Structured cross-industry mentoring for expert-led industries — grounded in research, powered by people, and built to move the needle.
TwoCan Mentor was founded by Helen Wyman, a Nuffield Farming Scholar (2022) whose research explored what makes mentoring actually work — and why, so often, it doesn’t.
The answer wasn’t more technology. It wasn’t more frameworks. It was structure, rigour, and the right match between two people — one of whom came from a world the other had never thought to look to. Helen built TwoCan to put that into practice.
Starting in food, farming and horticulture — a sector that has always relied on relationships but never had the infrastructure to make mentoring systematic — the programme has grown to serve six sectors and over 300 professionals.
The challenges that hold capable people back are rarely technical. They’re about confidence, clarity, leadership and knowing what to do next. That’s what TwoCan exists to address.
TwoCan runs structured, cross-industry mentoring programmes.
We match individuals from one sector with mentors from another — deliberately.
The outsider perspective is the point. And we do it properly: with training, rigorous matching, ongoing support, and measurable outcomes.
We match on a whole-person profile: values, goals, communication style. Not job title.
Six one-to-one sessions, a Fundamentals of Mentoring training day, ongoing check-ins, webinars, and the TwoCan community.
We are actively working to qualify the programme as verifiable non-technical CPD across our regulated sectors.
We become your dedicated mentoring partner. End-to-end. Measurable outcomes.
Place a white carnation into split-coloured water. Gradually, it absorbs the colours — transforming into something entirely new.
That’s the effect of cross-industry mentoring.
When people connect outside their usual world, they absorb fresh perspectives, new confidence, and ways of thinking they couldn’t have found from within their own sector.
Over time, those influences shape how they lead, how they decide, and how they show up — not just for themselves, but for the people and organisations around them.
TwoCan creates the conditions for that transformation.
These aren’t aspirations. They’re the standards we hold ourselves to in everything we do — from how we match people to how we communicate, from how we design the programme to how we respond when something isn’t right.
Straight talking properly delivered every time. If a match isn’t right, we say so. If something isn’t working, we act on it.
Everything we do is designed with care. Nothing is left to chance. The matching process, the training, the check-ins, the reporting — all of it is intentional.
No sponsors, no agendas, no allegiances. The freedom is deliberate. We’re funded by participants and organisations — no one else has a say in how we operate.
We back people who back themselves. We ask the questions that matter. We make matches that challenge, not just comfort.
We deliver results, not just good intentions. An impact report at the end of every programme. Evidence you can take to your board.
These aren’t just words. They’re the standard we set for ourselves — and we’d expect you to hold us to them.
TwoCan Mentor is a member of the Good Business Charter — a recognised standard for responsible business practice. We’re proud of what it stands for and how it aligns with our own values.
You know mentoring works when it’s done well. The challenge is making it happen consistently, at scale, without building an internal team to run it. That’s what TwoCan does for organisations.
People who feel developed and supported are more likely to stay. Mentoring is one of the most underused retention tools available.
Participants tell us they feel more confident in their professional judgement and decision-making. Clearer thinking, more decisive action.
Mentoring builds the skills that management training alone doesn’t reach: self-awareness, communication, the ability to lead through uncertainty.
Cross-industry connections create unexpected value. Participants bring insights and perspectives back into their organisations that wouldn’t have arrived any other way.
TwoCan runs the whole programme. You set the objectives. We do the rest.
We are actively working to qualify the programme as verifiable non-technical CPD — once confirmed this will provide a recordable benefit for participants in regulated sectors.
Fund places for employees on TwoCan’s cross-industry programme.
Bespoke programme running within your organisation.
For franchise networks, group practices, and membership bodies.
The mentoring relationship may begin with a programme, but growth, learning and connection do not stop there. Twocan is building spaces for participants to continue learning, sharing experiences and staying connected long after their programme ends.
An exclusive online space for everyone who has been part of a TwoCan programme — past and present.
