Sam S.
🌎 Social impact
Throughout my career, I've passionately dedicated myself to mentoring and teaching, recognizing the transformative impact it can have on individuals and communities. Through my Teach for America Experience and through my engagement with The Last Mile, I've nurtured the growth of students from diverse backgrounds, guiding them in harnessing design and technology for their future paths. With IDEO, my role as a Design Lead has enabled me to mentor professionals by integrating inclusive and human-centered design principles into learning experiences and leading initiatives like Disarming Whiteness to foster diversity and equity.
I am also an ICF-certified coach, and I have a career and life coaching practice called Alvita Coaching. My coaching practice has three primary offers: Vision & Vitality Coaching, Career Catalyst Coaching, and Next Gen Leadership Coaching (a career coaching program designed for 18-24-year-olds).
What excites me about twenty is that it is a service that I so desperately wished existed when I was in my twenties. The platform’s recognition that professional growth is inextricably linked to personal development resonates deeply with my holistic approach to mentorship. I am eager to be part of a community that doesn’t shy away from the tough, intricate discussions that pave the way for authentic growth and learning.
Joe G.
🌎 Moving outside the US
I’m Joe, a product manager who has background as an engineer, researcher and designer. I started my career in research, transitioned into consulting and transitioned these skills into product roles at various technology startups.
So far in my professional career, I’ve developed skills that span across product development from strategy, UX research, design and engineering. Having started my career in consulting and then transitioning to high-growth startups, I’ve worked internationally in 4 markets (Indonesia, Turkey, Amsterdam, and the UK) and 6 industries. From these experiences, I’ve strived to work on building meaningful products and experiences while helping create sustainable organizations and impact in local communities.
Aside from a tactical product skillset, my experiences have allowed me to develop as a people manager and leader. I’ve worked at organizations that offer B2B and B2C solutions, across all stages of maturity from seed funding to post-IPO fortune 500 organizations. I’m happy to discuss the nuances to my experiences and how to navigate these environments and advocate for personal growth throughout.
In addition, I currently advise entrepreneurs through my own agency services and as part of the Alter Global network. Outside of work, I love being active physically, socially, and mentally. I love exploring the ocean - while working at a YC startup in Indonesia, I recently received my master diver certification. Additionally, I have competed in various lengths of Triathlons keeping me busy with training on a weekly basis. I try to stay active in my local communities, serving as a KIPP mentor to low-income high school students.
Nikhil R.
🙌 Nonprofit
Hey friends - my name is Nikhil and I'm so excited to be a mentor here at Twenty. I've explored quite a few non-traditional paths in my life from music, to medicine/global health, to social entrepreneurship, to public policy. I'm excited to share what I've learned to help you navigate your own journey!
Daniela V.
🎉 Entrepreneurship
My name is Daniela and I grew up in San Diego surrounded by a love for the ocean, soccer and any outdoor activity! I moved to the Bay Area to attend Stanford University where I got my undergraduate degree in Product Design and my master’s in Learning, Design and Technology at the school of Education.I have experience working as a product designer, UX researcher and UX/UI designer at different sized companies. I am currently working on an EdTech startup focusing on social-emotional learning and early education. Happy to speak about any and all experiences! I love speaking to and learning from new people and love helping people learn from experiences I have had, mistakes I have made and from moments I have learned from.Creative brainstorming is my passion and being able to help people think creatively through their life is one of my favorite things to do!
Harry S.
⭐️ Freelance / consulting work
Who am I? I'm Harry, currently based in Seattle. My journey has led me to the role of Chief of Staff at Quantive, where I've had the privilege to work on scaling operations, driving strategy, and supporting investment activities among other responsibilities. On the side, I’ve started a newsletter focused on my passion for exploring business strategies and investments in the soccer world.
