Browse experts
Sherman L.
💡 Product
Hey everyone! I grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC and spent time in the Bay Area, Boston, and New York City before moving to the Bay Area to begin training as an emergency medicine resident physician at Stanford while also working part-time on the investing team with a16z bio+health. Through my hybrid lens as a clinician and venture capitalist, I am passionate about finding ways to leverage technology to support underserved patient populations and build a more efficient and equitable healthcare system.
Throughout my 20s, I’ve gone through some existential rollercoasters of how I’m meant to impact healthcare at scale. Initially (overly) bought into the Silicon Valley mentality that technology can magical solve any hard healthcare problem, I’ve been humbled by many healthcare providers (including my wife) in learning about the many systemic gaps in our healthcare system. I went through a stint of deep dissatisfaction while working in healthcare startups/VC with the build-first and fast funding of new healthcare ideas in a vacuum without truly understanding patient care. And though I strongly believe you don’t need to be in medicine to change healthcare for the better, most of my twenties have been a circuitous journey of realizing that where I want to sit in healthcare innovation in service of patients as a physician directly while also building a more equitable and efficient care delivery models at scale.
On a more personal note, I ended up marrying the one and only girl I dated throughout + after college (met in our freshman dorm!) and feel like we’ve grown a lot personally and as a couple over our 20s as well. Over the next 5-7 years, we’ve gained conviction in our shared medium-term goal of raising a family and building sustainable professional careers in Hawaii where my wife is from. In each new city we’ve moved to, we’ve made it a priority to find and plug into our local church and also cultivate a strong community personal and professional friendships as house party hosts (and aspiring mixologists!).
Strong and consistent mentorship and my Christian faith has been an indispensable part of my own circuitous journey from engineering/product into both venture capital and medicine and something I'd love to pay it forward especially to anyone considering a career pivot from tech > medicine or vice-versa. Also passionate about helping underrepresented minorities interested in breaking into product, VC, or medicine. To this effect, I've started Path to Product with Emma Townley-Smith (another mentor on Twenty!) and also MD+ a 2K+ community of aspiring physician-innovators supporting non-traditional paths through medical school and clinical training.
I look forward to meeting and working with you!
Angie C.
💸 VC & investing
Born in Lima, Peru. Moved to Mexico at 17 alone to study university awarded a full merit scholarship. Graduated top of the class, work in corporate, climb the corporate ladder to realized I was the only woman in C-level boardroom and hated it.
Moved to the UK at 24 and heard about the future of humanity, technology and Silicon Valley. Taught herself to code, started a tech star-up and went to Silicon Valley to fundraise for that tech start-up. Failed to raise money.
Moved to Silicon Valley at 25 and got mentored by a well known investor called Tim Draper. Work for his accelerator program. Got a full scholarship by Google to attend Singularity University when it was held at Nasa Ames Research Park. Founded and fundraised successfully for a venture backed startup. Got into key differences with founding team members and leave startup.
Travelled the world as therapy, then do actual therapy. Mental health is really important for me. And I’ve been remote working since 2018.
Moved to Brasil at 28. Consulted for big tech companies like Bayer, Boston Scientific, HP.
Remote at 30. Became a Limited Partner at an investment fund, Scout and Venture fellow for a stealth venture fund in New York.
Now. Guest Hosting the Women in Tech podcast.
Interested in mentorship: leveling up the playing field for diverse people around the world. To open more opportunities regarding where people where born.
Genius is widespread but opportunity is not.
Jasmine K.
🩺 Healthcare
As a current founder, I've the opportunity to mentor our interns in time management, goal setting, leadership skills, and most importantly, story-telling. When I was in college, I was turned down from people who I wanted to get mentored by. Mentorship is extremely valuable and I hope I can offer my expertise to others. As an investor as well, I dedicate my time to causes that I believe can change people's lives.
My career path has not been traditional at all and I love being able to pivot and take the knowledge I’ve gained in different industries and apply them to what I’m currently doing. I started as a professional makeup artist, then switched to healthcare management, and more recently to ecommerce and media. Always experiment until you find where you belong!
Angela C.
📕 Education tech
Hi! I’m Angela.
I was born in Shanghai, China and moved to Toronto, Canada at an early age. I was a part of the Huntsman Dual-Degree program at the University of Pennsylvania and quickly found out I loved consulting through solving strategy challenges for international NGOS.
After graduating in 2017, I joined Deloitte as a management consultant. The first team I was placed with was a horrible fit, but I found mentors who helped me to navigate the firm to find my perfect fit in public sector consulting as a defence innovation specialist. I was also very actively involved at Deloitte and ran our national Analysts and Consultants initiative, led on campus recruitment for my team, and managed the summer internship program for the Toronto office.
Three years into consulting, I decided I was ready for a change and applied to Stanford’s Masters of International Policy program. After I committed to the program, I found myself serendipitously becoming an edtech founder - in the summer between Deloitte and Stanford, I developed a tech product that mentored 11k+ university students across 81 countries. I’m working on a related idea now with generous backing from a Stanford Graduate School of Business innovation grant. Since starting at Stanford, I’ve also gotten involved with the VC side of the startup ecosystem as a venture fellow, accelerator lead, and angel investor.
