20 Professionals Who Supercharged Their Careers with Mentorship

Any professional serious about advancing their career and achieving their goals uses mentorship as part of their holistic development.

Why? Mentorship provides personalized guidance, skill development, and networking opportunities, helping individuals navigate challenges and accelerate their growth by learning from experienced professionals.

Thinking about mentorship to help you achieve your goals? See how these Upnotch community members have upskilled and advanced their careers through the power of mentorship.

You can also connect with these professionals or find a menor for yourself on Upnotch – it's FREE for all professionals to join!

Chamutal Levin is a Manager of Strategic Partnerships at RapNet, where she leverages her extensive experience in the diamond and jewelry industry to enhance business connections and growth opportunities. 

She holds a Masters in Conflict Research, Management & Resolution from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

With over eight years at RapNet, she previously served as a Global Sales Executive, where she played an important role in expanding the platform's reach and offering valuable resources to diamond and jewelry businesses. With an understanding of the industry's needs, she is dedicated to creating meaningful partnerships that empower businesses to succeed.

Chamutal is an exceptional mentee who consistently demonstrates her talents in multiple areas. Her strategic thinking and innovative approach have been invaluable to her team/company. Her ability to see the big picture while also focusing on the details makes her a highly effective problem-solver. Chamutal’s multidisciplinary approach brings a unique perspective to every project, and her passion for learning and growth is truly inspiring.

Octavio Trillos is the LatinX Founder and CEO of Kenshō Pictures, a film production company focused on creating original films and TV series. As a lawyer with a background in criminal law, Octavio brings a unique perspective to his storytelling, specializing in crime, action, and character-driven thrillers. He explores the complexities of human emotion, ensuring that every project feels genuine and relatable.

Octavio has used Upnotch to meet with experienced professionals in the startup and TV/film industries who guided him in the business strategies needed for growth.

I've had the pleasure of mentoring Octavio for the past few months, and I've been consistently impressed with his ability to take and implement the feedback given during our sessions. He's always eager to learn and grow, and he's not afraid to put in the work to make improvements. Octavio is a dedicated and hardworking startup founder in the film industry, and I'm looking forward to continuing our coaching and brainstorming sessions about his business.

Ana Ramirez is the Founder of Xalé, an innovative job networking and recruitment platform designed to revolutionize how individuals connect with career opportunities. With ten years of experience in recruitment and personnel management at a large law firm, Ana has a solid grasp of the needs of both job seekers and employers. Her vision combines the ease of dating apps with professional networking, creating a platform that prioritizes personalized and meaningful connections.

Speaking with Ana was invigorating as I had the opportunity to offer an opinion on her work and goals. She is an ambitious and dedicated individual with great ideas and intriguing questions. I look forward to maintaining ongoing communication and seeing her continued success!

Cedric Mbumba is a senior finance student at the University of Alberta with a passion for fintech, artificial intelligence, and startups. Throughout his university career, he has worked with several startups, gaining valuable experience in entrepreneurship and identifying new opportunities in the market. As Cedric looks ahead to entering the workforce, he hopes to one day launch his own company. 

Cedric is about to embark on the next phase of his life's journey in the business world and is thinking long term about the steps along the way.  Navigating those steps is a big part of the journey for which Cedric is preparing himself.

Charitha Krishnappa is a Business Program Manager at Capital One, where she excels in leading transformation through strategic vision and agile methodologies. With a Master's degree in Computer Networks from B. M. S. College of Engineering and a rich background in engineering, product development, service delivery management, and incident response, she approaches leadership with a well-rounded perspective. Charitha specializes in value stream mapping to optimize processes and boost efficiency, effectively turning vision and mission into actionable strategies. As a subject matter expert in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), she is passionate about creating a culture of continuous improvement and high performance.

Charitha, I'm so proud of you for incorporating insights from our sessions into your life. It's inspiring to see you grow with every session and to witness your commitment to yourself, your values, and your growth. You're a shining example of what's possible when you set your mind to something and take action. Keep up the great work!

Ashwin Vijayan is an Operations and Strategy Manager at CHEP. He is a detail-oriented supply chain professional with expertise in 3PL Operations Management, Production Planning, Quality Assurance, and Project Management. He is skilled in driving process improvement, leading cross-functional teams, and ensuring operations compliance. 

