Maja Aro is a serial entrepreneur in the world of stunts and content creation. She is Co-Founder of Kunoichi Ventures, a stunt coordination consulting business, Sea to Sky Stunts, a stunt equipment rental company, and 321GO! Productions, which produces hit Youtube show Abby & the Muffins. Maja is also an award winning stunt coordinator, stunt performer, filmmaker and content creator from Britannia Beach, BC. With over 20 years in the industry, she has worked on many
major Hollywood blockbusters and hit TV shows.

She has been nominated for 6 UBCP Awards for Best Stunt, 4 Leo Awards for Best Stunt Coordination (winning twice), and a Taurus World Stunt Award. She was honored with the Stunt Warrior Award (Artemis Film Festival) and the Artistic Innovation Spotlight Award (WIFTV).

Beyond stunts, Maja won the MPPIA Short Film Award for her film Hoods, which she wrote and directed, earning multiple festival awards. She also received a director shadow with Amazon on Man in the High Castle.

As a mother of two, Maja's passion for storytelling, adventure, and education led her to create Abby and the Muffins—a fun, high-energy kids’ brand that inspires curiosity, movement, and learning through music and adventure.

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Maja Aro is a serial entrepreneur in the world of stunts and content creation. She is Co-Founder of Kunoichi Ventures, a stunt coordination consulting business, Sea to Sky Stunts, a stunt equipment rental company, and 321GO! Productions, which produces hit Youtube show Abby & the Muffins. Maja is also an award winning stunt coordinator, stunt performer, filmmaker and content creator from Britannia Beach, BC. With over 20 years in the industry, she has worked on many
major Hollywood blockbusters and hit TV shows.

She has been nominated for 6 UBCP Awards for Best Stunt, 4 Leo Awards for Best Stunt Coordination (winning twice), and a Taurus World Stunt Award. She was honored with the Stunt Warrior Award (Artemis Film Festival) and the Artistic Innovation Spotlight Award (WIFTV).

Beyond stunts, Maja won the MPPIA Short Film Award for her film Hoods, which she wrote and directed, earning multiple festival awards. She also received a director shadow with Amazon on Man in the High Castle.

As a mother of two, Maja's passion for storytelling, adventure, and education led her to create Abby and the Muffins—a fun, high-energy kids’ brand that inspires curiosity, movement, and learning through music and adventure.

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Cammie Doder is Chief Marketing Officer at Aspiriant, a wealth management firm with $15B assets under management. I met Cammie when she had just graduated from UCLA with her MBA and over the years, we've shared a ton of fun memories of houseboat and lake trips pre-marriage and kids. 

Cammie has always struck me as a deep and thoughtful listener. She's super focused when she's talking to you and when I ran into her at the market a few weeks ago, I was reminded how Cammie makes you feel heard. Not surprisingly, she's brought this same skill set to her team and company, having spent 20 years overseeing marketing. 

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Cammie Doder is Chief Marketing Officer at Aspiriant, a wealth management firm with $15B assets under management. I met Cammie when she had just graduated from UCLA with her MBA and over the years, we've shared a ton of fun memories of houseboat and lake trips pre-marriage and kids. 

Cammie has always struck me as a deep and thoughtful listener. She's super focused when she's talking to you and when I ran into her at the market a few weeks ago, I was reminded how Cammie makes you feel heard. Not surprisingly, she's brought this same skill set to her team and company, having spent 20 years overseeing marketing. 

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Jim Abbott is an University of Michigan Baseball Hall of Famer and veteran MLB pitcher known for being born with one hand. His parents never treated him any differently and taught him to live independently and joyfully. Growing up, Jim played multiple sports and joined his high school football team as quarterback, but he ultimately chose baseball when he went to University of Michigan. 

As a kid, Jim's dad worked with him to improve on speed and technique, perfecting what's now known as the Abbott switch. While pitching, Jim would balance his glove on his right wrist, where the arm ends, pitching with his left arm. When fielding, he'd quickly switch the glove to his left hand. Despite having offers to play professionally out of high school, Jim opted to attend University of Michigan where he earned the Golden Spikes Award. 

1988, Jim's junior year at University of Michigan, proved to be an exciting one as he won Big Ten Athlete of the Year, signed with the Angels, played in the Pan American games, defeating Cuba in the finals, AND helped lead the US Olympic baseball team to gold at  the summer games in Seoul, South Korea. 

