I’m a nomad (I’ve lived in 3 countries and 4 states), career transitioner (former neuroscientist now working in tech), and lifelong learner (3 degrees and counting). For the last 5 years I’ve been working in educational technology, and I've spent my free time doing community outreach related to career transitions, largely focused on early career researchers—my former cohort.

This program excites me because it's something that I wish I'd had in my 20s. My experience as a twenty-something was nothing like my parents—my dad was a solider in Vietnam and my mom got married at 21—they both worked in stable office jobs that they each held for 20+ years. I, on the other hand, went to college to study science, which led to a pretty unstable, nomadic lifestyle. I didn't have any adults in my life growing up who had an experience even close to this, so I received very little (or relevant) guidance from anyone. This has led me to take the "long-way" round (several times) only to find out later that there was a better way.

While making mistakes and learning from failure is a staple of life, I would like to use my learning experiences to help younger individuals know about as many of the choices available to them as possible. I recently heard the phrase "lift as you climb", and I think that being a mentor at Twenty will help me lift others—even if only one step at a time.

Outside of work and mentoring, I’m going to school (again!) for an executive MBA to shore up my business skills. My free time is mostly spent hanging out with my two cats (Mick and Oscar), enjoying the performing arts (I love theater and standup), and learning to be a better artist (I’m taking a linocut class soon that I’m really excited about).

I’m a first-generation Indian American with a mashup of Southern manners (born and partially raised in Tennessee) and West coast values (moved to the Bay Area, CA for middle and high school). After high school, I went to Boston for undergrad and stayed for a couple years after before coming back to the Bay. And soon, I’ll be moving Seattle!

Like many undergrads, I started college wanting to be a doctor. I stuck with it all the way through taking the MCAT, nose to the grindstone, before realizing that I wasn’t actually interested in 7+ more years of training. After some reflection, I landed in management consulting for biotech, where I worked for a few years before transitioning to my current role in public health. The thread of science/healthcare has remained throughout my career, but I’ve had the privilege of being exposed to many different roles by working as or working with VC, hedge funds, research/academia, pharma and biotech, and private and public industry.

When I’m not working, I…

• like to read books (mostly Fantasy/SciFi but I’m trying to read more nonfiction)
• do the Wordle (still salty about losing my 129-day streak) and other word games
• watch movies/TV
• practice my calligraphy
• am also looking forward to traveling more!

I always found that some of the best advice I received was from people who were my peers or only a few years ahead of me. It felt like a low-stakes way to get advice and ask "dumb" questions of people who understood where I was coming from. I’ve sought advice from all avenues—colleagues, family members, friends, strangers on the internet, and even DMs to cool people on LinkedIn. It’s time for me to pass on some of what I’ve learned 🙂

• First-born American in my entire bloodline, emerged from refugees
• Born and raised in the melting pot of the Silicon Valley
• Learned ESL with my mom, a refugee and a mom at age 21
• Discovered the power of my voice at a young age
• 🏖️ Moved to Santa Barbara and basked in the sun for 8 years
• Lived in a fraternity, started a commune with my best friends, one of them I married
• Earned my Masters at USC and UMass Amherst, then broke into growth marketing
• Got my hands dirty with presentations, pitching, grant-writing, data analysis, Salesforce, and branding / marketing for a local nonprofit, at which I am currently Board Chair
• 🌉 Moved to San Francisco. Moved to Oakland. Moved to Los Altos.
• Led Product Growth at Change.org, DocSend, Dropbox, and Gusto
• Was PM and Growth Fellow with Reforge, Violet Society, and OnDeck
• Had a baby and fell in love all over again and became a full-time working mom at age 29

The adventure keeps going.

I’m excited to help you find your voice, your platform for beliefs and self-confidence in a shifting and challenging world.

• Early-stage startup leader: With a decade of experience in the startup landscape, I've played a pivotal role in the growth of early-stage ventures such as Bird, Knowable, On Deck, and Summit. My expertise lies in steering these companies toward sustainable growth by identifying product-market fit, mastering the intricacies of leadership, and adeptly navigating the highs and lows of the startup journey.
• Breathwork facilitator: In 2020, I earned certification as a Breathwork Facilitator, and since then, I've been actively conducting both private and group sessions. My focus is on empowering individuals to leverage the transformative potential of their breath, fostering not only mental and emotional well-being but also establishing a profound connection with their body, mind, and spirit.
• Mentor and group facilitator: As a dedicated mentor and group facilitator, I spearhead a monthly forum where leaders converge to openly discuss challenges and opportunities, providing mutual support and guidance.
• Artist: Nurturing a passion for visual storytelling since childhood, I channel my creativity into photography, continuously finding outlets to capture moments. Additionally, I've taken on the role of producer and director for the short documentary Project 4 Degrees.

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I’m originally from Tampa, Florida, where I grew up surrounded by family (I have an identical twin and two other siblings). I went to school at UNC Chapel Hill, which I absolutely loved, where I majored in Business and minored in Journalism. The desire to explore the intersection of business, creativity and technology led me to a career in marketing. I also love photography as a creative outlet, so you can check out my work here: https://www.hannah-smith-photography.com/

• 🥘 I was born & raised in Barcelona, Spain. My mother tongues are Catalan and Spanish. I speak 3 languages and understand 6.
• 👩‍💻 Started my career as an Economist, then expanded my learnings in data analytics.
• 🏘 In the last 3 years of my working life, I’ve been a founder within the creator economy. We help content creators to build their virtual homes for themselves and their followers.
• 🛼 I have been 13+ years a professional artistic roller skater.
• 📸 I love photography, that’s my new hobby. Check out my latest pictures: www.georginaferre.com

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Hi, I’m Yumi! I’m a Chinese American born in Venezuela, attended schools there and in China, and finally moving to the U.S. during my teenage year. Having been exposed to 3 different continents at a young age, I’ve taken an interest in learning about how different things work in different cultures. I’ve worked at various industries — art, import/export, non-profit, real estate, retail and tech - mainly in the operations and business development space.

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Throughout my 20s, I’ve been very fortunate to have mentors from all walks of life that have pushed me to do better, expanded my worldview, and helped shaped the person I am today. I want to pay it forward and be the mentor that I wished I had when I was 20. Reach out and let me know how I could help!

Hi, my name is Dee and I am excited to be a mentor on Twenty! I am currently a student a Harvard Business School and excited at the opportunity to mentor the next generation. Let’s connect!