MENTOR dna is a few years in the making. As Head of Product at AutoGravity, a Mercedes fintech startup, I was inspired by my team and colleagues. However, my husband really pushed me to be introspective and look at our situation from the outside in.
I was working long hours with 2 young kids at home. We had 4 nannies. I was juggling managing the home, the nannies, the kids, their sports schedules. My life had become an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
But I kept telling myself that I wasn’t done. I had so much more work life left in me.
When I left AutoGravity, I’d already been serving on non-profit boards, including that of my kids’ school. I had a really difficult transition into “retirement” mode thinking “is this all I’m gonna do?!”
Then God started laughing and made it abundantly clear that He needed me on that school board. We were in the midst of a large capital campaign in support of a multi-year construction project when a governance issue reared its ugly head.
I spent the next 2 years “working” 50-60 hours a week through a very politically-charged environment. I learned more about people, governance, leadership, and the importance of having solid mentors than in the 25 years prior in my career.
Simultaneously, my alma mater, University of Pennsylvania, tapped me to lead the tech committee for an all-women’s conference called Momentum 2020. I built a team of fantastic social media Penn girlfriends and we launched a podcast that showcased Penn alumnae from around the world. I produced and edited and received really positive feedback from the Penn community at large.
Through my network, I’m blessed to know some really incredible leaders; people I turn to regularly for advice, collaborating on new business ideas, and investment opportunities. MENTOR dna is a passion project and will bring these people front and center to you!
As a board member, advisor, and mentor, I love what I do. As I speak to my friends on MENTOR dna, I hope that you have the chance to learn valuable lessons that these incredibly dynamic leaders share through their stories.
Thank you!
