Can you please tell us about your academic and professional background?

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California (UC), Berkeley and worked at Genentech for five years. I then obtained my MBA from Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and joined a cleantech startup doing product marketing.

Why did you decide to join Centro as an MBA Advisor?

I’ve always wanted to give back to the community but struggled with how exactly to do so. Centro offered me the perfect way to use what I was learning in business school for those who needed it to start their businesses.

Which businesses/entrepreneurs did you advise?

Over the last two years, I’ve advised three entrepreneurs who wanted to start or grow the following businesses:

A children’s bookstore
An organic pet food brand
Malaysian food cuisine

Can you tell us about a challenge that you faced?

With every team you will have to learn how to work with people from completely different backgrounds to be successful. This can be a challenge but incredibly valuable in one’s professional and personal life. You learn a lot about patience, humility, perspective, yourself and others!

How has Centro impacted your career trajectory?

I think companies these days are looking for candidates that are well-rounded and are giving back to the community in some way. When interviewing for my current position with my manager, I learned that she worked with the city on women’s advocacy. When I shared about my volunteer work with Centro, we were able to relate to each other on a deeper level which helped me land the job.

What are you up to now?

I am currently a product marketing manager with a company named View. We just launched our product, an energy-efficient tintable glass, and hope to make a big splash in the architectural green building industry.