For many Black women, the only way to find a Black professional to mentor you is by looking outward. You network by word of mouth, through relatives and friends. Or you turn to organizations to build community. It’s there you find your role models and see other women who look like you in leadership positions.But the truth is, women of color don’t have to be mentored by other people of color. Not even by other women. Personally, I have no problem also being mentored by white men or women. As a matter of fact, I’ve found that having additional mentors who are different from you is a great way to gain a new perspective in your career.But I still want someone who looks like me.Unfortunately, the higher you climb, the harder it is to find Black women in charge. The Center for American Progress found that only 5.3% of management positions are held by Black women. Among S&P 500 CEOs, there are only 23 women. Just one of them is Black — and she’s getting ready to step down. To have a Black woman mentor me means that she can guide me through the experience of being the only brown girl in the room. It’s an experience I’ve become very familiar with over the years, dating all the way back to prep school. But it’s still lonely, and sometimes it’s even confidence-shattering. It’s an experience I doubt I’ll ever be comfortable with.But success means breaking out of my comfort zone. As I’ve slowly grown more successful, I find myself in a whiter world, with fewer people who look like me. For me, having a mentor who is a woman of color is my safety net. She’s my confidant, my advisor, my anchor. And she always reminds me that by having these conversations with people of all races, I’m using my diversity as a strength.But there’s still that nagging question in the back of my mind: How long can it last? One day, I will be close to reaching the top of the ladder. Will there be any Black women there to help hoist me up?