Real conversations with people from across the TwoCan community, sharing experiences, insights and ideas about mentoring, leadership and work.
Pasture Bedtime Podcast
Pasture Bedtime Podcast
Pasture Bedtime Podcast
Pasture Bedtime Podcast
Pasture Bedtime Podcast
Pasture Bedtime Podcast
Pasture Bedtime Podcast
TwoCan Mentor is a structured cross-industry mentoring programme. We match individuals from one sector with mentors from another — deliberately — and support both through a six-month programme of one-to-one sessions, training, and development.
This is the question we get asked most. The short answer: not always. A mentor within your sector brings knowledge — but they also bring the same assumptions, the same blind spots, and often the same pressures you’re already navigating. A mentor from outside brings none of that. Just clear, impartial thinking and a different frame of reference. Our participants tell us the cross-industry match was the most valuable part.
Six months. Six one-to-one sessions of approximately one hour each, conducted online. There is also a Fundamentals of Mentoring training day at the start — in person, attended by both mentors and mentees together.
Our next Food, Farming and Agriculture and Veterinary cohorts begin October 2026. Other sectors are launching from 2027. Register your interest to be notified when applications open for your sector.
Get in touch and we’ll talk you through the programme and what’s involved — mentoring@twocanmentor.co.uk
We use a written questionnaire, a personality insights tool, and a 40-minute recorded conversation with the TwoCan team. Our whole-person matching process — developed with academics and data scientists — then identifies the best match. Helen reviews every match personally before it is confirmed.
It happens occasionally, and that’s fine. We monitor every relationship and intervene early if something isn’t working. If a rematch is needed, we do it.
No. Many of the best mentee relationships start with ‘I know something needs to change but I’m not sure what.’ Clarity is often what you come out with, not what you come in with.
Six one-hour sessions over six months — roughly one hour per month. Plus the Fundamentals of Mentoring training day at the start.
No. We provide full training before the programme begins. If you have experience worth sharing and you’re willing to listen well, we’ll give you everything else you need.
No. Mentors give their time. TwoCan covers the cost of the training day and programme support.
Yes. Fully internal option where all participants are from within your organisation — matched across teams, seniority levels, or sites. We manage everything and deliver a full impact report.
Most solutions sit at one of two extremes: expensive software that automates matching but provides no human support, or informal arrangements that lack structure. TwoCan sits in neither camp. Our matching is rigorous and human-reviewed. Our programme is structured and supported. And we work across industries — which produces better conversations than sector-only matching. No sponsors, no agendas, no allegiances. The independence is deliberate and it’s protected.
Whether you want a mentor or want to become one — registration takes five minutes.
Talk to us about what a structured mentoring programme could do for your people.
We will be in touch with more details soon
I am a rural researcher at Savills, focusing on agricultural, environmental, rural property, and land use issues across the UK. I lead a team of research analysts and a specialist rural data team, analysing the impact of policy changes on rural businesses and the land market. Alongside this, I run our family arable farm in east Lincolnshire and am busy investigating ways that we can evolve our combinable cropping system to make the business more sustainable.
I joined the programme as I was keen to benefit from an outside perspective on my development while also offering my experience back as a mentor. I really like the matching process and that there is training to help make sure you get the most out of the programme.
I am a passionate agriculturalist with a fierce thirst for learning. Farming is in my blood; I see agriculture as an industry that is often overlooked despite its global importance. As an Agri-Business Consultant I specialise in advising on business strategies, improving farm efficiency, and addressing the unique challenges of the agricultural sector, combining my deep-rooted understanding of practical farming with modern business practices.
Land management is vital for food production, environmental conservation, and energy generation. My aim is to help facilitate, empower UK farmers, showcasing them as world leaders in our industry.
I decided to join the cultivate success program in the hopes to engage and learn from experienced professionals who can offer different perspectives and further my own professional development.
I hope to gain invaluable personal insights, constructive criticisms, encouragement, and enhanced industry knowledge as well as new friends and connections.
