As I've progressed in my career, I've realized how important it is (especially for those in disadvantaged situations) to have a mentor and how my trajectory has been altered, for the better, by having someone to provide insight, bounce ideas off of and teach me about what is possible.

I received my bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida back in 2014, and decided to take a role as a field service engineer with Siemens Energy. I didn’t know it at the time, but this role has become a fundamental building block in my personality and work ethic, how I attack problems and deal with adversity, how I manage teams and interact with people, but most importantly, how I value my time and energy. After 5 years of 91 hour weeks, I was recruited to join EY in their business consulting arm out of Atlanta, GA. This was a 180 career change for me - I went from wearing cowboy boots and jeans every day to sitting in conference rooms with executives, and the first few months weren’t the easiest for me. But as I learned at Siemens, we learn, adapt and overcome!

I then spent 2 years getting my MBA at Emory University in Atlanta GA. I spent the summer interning at Nike HQ in Oregon, and could not have asked for a better summer. While I loved working at Nike, it made me realize that consulting was the current career path for me. I came back to Emory for year two and successfully recruited back into consulting to join McKinsey & Company’s Atlanta office.

While nearly everyone I met told me to take the summer off between school and work, I ignored their advice and pursued a passion of mine - 3D printing. During my MBA program, I came into contact with the CEO of a 3D printing company out of Austin TX, and expressed interest in formally gaining experience in the 3D printing space.  She allowed me to join her company for the summer, and I’ve loved every second of learning from her and her team. I’m sure I would’ve been happier on a beach in the Maldives or driving a motorcycle through Vietnam for the summer, but this is a close second!

Twenty excites me because I love the success of others and I really love helping others realize their full potential. One of the reasons I mentor is the hope that I can infect my mentees with the desire to continue the mentoring, and we get this long web of knowledge transfer, excitement and success as a result.  I've also realized that things I take for granted (like understanding the importance of keeping and maintaining a network, or things like good professional habits) are not common knowledge to everyone and I should share that from my place of privilege with those who may need it.

• Career pivoting - transitioning from an engineering/technical role to management role
• Consulting - case interviews, recruitment, daily life
• Going back to school and thinking about if an MBA is a good option for you
• Backwards planning based on long term and short term goals
• Ascending through corporate ranks while also being the authentically you!
• What it means to stamp your name on everything you do
• Strategic Networking / Managing up
• Selling your ideas
• The benefits (and drawbacks) to traveling for work
• Maintaining relationships while traveling for work

• The importance of having hobbies and creative outlets
• Making new friends and building your network in a new place
• Being Black in non-Black spaces
• Physical fitness and the importance of taking care of your body as you get older
• Being a life long student and finding the value in saying “I don’t know”
• Being a good person
• Bicycles, cars and techno

Invested in your long term success, both personally and professionally. I will hold you accountable to high expectations, but expectations that we agree upon together! I love to keep it 100 in all aspects of interaction and am not afraid to drop an occasional f-bomb if it helps drive home a point.