Integrating the payment system that would allow users to pay for mentorship programs and investors to fund digital trade ventures.

Accomplishments that we’re proud of

Some of the accomplishments that we’re proud of are:

Creating a platform that addresses a real and pressing problem for MSMEs and other groups with untapped economic potential who want to participate in global digital trade. Developing a platform that provides a comprehensive and holistic solution for both the users and the mentors, experts, and investors. Building a platform that fosters learning, connection, and growth among digital entrepreneurs across the APEC region. Completing a fully functional prototype of our platform within the given time frame.

What we learned

Some of the things we learned are:

How to use React, Firebase, Bootstrap and other technologies to create a web application. How to design a UI that is responsive, accessible and appealing. How to work as a team, communicate effectively, manage our time and resources, and overcome challenges. How to conduct user research, validate our assumptions, test our ideas, and iterate on our product. How to pitch our product, present our demo, and answer questions.

What’s next for MentorMe

Some of the next steps for MentorMe are:

Conducting more user testing and feedback sessions to improve our platform. Adding more features and functionalities such as chatbot, gamification, analytics, etc. Expanding our database of mentors, experts, investors, courses, webinars and resources on digital trade topics. Partnering with other organizations and stakeholders who share our vision and mission.

# Importing some modules
import flask
import requests
import json

# Creating a Flask app
app = flask.Flask(__name__)

# Defining some global variables
MENTORS_URL = "https://api.mentorme.com/mentors" # A mock API for mentors
COURSES_URL = "https://api.mentorme.com/courses" # A mock API for courses
WEBINARS_URL = "https://api.mentorme.com/webinars" # A mock API for webinars
RESOURCES_URL = "https://api.mentorme.com/resources" # A mock API for resources

# Defining some routes
@app.route("/")
def home():
    # The home page of the app
    return flask.render_template("home.html")

@app.route("/profile")
def profile():
    # The profile page of the user
    return flask.render_template("profile.html")

@app.route("/signup")
def signup():
    # The profile page of the user
    return flask.render_template("signup.html")

@app.route("/login")
def login():
    # The profile page of the user
    return flask.render_template("login.html")

@app.route("/mentors")
def mentors():
    # The page that shows the available mentors
    response = requests.get(MENTORS_URL) # Getting the mentors data from the API
    data = json.loads(response.text) # Parsing the JSON data
    return flask.render_template("mentors.html", mentors=data["mentors"]) # Rendering the template with the data

@app.route("/courses")
def courses():
    # The page that shows the available courses
    response = requests.get(COURSES_URL) # Getting the courses data from the API
    data = json.loads(response.text) # Parsing the JSON data
    return flask.render_template("courses.html", courses=data["courses"]) # Rendering the template with the data

@app.route("/webinars")
def webinars():
    # The page that shows the available webinars
    response = requests.get(WEBINARS_URL) # Getting the webinars data from the API
    data = json.loads(response.text) # Parsing the JSON data
    return flask.render_template("webinars.html", webinars=data["webinars"]) # Rendering the template with the data