After playing with the Angels for four seasons, he was traded to the Yankees, where he and his wife navigated big city life as a young couple. In 1993, Jim famously threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians, and the season was halted the following year due to the MLB strike. He eventually signed with the White Sox as a free agent and then re-signed with the Angels in 1996. Jim discusses his struggles through his professional career and how he had to meet some deeply-buried fears head-on to realize and appreciate that there's much more to him as a person than playing in the MLB. 

Jim retired from baseball in '97 and unlocked his passion for sharing his story to encourage others to persevere and overcome seemingly impossible challenges. 

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Jim Abbott is an University of Michigan Baseball Hall of Famer and veteran MLB pitcher known for being born with one hand. His parents never treated him any differently and taught him to live independently and joyfully. Growing up, Jim played multiple sports and joined his high school football team as quarterback, but he ultimately chose baseball when he went to University of Michigan. 

As a kid, Jim's dad worked with him to improve on speed and technique, perfecting what's now known as the Abbott switch. While pitching, Jim would balance his glove on his right wrist, where the arm ends, pitching with his left arm. When fielding, he'd quickly switch the glove to his left hand. Despite having offers to play professionally out of high school, Jim opted to attend University of Michigan where he earned the Golden Spikes Award. 

1988, Jim's junior year at University of Michigan, proved to be an exciting one as he won Big Ten Athlete of the Year, signed with the Angels, played in the Pan American games, defeating Cuba in the finals, AND helped lead the US Olympic baseball team to gold at  the summer games in Seoul, South Korea. 

After playing with the Angels for four seasons, he was traded to the Yankees, where he and his wife navigated big city life as a young couple. In 1993, Jim famously threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians, and the season was halted the following year due to the MLB strike. He eventually signed with the White Sox as a free agent and then re-signed with the Angels in 1996. Jim discusses his struggles through his professional career and how he had to meet some deeply-buried fears head-on to realize and appreciate that there's much more to him as a person than playing in the MLB. 

Jim retired from baseball in '97 and unlocked his passion for sharing his story to encourage others to persevere and overcome seemingly impossible challenges. 

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Pilar Ramos serves as the Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of TelevisaUnivision, Inc. In this role, she leads the Law, Compliance, Government Affairs, Business & Legal Affairs, Standards & Practices, and Rights Management functions. She is a core member of the company’s executive leadership team and serves as secretary to the Board. Ms. Ramos joined the company during a pivotal moment, navigating a major strategic merger that resulted in the creation of TelevisaUnivision, now recognized as the world’s leading Spanish-language media and content company.

Before joining TU in 2021, Ms. Ramos held several senior positions at Mastercard, most recently as Executive Vice President & General Counsel, North America—the company’s largest business unit. Prior
to that role, she served as Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy & Regulatory Strategy Counsel, leading a global advocacy team on public policy and regulatory matters across diverse markets, spanning Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Canada, and Latin America. In that role, Ms. Ramos played a key role in addressing global trade in data and  services, market access and competition law issues, and financial regulation matters. Prior to her long tenure at Mastercard, she served as General Counsel of a start-up marketplace, residing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and as corporate counsel at DIRECTV Latin America.

Ms. Ramos began her legal career as an  associate in the  corporate group at Simpson Thacher, in both the New York City and London offices.

Ms. Ramos earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she  served as an Executive Editor of The Law Review. She earned her Bachelor of Arts cum laude in International
Relations and French from Penn. As part of her undergraduate work, she studied at l’Institut d’Etudes Politiques & Sciences in Paris, France.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ms. Ramos is deeply committed to leveraging diversity for the  betterment of business and society. She is a member of The Council on Foreign Relations, serves as Co-Chair of the Penn Law Alumni Advisory Board on Equity and Inclusion, and holds positions on the Board of LatinoJustice and the Board of Advisors of the  University of Miami Law School’s Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Program. She also remains an advisor to the Board of the YWCA Greenwich, on which she previously served. A passionate and practical leader, Ms. Ramos serves as a generous mentor through various channels, including The 30% Club, and  advocates for diversity in the legal profession, particularly in leadership roles, including through her involvement in The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.

Ms. Ramos has been honored with leadership recognitions, including the Legal Momentum Aiming High Award, Council of Urban Professionals Change Agent Award, Corporate Counsel National
Transformational Leadership Award, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Legal Champion of the Arts Award, Latino Justice Lucero Award, Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award, and Penn Law Women’s Association Award.

