Centeno has made it a priority to give younger attorneys opportunities to grow in their current roles and develop leadership experiences of their own. Examples of this include passing his seat on the Philadelphia Diversity Law Board to a diverse female attorney, sharing speaking opportunities with organizations such as the Association of Corporate Counsel with associates, guiding and supporting attorneys in their promotions, allowing younger attorneys to pitch new business at the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and more.

One of Centeno’s mentees, Charlene Gedeus Barker, has been vocal about how he has helped her thrive in her career. “Joe is constantly thinking of ways to ensure that I have a seat at the decision-making table and more importantly, a voice,” Charlene stated. “He has given me opportunities within the firm to lead litigation, interface with clients and placed me in a position to be promoted to counsel and later shareholder. He has also advocated for me outside the firm, sponsoring my application to the National Employment Law Council’s academy where I get to have direct interaction with in-house attorneys and leading minority labor and employment defense lawyers from across the country. Simply put, I would not be a Shareholder today without Joe’s intentional and strategic mentorship,” she added.