I'm so glad to see you're on top of everything you're doing at work, Ashwin! Your hard work and dedication are really paying off, and I'm so impressed with all that you've accomplished. Keep up the great work

Elisa Burgos-Ojeda is a seasoned learning and development professional fluent in both English and Spanish, leveraging a unique combination of practical, brain-based, and somatic strategies to empower learners. Her goal is to support individuals in finding effective and joyful strategies for resilience, adaptability, clarity, and optimal performance. Addicted to learning, Elisa loves discussing all things L&D with others and is fueled by growth and innovation.

I just love Elisa's enthusiasm and energy! She was so pleasant to speak with and so eager to learn. She's also very adaptable, curious and open to feedback. All of these are valuable traits that I look for as a hiring manager. 

I also look for things I can learn from people. Elisa demonstrated how speaking with enthusiasm can really sell your message and gain buy-in from stakeholders. Way to go Elisa!

David DeWinter is the Founder of RowHero, a company dedicated to helping rowers and coaches achieve peak performance through innovative software solutions. With a background in software development and product management from his time at Microsoft, David combines his tech expertise with a deep passion for user experience and customer-driven innovation.

As a competitive rower himself, David saw firsthand the need for streamlined data collection in the sport. This inspired him to build RowHero, starting with beta feedback and growing it into a fully-fledged iOS and Android app. 

I greatly appreciated David's openness to seeking new perspectives and considering ways to improve his leadership capacity.

Elmira Aghsaei is the Founder and Principal Architect at Elmira Aghsaei Architecture, based in Vancouver, Canada. With over 12 years of experience, she is passionate about creating designs that transform communities, advocate for walkable cities, and promote social sustainability, health, and wellness in architecture.

I enjoyed engaging in a thoughtful conversation with Elmira about her entrepreneurial aspirations. She spoke eloquently and was prepared to articulate her ambitions for our discussion, leading to a highly productive session. I eagerly anticipate learning more about her plans once she has had the opportunity to reflect on the exchange of ideas we shared.

Mohit Khera is a Customer Success Manager at Quadient. He is a highly motivated and detail-oriented professional with over 12 years of experience in driving customer success and business growth in the SaaS industry. In his previous role at MoveInSync, he successfully built a customer success team from the ground up, establishing essential processes such as sales handover and quarterly business review (QBR) presentation templates. Mohit is passionate about fostering positive customer experiences and is eager to continue making a significant impact in the field.

Mohit is a great mentee to work with. One thing I really appreciate about him is how he asks really good questions and picks up on nuances in the conversation. He's always thinking critically and challenging me to think more deeply about things. I really enjoy our discussions.

Stan Gonsalves

Michelle Leong is a founder of TechLeap, a startup focused on bridging the gap between tech leaders and junior product professionals to drive innovation in digital products. With 7 years of experience in International Relations in Japan, including 3 years in project management, she brings a global perspective to her work.

Currently transitioning her career, Michelle is eager to gain insights into both entrepreneurship and product management.

I enjoyed meeting Michelle! Michelle's ability to clearly articulate her needs and prepare for our mentoring session truly impressed me. Her openness to advice and eagerness to apply it demonstrates a high level of dedication and professionalism. Keep up the great work, and continue to embrace the journey of personal and professional development with such positivity and openness.

Rio Atmadja is the Co-Founder of Doka, an AI Copilot for sales teams. He has an extensive background in process and digital transformation, having worked at Pfizer, Merrill Lynch, and First Republic Bank. He further honed his expertise in account management and go-to-market strategies at Carta, focusing on both the U.S. and Southeast Asian markets. Currently, Rio is working on his dissertation while also developing his venture, Dokai, which captures enterprise workflows and transforms them into AI copilots for customer-facing teams.

I had the pleasure of mentoring Rio recently, and I must commend his exceptional enthusiasm and drive for learning. Our discussion on business transformation at Cloud Software Group (Citrix) showcased his keen interest in strategic thinking and innovative solutions. Rio's ability to grasp complex concepts and his proactive approach to applying new knowledge is impressive. I am confident that with his dedication and curiosity, he will continue to excel and make significant contributions in his professional journey. Keep up the great work, Rio!

Ke-Han Chen is a founder of TechLeap, a company focused on providing individuals with hands-on experience by forming small teams to build no-code, AI-powered MVPs in just 15-30 days using a structured framework. With over 6 years of experience in conference management, project management, and marketing across academia and industry, Ke-Han is now transitioning into SaaS product management. 