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Pilar Ramos serves as the Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of TelevisaUnivision, Inc. In this role, she leads the Law, Compliance, Government Affairs, Business & Legal Affairs, Standards & Practices, and Rights Management functions. She is a core member of the company’s executive leadership team and serves as secretary to the Board. Ms. Ramos joined the company during a pivotal moment, navigating a major strategic merger that resulted in the creation of TelevisaUnivision, now recognized as the world’s leading Spanish-language media and content company.

Before joining TU in 2021, Ms. Ramos held several senior positions at Mastercard, most recently as Executive Vice President & General Counsel, North America—the company’s largest business unit. Prior
to that role, she served as Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy & Regulatory Strategy Counsel, leading a global advocacy team on public policy and regulatory matters across diverse markets, spanning Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Canada, and Latin America. In that role, Ms. Ramos played a key role in addressing global trade in data and  services, market access and competition law issues, and financial regulation matters. Prior to her long tenure at Mastercard, she served as General Counsel of a start-up marketplace, residing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and as corporate counsel at DIRECTV Latin America.

Ms. Ramos began her legal career as an  associate in the  corporate group at Simpson Thacher, in both the New York City and London offices.

Ms. Ramos earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she  served as an Executive Editor of The Law Review. She earned her Bachelor of Arts cum laude in International
Relations and French from Penn. As part of her undergraduate work, she studied at l’Institut d’Etudes Politiques & Sciences in Paris, France.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ms. Ramos is deeply committed to leveraging diversity for the  betterment of business and society. She is a member of The Council on Foreign Relations, serves as Co-Chair of the Penn Law Alumni Advisory Board on Equity and Inclusion, and holds positions on the Board of LatinoJustice and the Board of Advisors of the  University of Miami Law School’s Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Program. She also remains an advisor to the Board of the YWCA Greenwich, on which she previously served. A passionate and practical leader, Ms. Ramos serves as a generous mentor through various channels, including The 30% Club, and  advocates for diversity in the legal profession, particularly in leadership roles, including through her involvement in The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.

Ms. Ramos has been honored with leadership recognitions, including the Legal Momentum Aiming High Award, Council of Urban Professionals Change Agent Award, Corporate Counsel National
Transformational Leadership Award, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Legal Champion of the Arts Award, Latino Justice Lucero Award, Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award, and Penn Law Women’s Association Award.

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

This episode was recorded in Sept 2022 with my high school friend Dr. David Deyhimy, an anesthesiologist who specializes in addiction medicine. He's Founder and Medical Director of MyMATClinic and also practices in private practice as an anesthesiologist in Orange County, CA. We walk through his career path as I do with all of my MENTOR dna guests. We also spend some time discussing opioid usage disorder, more commonly known as opioid addiction. 

Dr. Deyhimy got into medical school and thrived. As a thoracic anesthesiologist, he earned his spot as chief resident and moved his young family to start life in private practice. After a few years, Dr. Deyhimy was making great money but was stumped as to why he wasn't feeling fulfilled. He realized that his day-to-day grind wasn't totally aligned with what really drove him to be a doctor. He wanted to do more.

During a late night in the pperating room with a nurse friend, he listened to her chat about her son's heroin addiction and the medications he was using to stay sober. Dr. Deyhimy's interest was piqued. 

His research led to studying the neuroscience of addiction. Brain chemistry and connections change, quickly transforming people from being casual users to those who will do anything to simply feel "ok."

Sadly, the illicit drug distribution landscape has changed dramatically in the past 5 years, so Dr. Deyhimy walks us through how to prepare to keep our family and friends safe from the recreational drugs that are almost all laced with fentanyl. 

Dr. Deyhimy is an incredible leader in the addiction medicine space and we also chat about how  a slight change in mindset can take a seemingly bad experience into one that unlocks tremendous learning and growth.  

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

This episode was recorded in Sept 2022 with my high school friend Dr. David Deyhimy, an anesthesiologist who specializes in addiction medicine. He's Founder and Medical Director of MyMATClinic and also practices in private practice as an anesthesiologist in Orange County, CA. We walk through his career path as I do with all of my MENTOR dna guests. We also spend some time discussing opioid usage disorder, more commonly known as opioid addiction. 

