Mentorship Is About Guidance, Sponsorship Is About Influence: Kellie Capote

Mentorship Is About Guidance, Sponsorship Is About Influence: Kellie Capote

Author: Marcylle Combs November 19, 2025 Duration: 40:25

Kellie Capote emphasizes the importance of having both a mentor and a sponsor in one's career. She explains the distinction between the two, highlighting that while mentors provide guidance, sponsors have the influence to promote and advocate for you within an organization. Kellie shares her personal experiences and stresses the need for individuals to advocate for themselves in their professional journeys.

Kellie resides in Austin, TX, where she is a proud wife and mother to two daughters.

She is the Chief Customer Officer at Bonterra, a social good software company supporting 15,000+ nonprofits and over half of Fortune 100 companies.  It has over 1000 employees.

Between deep funding cuts and record-high service demand, nonprofits are facing an existential challenge. Kellie can offer a rare POV on (female) executive leadership in one of the most at-risk industries and how to rethink customerrelationships when the stakes are survival.

Kellie also co-authored a book, Digital Customer Success: The Next Frontier on digital customer success, which Bonterra's Women in Tech Book Club read and discussed earlier this year.

Energetic and results-driven customer success and GTM executive with 20 years of experience fostering customer relationships and leading customer facing teams. Proventrack record of driving customer growth, retention and reference-ability through building trusted advisor relationships and driving measurable business outcomes for customers. Deeply passionate about customer success being the growth engine of your organization.

CURRENT PROJECTS TO PROMOTE:

1.      October 1st: Bonterra launched Que,the first fully agentic AI platform purpose-built for the social good sector, spanning the entire ecosystem of funders, nonprofits, and supporters. 

2.      September 8th: Bonterra released the Meetthe Moment: Navigating Funding Disruption report which reveals how federal budget shifts are straining organizations already stretched by rising community needs. The report is based on a survey of 2,608 nonprofit leaders and 107 funders. 


bonterratech.com Kellie’s Linkedin All social channels: @bonterratech          

 


Hosted by Marcylle Combs, 50% with Marcylle Combs is built on the belief that women's voices and leadership are essential to every conversation. This podcast moves beyond surface-level interviews to explore the full spectrum of a leader's life. In each episode, Marcylle sits down with a woman who is actively shaping her field and community, delving into the real texture of her journey. You'll hear about the pivotal moments that defined her path, the obstacles that reshaped her direction, and the hard-won insights gathered along the way. These are not just success stories; they are honest accounts of professional and personal evolution, offering tangible advice for anyone looking to lead. By focusing on this depth, the podcast creates a platform where the diverse and inspiring narratives of women from various backgrounds, industries, and sectors take center stage. Tuning into this podcast means gaining access to a repository of experience, a source of solidarity, and a clearer understanding of what it means to build a meaningful career and life. It’s where ambition meets reflection, and where listening feels like joining a candid, necessary dialogue about progress and purpose.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

50% with Marcylle Combs
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