Doctoral Researcher/PhD Candidate
Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich, London, UK
I am a dedicated food systems researcher and final-year PhD candidate focused on the cascading effects of disruptive shocks on agri-food value chains (AFVCs). My research has equipped me with a strong background in systems thinking, qualitative research, and stakeholder engagement. I am passionate about building resilient food systems, with a focus on sustainable and equitable solutions for global food security.
I decided to join this program to connect with like-minded professionals and mentors who can help guide my career in food system resilience. The opportunity to engage with a diverse network is invaluable to my personal and professional growth.
Through this experience, I hope to gain insights into practical applications of resilience-building strategies, expand my network within the agriculture industry, and strengthen my skills to better contribute to the global challenge of food security.
Environmental Assistant
I was recently made redundant from 7 years in breeding Barley in the research and development sector, upon this crossroads I joined the Twocan Mentor programme to hopefully gain direction and open up vision to other career options within agriculture that are not sitting on a tractor all day long.
My mentor is expertly matched and first session in going swimmingly well. So far this programme has given me purpose and a road in which I feel I can progress.
I look forward to what the next few months holds!
Studying for her PhD at Harper Adams University
Originally from inner-city Birmingham, I was attracted to the broad range of subjects that agriculture encompasses so completed a degree in Agriculture at Harper Adams University. During this time, I developed an interest in poultry nutrition and am now pursuing a PhD in slow growing broiler nutrition and environmental impact assessments. In my spare time I enjoy French classical dressage, cooking, knitting and exploring fashion.
I decided to join the Twocan Mentor program to develop a good foundation for a career in agriculture once I finish my PhD. I am passionate about networking and building communities and believe these factors are essential for personal and professional growth.
I hope to have great conversations with people from the sector that will lead to lasting networks and communities. I hope that through the mentorship I will develop clearer goals for my future and gain confidence about heading out to work in the industry.
MSc at Bangor University
I am a dedicated agriculturalist with my first degree in Agricultural Economics and Farm Management from Nigeria. I am also a recipient of the Commonwealth Scholarship and OFC Scholarship. I am currently pursuing my MSc in Agroforestry and Food Security at Bangor University, Wales. I am driven by the desire to use my knowledge to address global challenges related to food security and sustainability.
I joined Twocan Mentor to expand my knowledge and experience while advancing my career in the agri-food and forestry sectors. Through Twocan Mentor, I aim to gain valuable experience, develop my career, and pursue my passion for farming.
I look forward to leveraging my education, experiences, and opportunities offered by Twocan Mentor, to make a meaningful contribution to UK agriculture and beyond.
Knowledge Exchange at AHDB
I was brought up on a mixed livestock farm in East Yorkshire. After studying Agriculture at Newcastle University, I moved down to Warwickshire for my first ‘proper job’ at AHDB in the beef & sheep genetics sector. I did that for 3 years before taking a secondment into the Knowledge Exchange team at AHDB, being the point of contact for beef & sheep producers between Lincolnshire and Herefordshire. A year secondment, turned into 2 and then I got invited to stay! I’ve now been in the role 5 years and enjoy the variety my role brings – no two days are the same.
I love my job and my team, but I was looking for a new challenge when I came across Helen and Twocan Mentor at an industry networking event. Being mentored sounded like a great idea and opportunity to push myself. Having been in the same organisation since I graduated and the same role for a while, you can sometimes become a little sheltered from how other organisations and job roles work. This seemed the perfect opportunity to get an alternative opinion on my career and development from people that have a very different experience to me and don’t really know me, so have no bias.
I would love to have some goals and something to aim for, I don’t know where I see myself in 5/10/15 years, so I’m hoping this scheme will help me bring some clarity to that and work out what I do and don’t want from my career. I’d also like some different opinions on how to deal with work challenges – especially when people have different ways of working. I’m a planner who likes a reasonable amount of detail, a fair amount of control and time to think things through, so working with people who don’t work in that way is inevitable, but can be frustrating