Dr. Deyhimy got into medical school and thrived. As a thoracic anesthesiologist, he earned his spot as chief resident and moved his young family to start life in private practice. After a few years, Dr. Deyhimy was making great money but was stumped as to why he wasn't feeling fulfilled. He realized that his day-to-day grind wasn't totally aligned with what really drove him to be a doctor. He wanted to do more.

During a late night in the pperating room with a nurse friend, he listened to her chat about her son's heroin addiction and the medications he was using to stay sober. Dr. Deyhimy's interest was piqued. 

His research led to studying the neuroscience of addiction. Brain chemistry and connections change, quickly transforming people from being casual users to those who will do anything to simply feel "ok."

Sadly, the illicit drug distribution landscape has changed dramatically in the past 5 years, so Dr. Deyhimy walks us through how to prepare to keep our family and friends safe from the recreational drugs that are almost all laced with fentanyl. 

Dr. Deyhimy is an incredible leader in the addiction medicine space and we also chat about how  a slight change in mindset can take a seemingly bad experience into one that unlocks tremendous learning and growth.  

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Since January 2016, Ms. Lowe has been the CEO of CLowe Advisors, LLC, a strategic consulting firm specializing in capital strategy for consumer focused business. Prior to founding CLowe Advisors, LLC, Ms. Lowe was a Managing Director at Imperial Capital, LLC from 2007 to 2015. At Imperial, she founded the annual Imperial Capital Consumer Conference in 2009 which featured branded consumer companies and consumer focused private equity investors. Prior to Imperial, Ms. Lowe was the Co-Founder & Head of Consumer Practice at USBX Advisory Services, LLC from 2000 to 2007.

 Ms. Lowe was a Corporate Finance Associate at Goldman, Sachs & Co from 1998 to 2000 and a Financial Analyst in Investment Banking and Capital Markets at Goldman Sachs from 1993 to 1996.

She serves on the Board of Directors of Burch Barrell, she is an Advisory Board member at Clare V., a Board Member and Finance Chair of the Pacifica Christian High School; and Finance Committee Member of the Park Century School. Ms. Lowe received a BA in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania, a BS in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Since January 2016, Ms. Lowe has been the CEO of CLowe Advisors, LLC, a strategic consulting firm specializing in capital strategy for consumer focused business. Prior to founding CLowe Advisors, LLC, Ms. Lowe was a Managing Director at Imperial Capital, LLC from 2007 to 2015. At Imperial, she founded the annual Imperial Capital Consumer Conference in 2009 which featured branded consumer companies and consumer focused private equity investors. Prior to Imperial, Ms. Lowe was the Co-Founder & Head of Consumer Practice at USBX Advisory Services, LLC from 2000 to 2007.

Ms. Lowe was a Corporate Finance Associate at Goldman, Sachs & Co from 1998 to 2000 and a Financial Analyst in Investment Banking and Capital Markets at Goldman Sachs from 1993 to 1996.

She serves on the Board of Directors of Burch Barrell, she is an Advisory Board member at Clare V., a Board Member and Finance Chair of the Pacifica Christian High School; and Finance Committee Member of the Park Century School. Ms. Lowe received a BA in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania, a BS in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Confident. Striking. Caring. Expert. These are words that come to mind when describing Kristin Halton, a leading residential real estate broker in the US. Her 6' stature, paired with her striking blue eyes and platinum hair can throw you off, but don't let it. She's sharp, driven, hard working, and cares for her clients. She's built a team which now leads the US as one of Douglas Elliman's 1% top producers.  

Kristin hails from the Pacific Northwest, worked her way through high school and college, then found herself traversing the United Sales training fitness facilities on how to open and run their businesses. By the time she reached Cincinnati, she'd opened a coffee shop, had her own personal training business, and continued consulting to fitness center operators. But she was cold and knew that Cincinnati wasn't the place she wanted to stay. 

On a whim, she took a mid-winter flight to vacation in Newport Beach and within 3 months, divested her businesses in Cincinnati and moved to start a career in real estate. 22 years later, Kristin and her team are recognized in the top 1% of residential real estate producers in the U.S. 

You're going to love this episode of MENTORdna. Thanks for tuning in!  

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Confident. Striking. Caring. Expert. These are words that come to mind when describing Kristin Halton, a leading residential real estate broker in the US. Her 6' stature, paired with her striking blue eyes and platinum hair can throw you off, but don't let it. She's sharp, driven, hard working, and cares for her clients. She's built a team which now leads the US as one of Douglas Elliman's 1% top producers.  