Happy to share my experience & help you grow as you navigate your twenties 😊
Simy B.
🌎 Moving outside the US
I guess I’ll start at the beginning.
At the ripe age of 6, I decided it would be really cool for my best friend and I to “run away to China to open a restaurant” (I loved my weekly family dinners at our local Chinese spot). We packed a couple t-shirts in our JanSports and promptly walked off campus instead of to daycare. To answer your most pressing question, yes, I got in a lot of trouble once we were found.
I got a few other things too, though. I learned I loved to challenge what I was supposed to do (to my parents’ dismay probably up through today 😇). I’ve had the most fun and felt the most fulfilled achieving goals, reaching life milestones and overcoming challenges by doing it by avoiding any formulas.
Largely due to my phenomenal mentors throughout my life, my journey has landed me leadership roles at every stage of my life from athletic teams to some of the most successful tech startups of the century all the way to NGOs in Europe and Asia where I made the most amazing memories.
Abhishek B.
💡 Product
I have been a tech and social impact-focused founder since the last few years. When I get any time free from being a founder, I write or I teach.
I got into Teaching and Mentoring about 3.5 years back - this includes physical lectures, talks, and sessions, which then went virtual on the onset of the pandemic. My experience of mentorship comes from being a mentor with a Govt. of India initiative (Atal Innovation Mission) where I get to work with school students to help them build an industry-focused career. In addition to that, I have been a regular mentor to startups in India, Africa, and other geographies under programs such as the Africa Blockchain Institute Incubation program, MassChallenge USA etc. If this sounds like you - feel free to reach out and speak! As for my teaching experience, I have taught Blockchain Technology, web3, DeFi, and NFTs to 6,000+ students, faculty, and PhDs globally.
Most of my experience is in and around blockchain technology, product management, entrepreneurship (3 startups yet), fintech, and social impact. I am a Forbes under 30 honoree in the social impact category. I try to give back to the community by mentoring, helping, teaching, publishing.
Eliana E.
🔥 MBA
Hi! 👋 I’m Eliana - born and raised outside of Boston. I’m an engineer —> consultant —> PM —> founder —> figuring it out again ;) I’m a generalist and produc person who loves to work with others and solve problems.
I love being outside and smiling at strangers on the street. I live in Nashville now and am strongly taking advantage of the hot summers and the music scene. I also love building (and participating in!) communities, learning about new technologies, watching and playing sports (#Wagr. Recently started to play pickup volleyball which has been fun. I’m no good but it’s a great time!), and traveling as much as possible.
Looking forward to meeting!
Travis C.
💰 Finance
I work at a division of SYSCO, and manage a commodity that is perpetually dying. I enjoy the constant speed of the food distribution industry, and since it changes daily, I have always stayed on my toes. I thrive on teaching and coaching those who are engaged and want to grow. There's nothing better than giving some guidance on an idea, project, or life path and seeing someone succeed. Growing teams is one of the best parts of my job, and I'd love to do it more; the next best opportunity is to branch out and do it in places like twenty.
James E.
I’m an Arizona native with roots from Mexico. I currently live in San Francisco and have been here for the last 5 years. Moved to the bay to work with startups and never seemed to leave.
I attended the University of Arizona where I ran track and field collegiately. After graduating, I had the opportunity to pursue running after college and competed for the Mexican National team. After falling short of making the Olympic team, I decided to hang up the spikes and moved to San Francisco.
Since I’ve been in the bay, I’ve worked for 3 companies, Rubrik, Databricks and now Lacework. I specialize in enterprise software sales, which has been equally rewarding as it’s been challenging. But my experience working for some of the fastest growing startups has been amazing.
Outside of work, I enjoy cooking and traveling. Love to try new recipes that inspire my creativity. The one thing I do focus on is having a work-life balance. Figuring out what I like to do outside of work has helped me become a more well rounded professional.
I’m very excited to become a mentor because I believe success is a culmination of the people you surround yourself with and if I can have can impact even just one person in a meaningful way, I’ll feel like I’ve done my job.
Will C.
Hey there! I’m a Raleigh, NC native who’s spent my career in the Talent space at multiple startups and scaleups. I graduated from William Peace University in Raleigh, but am a die-hard NC State sports fan (Go Pack!). I’m a new home-owner alongside my Fiancée and our cat, Poppy, and am getting married in September 2023!
I started my career in 2017 in the contract recruiting space. I learned the basics of corporate life, and also found that my passion was to work in-house for startups and build high-performing teams in the SaaS space. This led me to my first Startup role….
I joined Pendo in early 2020 (What a time!) and was responsible for growing our Product, Engineering, Design, and UX Research orgs alongside our Chief Product Officer and CEO. This is where I learned to navigate the politics that come with working in a high growth org, as well as how to partner with executive stakeholders on a regular basis. I was lucky enough to meet my first mentor (My direct manager at the time), and see firsthand the impact they can have on your career trajectory.