Ke-Han is the definition of an innovator. She's taken a problem she's dealt with personally and a common problem of others, and put it into action in a product. Her drive, along with her Co-founder, to connect people to companies in need is one almost any professional can understand. It's difficult to pivot your career, or to get started in a new field. By Ke-Han building this product, she's solving a need that crosses country lines.

Jonathan Biemond is a Software Developer at Quantum Engineering Ltd. He is a driven Data Analyst, passionate about conveying insights through data. Challenges with data quality and consistency, along with his technical inclinations, have him exploring Data Engineering. He’s recently discovered a love for software development principles and software design.

Jonathan is a pleasure to work with. He is a great listener and is always looking for ways to improve himself and the process. He is always eager to learn new things and is always asking questions. He is a great asset to the team and I am confident that he will continue to be successful in his career

Karina Schuelke is the Director of Product Strategy at Phase2, bringing 15 years of experience in the tech industry. As a strategic leader and innovative problem solver, she has a proven track record of delivering product solutions that align digital experiences with business outcomes. Known for her collaborative approach, Karina efficiently leverages cross-functional teams to meet client expectations and organizational goals. Karina is currently focused on refining her leadership skills and enhancing her presentation abilities to high-level executives and clients, seeking insights to pursue growth opportunities in marketing, sales, or digital product development.

Karina and I had a great conversation and I look forward to engaging with her in the future.  She has an excellent background and would be an asset to any company. Laurent Pierre Jr

Sebastiano Battaglia is the Scientific Director of Computational Biology OTR at Johnson & Johnson. With a strong background in data analysis and computational biology, he specializes in combining genetics with computational approaches to uncover insights into drug functions.

Alongside his full-time role, Sebastiano is also an entrepreneur, working on scaling his own eCommerce venture—an online pet store that donates 10% of profits to charity. As a beginner in the entrepreneurial space, he is eager to learn and grow his business while continuing to thrive in the biotech world.

Seb is an amazing, incredibly smart human with deep emotional awareness. He genuinely wants to learn and nurture his Purpose by some novel ideas to market. Phillip Swan

Leah Werdelin is currently a Deaf/Hard of Hearing Paraprofessional at Cherokee County School District. She is passionate about working with children and helping them reach their full potential. Leah also knows American Sign Language. She is looking for a mentor who can help her develop her skills in the education field and learn more about establishing an education and therapy center for children with disabilities.

Leah is a highly motivated and passionate individual who is dedicated to her work. She is always willing to go the extra mile and is always looking for ways to improve herself and her skills. It has been a pleasure working with her and helping her craft her message and brand for Bright Path Learning. I am confident that she will be successful in her endeavors and I look forward to continuing to work with her in the future.

Hani Almeer is in Application Design & Innovation Partnership, Services & Solutions Delivery at Philips. He is a results-oriented go-getter with a strong passion for automation and AI. As an experienced application and product manager in the medical devices field, he has a proven history of improving KPIs through customer-focused product design. With a Master’s in Medical LASER Applications and an M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering, Hani brings both technical expertise and a detail-oriented mindset to every project. In his free time, Hani enjoys spending time with friends and diving into IoT, 3D printing, and automation applications.

Hani is great to work with; great listening skills, very coachable, I am learning from him as well and he is really making positive progress/improvements in his life.

Kristiana Meyer is a Customer Success Manager at Formations. Her expertise in strategy development and relationship-building has fueled her passion for customer success, where she's committed to driving change management, advocating for data-driven decisions, and promoting equity.

Kristiana consistently impresses me with her thoughtfulness and diligence. It's a true pleasure to engage in discussions about her aspirations and support her in her journey of self-discovery. Her unwavering commitment to growth and improvement is truly inspiring. Cheers to Kristiana!

Samir Shah is the Vice President of Partnerships & Customer Success at VolunteerMatch, a global digital volunteering backbone. He has over a decade of experience in building partnerships and delivering successful outcomes for customers. In his current role, Samir leads the Success team and uses data and technology to empower volunteers, nonprofits, governments, and companies to discover and benefit from VolunteerMatch's products and services. 

Samir listens well and is very open to receiving input and feedback in a collaborative style. I enjoy our conversations and can see his growth!

Dan Sears

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