Kristin hails from the Pacific Northwest, worked her way through high school and college, then found herself traversing the United Sales training fitness facilities on how to open and run their businesses. By the time she reached Cincinnati, she'd opened a coffee shop, had her own personal training business, and continued consulting to fitness center operators. But she was cold and knew that Cincinnati wasn't the place she wanted to stay. 

On a whim, she took a mid-winter flight to vacation in Newport Beach and within 3 months, divested her businesses in Cincinnati and moved to start a career in real estate. 22 years later, Kristin and her team are recognized in the top 1% of residential real estate producers in the U.S. 

You're going to love this episode of MENTORdna. Thanks for tuning in!  

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Danny Sonenshine is the founder and CEO of Far West Services, the developers and operators of Wingstop restaurants on the west coast, as well as a developer and operator of Dunkin Donuts in Southern California. He had me at doughnuts! We chat about his undergrad days where he wasn't sure what he wanted to do, which led to law school and then a job at a law firm, which he disliked from day 1. He married his college sweetheart and she's been his cheerleader all along, encouraging him to try something different than being a lawyer.

So, 5 years later, with no restaurant experience, Danny joined his dad into the world of franchise restaurants. And he didn't just traipse into a business that was already stood up. Danny had to get dirty and have patience. He learned everything from cleaning toilets to supply chain management, but the biggest lesson he's learned comes from his days at the law firm. 

Danny has learned a ton about what it takes to be an entrepreneur and shares his advice and stories, one which includes standing up for himself by telling off a landlord, thereby earning his respect. 

You'll love this episode of Mentor DNA. Thanks for tuning in!

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Danny Sonenshine is the founder and CEO of Far West Services, the developers and operators of Wingstop restaurants on the west coast, as well as a developer and operator of Dunkin Donuts in Southern California. He had me at doughnuts! We chat about his undergrad days where he wasn't sure what he wanted to do, which led to law school and then a job at a law firm, which he disliked from day 1. He married his college sweetheart and she's been his cheerleader all along, encouraging him to try something different than being a lawyer.

So, 5 years later, with no restaurant experience, Danny joined his dad into the world of franchise restaurants. And he didn't just traipse into a business that was already stood up. Danny had to get dirty and have patience. He learned everything from cleaning toilets to supply chain management, but the biggest lesson he's learned comes from his days at the law firm. 

Danny has learned a ton about what it takes to be an entrepreneur and shares his advice and stories, one which includes standing up for himself by telling off a landlord, thereby earning his respect. 

You'll love this episode of Mentor DNA. Thanks for tuning in!

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

When I talk to people about getting their MBAs, most of their focus is around gaining new technical skills like financial modeling or something similar. I strongly believe that connecting with classmates and creating new memories with those friends is more important than learning how to be an excel jockey. Bill Schlough is a perfect example of this as we never took a class together, but share fun memories from our days playing volleyball at Wharton - hours spent on the courts and traveling up and down the New England corridor for tourneys. Bill's held the role of Chief Information Officer for the San Francisco Giants since our graduation 25 years ago. It's no surprise that we chat a lot about the importance sports plays in the lives of our children and communities across the US. 

I incorrectly assumed that Bill, a former collegiate two-sport athlete and Olympics employee, seeks athletes in his hiring, so he fills me in on what he seeks in candidates. His hilarious story about the real life challenges Covid presented as he simultaneously navigated keeping his kindergartener on task during Zoom classes while dialing into his executive staff meetings amidst flying Nerf darts are sure to make you laugh.

I've had a hunch about the long-term effects of innovation with remote work. The US boasts some of the most innovative companies in the world, but my experience is that ideas occur in serendipitous moments in the break room during your afternoon chocolate break. Bill says that being back at work breathes lives back into his work day, and he supports my thesis that being in-person is critically important to keeping the flywheel of innovation spinning.

Bill's an incredible mentor and reveals that he loves giving back and particularly expressing his gratitude with the mentors in his life. With 600+ mentees over his career, Bill demonstrates a servant's heart and desire to help and guide others. This episode is truly inspirational as Bill is a down-to-earth executive with such rich and deep insights to share with anyone looking to break into the C-Suite. Thanks for tuning in! https://mentordna.io/bill-schlough

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

When I talk to people about getting their MBAs, most of their focus is around gaining new technical skills like financial modeling or something similar. I strongly believe that connecting with classmates and creating new memories with those friends is more important than learning how to be an excel jockey. Bill Schlough is a perfect example of this as we never took a class together, but share fun memories from our days playing volleyball at Wharton - hours spent on the courts and traveling up and down the New England corridor for tourneys. Bill's held the role of Chief Information Officer for the San Francisco Giants since our graduation 25 years ago. It's no surprise that we chat a lot about the importance sports plays in the lives of our children and communities across the US. 