Why am I here? Mentoring holds a special place in my heart because of its transformative power. I believe in the value of good guidance and how it can steer us closer to our aspirations. I would not be where I am today without a mentor who helped me entirely rethink how I was approaching my career. Out of all the skills, degrees, and jobs you can have, I firmly believe it's the people and networks you build that can propel you into a life and career you've always wanted. That’s why I’m here—to offer you the insights I’ve gathered on my own journey and hopefully make your path a little easier to navigate. I'd like to give back to others what my mentor gave to me and help those who are facing the same challenges or questions I had.
Sohan M.
🌲 Climate tech
Heylo! I’m Sohan Mone. My mission is to deliver infrastructure that expands access and unlocks society’s potential - let’s just say, we have a lot of work that needs doing! I’m a structural engineer by trade and I specialize in rail bridges (high-speed rail, monorail, LRT, and metro-rail). 🚆My background is in seismic engineering and structural dynamics, but I’ve since joined a design-build contractor that focuses on big infrastructure.Today, I can say that I’m a key player in winning lucrative government contracts valued in the billions! I also dabble in scripting and data science as it relates to my role, and have done some freelance work as well.I LOVE what I do… but it wasn’t always this way! Getting to this mindset was a struggle.I believe the 20’s are a time where it’s okay to fail. These years are about exploration, discovery and taking measured risks! It’s about finding out what’s meaningful to you!If you’re not sure what you want to do, or are just feeling unfulfilled - I’ve been there, and I’m all ears!!
Eduardo L.
💸 Personal finance
I was born and raised in Mexico City. I studied Finance in one of Mexico´s top schools. Professionally, I jumped from corporate finance at a global consumer company, to investment banking at a leading global bank, to private equity and venture capital at the World bank before I figured out what I love. I currently work for an e- logistics startup were I have found the intelectual challenge of building the Strategic Finance department from the ground up. I am aiming to finish the year with 10 people in my team, up from just myself 4 months ago.
Personally, I recently got married after dealing with a long distance relationship. There were tough times, but I can say that it has worked out and I could not be happier.
As for Twenty, I loved the idea of mentoring for Twenty because it is a resource that I would have love to have when I first started my personal and professional journey as a young professional.
I am passionate about chess, soccer and Formula 1. Fluent in Spanish and English.
Ishaan P.
🚀 Engineering
I spent my twenties living in the constant flux of trying to find a direction that felt like it was truly "mine", while also doing my best to be intentional about accelerating my growth. I saw tremendous personal and professional growth during this time. I'm really happy that I spent my time exploring multiple domains - I worked in academia as a researcher, I tried starting a company (and learned a lot when it didn't work out), I switched careers, and finally landed on a path that I fell in love with. In my personal life, I ended a 7-year relationship, juggled old and new friends constantly moving cities, found my person, got married and moved between multiple cities. I'm lucky to have had a lot of help from incredible mentors along the way, and I would love to help in whatever way that I can.
John N.
I come from a low-income first-generation household and spent 8 years as an officer in the U.S. Navy before pivoting into a PM role at Meta. I then became a Project Manager supporting eLearning efforts at Google before transitioning into my current role as a Senior Project Manager at Boeing. I understand both sides of the coin when it comes to military/civilian life and the challenges that come with each. I'm currently a mentor for transitioning veterans through Veterati and have been in the mentorship space for over 10 years. A big passion of mine is sharing the knowledge I've learned in order to set folks up on a trajectory towards success. Twenty is a program I see big potential in because of the capability to create huge impact for such a small personal investment on my part. I'm excited to have the chance to not only help you navigate your professional career but also be a resource for life in general.
Jara M.
I’m an educational strategist, program designer, and illustrator. With a background in art and education technology, the bulk of my work aims to mitigate the education and equity gap using design. Currently, I work at Webflow where I scale education programming for the larger design community and students. Prior to Webflow I worked at Coursera as a Program Manager and Salesforce as an Instructional Designer.I’ve worked as a mentor since 2016, specifically looking to increase access to tech for underrepresented communities (Black, Latinx, disabled). I've mentored with SMASH, BuiltByGirls, and Young Data Scientists League (YDSL). Related, I am currently the Outreach and Education lead for Techsgiving, where I teach UX design & prototyping to students.I grew up in Palo Alto, but currently live in Brooklyn!