After Pendo I was recruited to join Twilio and lead a global team of recruiters focused on hiring Principal level product IC’s and product leadership. Here is where I learned what working at scale looked like. With over 10k employees, it take an entirely different skillset to navigate an organization of this size. Being able to influence decision makers, as well as ensuring your work has visibility across multiple levels is essential.
Early this year (2023), I joined OnFrontiers as our Head of Talent Acquisition. We’re a small org with around 30 employees around the globe, and this comes with an entirely new set of challenges and objectives. Organizing your day, setting clear productivity benchmarks, and holding yourself accountable is key.
I’m passionate about making sure everyone who’s in the early stages of their career has access to mentorship. In the age of remote work, this has become even more of a challenge day-to-day. I aim on building long lasting relationships with Mentees and providing transparent feedback on your topics of choice.
Linus L.
I’m Linus, and I work in startups! I grew up in the Bay Area, and was a History major at Yale. I started my career in the public policy space before pivoting into startups. I’ve worked in BizOps, product management, Chief of Staff, and more, across consumer, B2B SaaS, and health tech companies. I’m currently a Talent Investor at Entrepreneur First, helping to find and nuture exceptional individuals they begin their journey as startup founders. Outside of work, I host a podcast and online salons with the Interintellect, and I love reading, classical music, and cooking.
Luis G.
I've been a design mentor for Out in Tech for the past 6 years, helping young queer folks break into the world of design. Currently working at Indeed as a design manager.
I switched my career focus from engineering to UX about 12 years ago. I took the scenic but this path has taught me so much. Moved to the US about 10 years ago to pursue my career in UX
I also collect a lot of music, I've curated a list of my favorite 500 songs, hopefully you'll find something you like: spoti.fi/3E9ZdWY
Paige L.
Ciao Twenty Mentees,
With an academic background in Sociology and a career in developing people and teams, my personal and professional journey can best be described as non-traditional and required me to be observant, scrappy, vulnerable, and creative. I’ve worked across various industries such as professional sports (San Francisco Giants, MLB and NHL) to a career pivot into software and VC (Hired, MasterClass, Motive, AngelList, Atomic, Tandem Capital) to becoming my own business woman (co_foundry) helping founders and creatives focus on their core product while providing resources that help the business run. In the last decade I have experienced 4 layoffs and I know first hand the stress and struggles you’re feeling. I understand the hustle and internal struggle that comes with losing your job overnight - let me guide you and support you in this trying time.
My spiritual journey has been developed through years of traditional therapy, reiki and shamanistic guidance, yogic practice, and learning how to cultivate a community that serves my highest good.
I’d be a great mentor for those who are willing to discus the “crispy bits” of life. My mantra is “practice mode” because everyday is a practice towards self improvement and realizing our fullest potential. Obstacles are the threads that make us who we are if we have the clarity to see the potential it has to shape us.
Before joining twenty I mentored in the work-place and professionally in my 1:1 sessions through co_foundry. I’ve helped junior colleagues get promoted, interview, and pivot careers. I have also helped women do product sprints to tease out business ideas through a 3-day program to identify their product/service offering along with a 1-minute pitch. I’m embedded in female founder circles such as The Female Founder Collective, The Weekend, and Brydge Club. My passion is in supporting women and POC to birth creativity and connect them with the resources they need. This is a lot of the work I do at co_foundry!
Marissa D.
I’m an identical twin, mom to 3 kids under 4, I like to write poetry about my kids and pre-covid times kept juggling balls and legos on my desk at work to have as connection starters. I take the work I do seriously but never myself. I work to live and spend time with my family and have learned what happens when you don’t set boundaries the hard way. I lead a brand new function at a tech company and our team is building out some really cool People experiences and People products.
When I entered the workforce, I was lucky to have leaders who believed in me and mentored me and some of the best life and career advice that sticks with me to this day is from them. I have two people I've mentored over the past 4+ years and it's been a joy to see them grow! I'm excited to continue to pay that forward with an awesome company like twenty.
Kelly C.
Hi there! Here comes the fun part. My story starts in Alexandria Virginia (east coast born and bred) until I took a scholarship to play Division 1 Lacrosse at Stanford University. Fast forward a few years, I moved up to San Francisco to start my career at Twitter as a Strategic Partnerships Manager. Life post college is wild (to say the very least) and frankly, for the past 6+ years it’s been a crazy ride of trial and error to figure out what fits. From Twitter I pivoted to scrappy startup life, then transitioned into formal consulting and finally landed on building my own coaching platform for integrative health (the club). I specialize in supporting women with hormonal and gut issues, to repair their relationship with their well-being (physically, mentally and emotionally). I'm currently a certified nutritionist, pilates instructor and crazy passionate about what I do in San Francisco. Great reminder that life and success is anything but a linear path up. When people asked that big question to me: “what do you want to do with your life?” I used to freak out. Now, when people pose the “what do you want to do” question, I smile and respond “does anyone really know?”
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Morgan M.
Hi! I am a MBA and MS Biotech graduate student from Harvard. I have a background in VC investing, therapeutics development, bioengineering, fundraising, product management, and operations. I am currently working on a digital health startup tackling stress management and a bioelectricity startup tackling cancer prevention and tissue regeneration.