I incorrectly assumed that Bill, a former collegiate two-sport athlete and Olympics employee, seeks athletes in his hiring, so he fills me in on what he seeks in candidates. His hilarious story about the real life challenges Covid presented as he simultaneously navigated keeping his kindergartener on task during Zoom classes while dialing into his executive staff meetings amidst flying Nerf darts are sure to make you laugh.

I've had a hunch about the long-term effects of innovation with remote work. The US boasts some of the most innovative companies in the world, but my experience is that ideas occur in serendipitous moments in the break room during your afternoon chocolate break. Bill says that being back at work breathes lives back into his work day, and he supports my thesis that being in-person is critically important to keeping the flywheel of innovation spinning.

Bill's an incredible mentor and reveals that he loves giving back and particularly expressing his gratitude with the mentors in his life. With 600+ mentees over his career, Bill demonstrates a servant's heart and desire to help and guide others. This episode is truly inspirational as Bill is a down-to-earth executive with such rich and deep insights to share with anyone looking to break into the C-Suite. Thanks for tuning in! https://mentordna.io/bill-schlough

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

David Liu is a retired tech investment banker who now advises CEOs and makes strategic investments to support Asian content creators. A mutual friend introduced us and I was surprised to have met someone else with so many shared interests and passions, while never crossing paths!

His personal journey includes moving from China to the US and having to pay for everything on his own, including a college degree from an Ivy League university.

After seeing the long list of job openings for investment banks, he applied and made it through the rigorous hiring process to land his first Wall St. internship.

Dave learned a LOT about cultural differences and became an astute observer of people, learning what nuanced behaviors made for great success in high-powered environments.

And he continued to study and learn… 

At the pinnacle of his career as the youngest person to have made Managing Director, Dave made a seemingly crazy decision; he left after 25 years and decided to write his observations and notes as a way to share his learnings with his sons. Anyone interested in working on Wall Street will find tremendous value reading The Way of the Wall Street Warrior. 

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

David Liu is a retired tech investment banker who now advises CEOs and makes strategic investments to support Asian content creators. A mutual friend introduced us and I was surprised to have met someone else with so many shared interests and passions, while never crossing paths!

His personal journey includes moving from China to the US and having to pay for everything on his own, including a college degree from an Ivy League university.

After seeing the long list of job openings for investment banks, he applied and made it through the rigorous hiring process to land his first Wall St. internship.

Dave learned a LOT about cultural differences and became an astute observer of people, learning what nuanced behaviors made for great success in high-powered environments.

And he continued to study and learn… 

At the pinnacle of his career as the youngest person to have made Managing Director, Dave made a seemingly crazy decision; he left after 25 years and decided to write his observations and notes as a way to share his learnings with his sons. Anyone interested in working on Wall Street will find tremendous value reading The Way of the Wall Street Warrior. 

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Will O'Neill is a Stanford-educated attorney and small businessman who has served the City for five years on the Newport Beach Finance Committee (currently Chair).  A California native, he received his BA from Stanford University where he lettered on the track and field team.  He then received his JD from U.C. Hastings College of the Law, where he was President of his class and later President of the U.C. Hastings Board of Governors (alumni association).

Will is a Partner at Ross, Wolcott, Teinert & Prout LLP, previously working at the California Supreme Court for Associate Justice Marvin Baxter (Ret.). He is also a member of the Newport Harbor Exchange Club, Director of the Transportation Corridor Agency (San Joaquin Hills), Board Member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, past Trustee of the Celtic Bar Association, and an active member of Mariners Church.

In 2020, Will became the youngest person to be Mayor of Newport Beach.  He renewed the Council's focus on family-friendly community features like parks, libraries, and increased school safety.  He has also been proud to serve alongside our families with special needs by ensuring access to first-ever classes offered through our Newport Navigator and by helping the installation of an ADA swing at Coastal Peak Park (thanks to the leadership of a sixth-grade student at Newport Coast Elementary School!).

While Mayor, Will fought to reopen Newport Beach's world-famous beaches after the Governor shut them, helped oversee Newport Beach's successful response to COVID, and kept a steady focus on helping small businesses in the community.

