The U.S. State Department is looking for members of the U.S. business community to mentor aspiring entrepreneurs in developing countries.

The E-Mentor Corps is directed by the State Department's Global Entrepreneurship Program and managed by ImagineNations Network, an entrepreneurship website.

Large companies such as Accenture Ltd., Ernst & Young, IBM Corp. and Intel Corp. have agreed to provide mentors for the program, as has Babson College in Massachusetts. 

"There is no limit as to how many E-Mentors we are looking to add," said Brenda Rios, a spokeswoman for the program. "The platform is available worldwide and to anyone who is interested in mentoring entrepreneurs or learning about entrepreneurship. We encourage as much as there can be."

Mentors, who do not get paid, can spend as much or as little time as they want on the program, said Ms. Rios.

"You would think that mentees have more benefit than mentors, but the learning experience and sharing can be both ways," she added. "Both mentors and mentees have the ability to build local networks, share new ideas, meet others who have gone through the same process of doing the type of business they are in."

The program makes entrepreneurship an extension of U.S. foreign policy, Babson College Provost Shahid Ansari told GlobalAtlanta.

"The thinking of the administration is that entrepreneurship and the creation of jobs is a critical element of developing relationships around the world, to reduce hostilities and reduce conflicts," he said. "It's part of that bigger picture. They are seeing entrepreneurship as a way to further diplomacy."

While he praised the program, Mr. Ansari stressed that successful entrepreneurship requires more than just an online mentor.

"You always need access to capital, educational programs, training programs," he said. "Mentorship is one element of what we call creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem in a society."

He hopes the program expands to deliver training and connect entrepreneurs with angel investors and micro lenders.

"That is also a very important and critical piece of the whole puzzle," he said.

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