Rachel L.
I’m a product marketer at Intuit on the QuickBooks team. Recently, I graduated from UCLA Anderson School of Management with my MBA, where I focused on Marketing Analytics and Technology Management. It’s great to meet you 😊
Nicole C.
I’ve been a mentor and coach before for both W&M undergrads and Darden first-year MBA candidates. I’ve also been on the other side of the table and have had incredible mentors to learn from in my own circle. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been supported in taking some non-traditional leaps in my career and personal life and am excited to pay it forward in support of others!
Some fun facts:
Kevin K.
Hello! I've just completed my MBA and am currently based in LA. I've mostly lived in California (10+ years, including 4 as an undergrad at USC) and grew up in East & Southeast Asia (I'm also not a US citizen!) Professionally, I've worked as a management consultant in SF and also as a strategic planner / business operations generalist at an LA-based public charter school district (a nonprofit). I recently began working at Beyond Meat and the learning curve’s pretty steep and humbling, so if you're in the same boat then I know your struggle! Outside of work, I love watching and playing tennis, listening to podcasts while I'm out and about, cooking new dishes, and going to the movies. I'm on Twenty because I'm a lifelong learner and I wish I had access to this platform as a resource when I was adulting in my twenties. Ultimately, I'm here to be a resource; whether that's being a whiteboard to discuss career directions, whether to apply to an MBA, adapting to the nebulous nature of life post-college, or something else from what I've written above. Happy to schedule regular conversations or to have one-off chats for more specific questions!
Megan R.
My name is Megan - I'm excited to meet with you as a Twenty mentor! By way of background, I majored in Economics and French Cultural Studies at Wellesley, and then I worked in investment banking and private equity. I’ve also volunteered at a nonprofit organization developing a curriculum to teach personal finance skills to underserved communities in NYC. Happy to talk about all things related to managing your career, finance, managing personal finances and more!
Kali R.
I am a brand and product marketer, writer, and content enthusiast deeply interested in how media intersects with technology. I’m a recent Columbia Business School grad where I focused on media and product strategy in my coursework. During school, I worked with Spotify helping launch their new audiobooks vertical. I also worked at seed-stage venture firm: Overton VC as their Content Development Intern, where I represented both the firm and its portfolio company’s initiatives from a strategic communications perspective. I spent my years prior to business school working in brand and product marketing for Google – running global campaigns for brand moments, kids and family products, and Google Cloud events. My previous professional experiences include BlackRock and Goldman Sachs. Personally, I’m a yoga fanatic, big reader, podcast listener, and write my own Substack newsletter providing content recs called Sorry to Stare.
The phrase: your 20s are a mismarketed decade resonates with me greatly. twenty, its mission, and business is something I wish I had started myself as I think there is SUCH a need and market for this type of community support! They are a time of great joy, challenge, freedom, and at times, disquiet. I enjoy mentoring greatly, as a junior board member at Girls Inc. of NYC, I've worked with a committee of teammates to plan events, fundraisers, and auctions on behalf of local teen girls in need. I have identified my superpower in and outside of work in mentorship. I find immense value in helping my community in career and personal development. During my MBA program, I worked as a Career Management Center fellow, where I was professionally trained to offer industry exploration and education guidance, networking best practices, résumé and cover letter reviews, pitch preparations, and mock interviews. Thus, I know how to quickly shift my perspective when it comes to diversity of thought in order to give informed advice.
Pedro R.
I am a first-generation immigrant who was born in Peru and raised in the suburbs of Massachusetts. I began my academic journey in community college, and continue it at MIT Sloan this fall. My professional path has been equally diverse. I began my career as a bartender. Over time, I have worked in Finance, Consulting, and EdTech, all in a variety of roles. Career navigation is very important to me - I see it as a critical step in forming your adult identity. Having only recently exited my twenties, I am excited to provide guidance and clarity as I am to learn from you and your perspectives. Mentors have helped me tremendously over the years, and I look forward to passing on what know (and what I don’t know) to future generations.