Will's wife, Jenny, is a former elementary school teacher and USC graduate. Their two children, ages 8 and 6, serve as constant inspiration to model service, integrity, and determination.

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Will O'Neill is a Stanford-educated attorney and small businessman who has served the City for five years on the Newport Beach Finance Committee (currently Chair).  A California native, he received his BA from Stanford University where he lettered on the track and field team.  He then received his JD from U.C. Hastings College of the Law, where he was President of his class and later President of the U.C. Hastings Board of Governors (alumni association).

Will is a Partner at Ross, Wolcott, Teinert & Prout LLP, previously working at the California Supreme Court for Associate Justice Marvin Baxter (Ret.). He is also a member of the Newport Harbor Exchange Club, Director of the Transportation Corridor Agency (San Joaquin Hills), Board Member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, past Trustee of the Celtic Bar Association, and an active member of Mariners Church.

In 2020, Will became the youngest person to be Mayor of Newport Beach.  He renewed the Council's focus on family-friendly community features like parks, libraries, and increased school safety.  He has also been proud to serve alongside our families with special needs by ensuring access to first-ever classes offered through our Newport Navigator and by helping the installation of an ADA swing at Coastal Peak Park (thanks to the leadership of a sixth-grade student at Newport Coast Elementary School!).

While Mayor, Will fought to reopen Newport Beach's world-famous beaches after the Governor shut them, helped oversee Newport Beach's successful response to COVID, and kept a steady focus on helping small businesses in the community.

Will's wife, Jenny, is a former elementary school teacher and USC graduate. Their two children, ages 8 and 6, serve as constant inspiration to model service, integrity, and determination. 

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Andrew Cherng is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Panda Express. He and his wife Peggy started the business a few years out of graduate school and have since grown it to nearly 2400 locations; mostly privately held and not franchised. Uncle Andrew, as I know him, was an investor in my company, snacki, in the early 2000s and I learned a lot about management and operations from him as he mentored me through that exciting chapter of my career. He's always had a deep passion for people whether guests or employees.  

What strikes me about Panda is that they're known for cultivating talent from within. They care for their teams and train people in all aspects of the business. We talk about how his hiring philosophy has changed over the years.  Andrew truly believes that people who develop good work habits can take that with them everywhere.

I just KNOW you're going to learn so much from Andrew. He started in the kitchen and now delights us with fresh, delicious food, as well as fantastic leadership and management insights on this episode of MENTOR dna. 

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

Andrew Cherng is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Panda Express. He and his wife Peggy started the business a few years out of graduate school and have since grown it to nearly 2400 locations; mostly privately held and not franchised. Uncle Andrew, as I know him, was an investor in my company, snacki, in the early 2000s and I learned a lot about management and operations from him as he mentored me through that exciting chapter of my career. He's always had a deep passion for people whether guests or employees.  

What strikes me about Panda is that they're known for cultivating talent from within. They care for their teams and train people in all aspects of the business. We talk about how his hiring philosophy has changed over the years.  Andrew truly believes that people who develop good work habits can take that with them everywhere.

I just KNOW you're going to learn so much from Andrew. He started in the kitchen and now delights us with fresh, delicious food, as well as fantastic leadership and management insights on this episode of MENTOR dna. 

mentordna.io
LinkedIn

My husband and I met former pro surfer Damien Hobgood through a mutual friend. On a whim, Damien agreed to surprise my husband for our wedding anniversary with some friends at Amor Boutique Hotel in Sayulita MX. Damien had big dreams of surfing professionally in high school, when that wasn't even a thing. He chased that dream and surfed on the tour for 14 years, then followed that up riding big waves in the World Surf League.

We talk about the early days of pro surfing…when no one even thought it was possible to earn a living chasing waves. Damien has deeply-held convictions about integrity and being true to yourself and your family's beliefs. As a Christian man, he learned life's most important lessons from his mom. 

 Throughout his career, he's dealt with big brands, sponsors, and promoters, which gave him plenty of opportunities to learn about the corporate world, which he's now taken into his career in wealth management. 

Damien shares the many transferable lessons from sports to the corporate world. If you love surfing, are curious about what it was like growing up in that culture, or want to hear Damien's perspective of meeting challenges head on, you'll learn so much and more  on this interesting episode of MENTOR dna! 

mentordna.io
LinkedIn