Sl Foundation Presents The Power Of Storytelling With Shane Adams

Garrett Mireles graduated from UT Austin with a B.S. in Advertising with a concentration in copy-writing in the Creative Advertising Program. In this interview, he shares with Kat his experiences transitioning into UT and learning what was truly important to him. He also discusses what it is like to be a copywriter for Thimble, a tech startup, working towards his goals, and what he is finding joy in today.According to payscale.com, a copywriter earns an average annual salary of $51,549.You can reach out to Garrett through his LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @garrettmireles

Cheyenne Gordon works as a music therapist at Hospice of Lubbock, where she works along other medical professionals to provide end-of-life care to patients. In this interview, Cheyenne tells Kat about how she decided to pursue a career in music therapy, how music can help the healing process, and how she copes with such an emotional occupation. Cheyenne explains how life can be beautiful in all its stages and how she finds peace and comfort in helping others.According to payscale.com, a music therapist can earn an average annual salary of $41,456.You can reach out to Cheyenne through her LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @cheyenne.gordonJULY 22, 2020  

Jonathan Wong is a rising senior at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Business Honors, Management Information Systems, and Biology. Jonathan shares with Melissa his experiences with computer science and software engineering, his love for entrepreneurship, and his journey in combining technology, business, and healthcare to make the world a better place. Jonathan lives in Austin and works as a Product Management Intern for Roblox.According to payscale.com, Product Managers in the software industry can earn an average annual salary of $96,064.You can reach out to Jonathan through his LinkedIn profile and learn more about him through his personal website.Instagram - @2wongsmakearightTwitter - @wonathanjong

Giancarlo Bernini is a magician with his own show, Magic of Giancarlo Bernini. He is an alum from the University of Texas at Austin where he majored in Religious Studies and took additional coursework in psychology and business. Giancarlo shares with Melissa his experiences growing up in a small town, discovering his love for magic at a young age, the road to becoming a full-time performer, and starring in the magic competition television program, Penn & Teller: Fool Us. Giancarlo lives in Dallas and works as a magician full-time.According to Glassdoor, magicians can earn anywhere from $30,000 to upwards of $100,000 annually.You can reach out to Giancarlo through his LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @berninimagic

From the small town of Aurangabad, India to the bright lights of New York City, Anish found mainstream success in corporate America. However, looking for something more, he embarked on a journey to make a difference in the social impact space and find fulfillment by following his passion. Currently, Anish is working to incubate his own social enterprise focused on multidimensional poverty, starting first with waste-pickers in India, with the goal of spending the rest of his life fighting poverty through economic empowerment.You can reach out to Anish through his LinkedIn profile, and learn more about him on his personal website.Twitter - @anishmalpaniInstagram - @anishmalpani

Trang Truong is a recent graduate of UC Irvine with a degree in Psychological Sciences. Trang and Aniket discuss her experiences growing up with both of her parents battling cancer, dealing with a stutter, and how she learned to deal with adversity by setting on a mission to help others. Trang's story is one of empowerment and strength. Now as a graduate, Trang hopes to educate others on the importance of fitness and be an advocate for health and wellness.You can reach out to Trang through her LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @traytay

Kush Singh is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hitch. He attended the University of Texas at Austin for a year before deciding to leave McCombs and focus on his venture. Kush shares with Melissa his journey with entrepreneurship, the challenges of running an intercity ridesharing business out of his dorm room, and his personal and professional growth over the years. Today, Hitch offers ridesharing services in all major cities in Texas and has 13 operating routes. Kush lives in Austin and works full-time with Hitch.According to payscale.com, the average salary of a CEO is $156,197, but this can vary greatly depending on the size of the organization.You can reach out to Kush through his LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @hitchTwitter - @foundkush @hitchtravel

In this interview, Lydia Breedlove tells Katherine about her unique childhood. Lydia grew up with two blind parents, and she explains how that experience shaped her today. Lydia recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a degree in Athletic Training. She will be attending Texas Women’s University this fall to receive dual certification in Physical Therapy, as well.According to payscale.com, the average salary of a Physical Therapist is $71,327.You can reach out to Lydia through her LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @lydia_danielle

Micky Wolf is a Venture for America Fellow and the Director of Programs at Dent Education. In this interview, Micky shares his journey with social entrepreneurship and demonstrates that the path to success is not a straight line. He currently works in Baltimore with Dent Education, empowering student entrepreneurs to discover and develop their creative potential. Our interview also features Di'Ja Thompson, a high school junior working with Micky at Dent building PPE to keep the Baltimore community safe.According to Glassdoor, Fellow salaries at Venture for America can range from $38,000 - $51,941.You can reach out to Micky through his LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @denteducation @venture4america

Alexa is a bilingual nutrition educator at the Central Texas Food Bank. Growing up commuting from a border town in Mexico to the US everyday for school, Alexa had to deal with feeling caught in the middle of two different cultures. Alexa and Aniket talk about finding comfort in change, her love for food and nutrition, and the impactful work she does today helping out people across Central Texas who suffer from food insecurity.According to payscale.com, the average salary of a nutritionist is $49,974. However, this number can range greatly depending on the size of the business.You can reach out to Alexa through her LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @fabh._

Usama Siddiquee is an actor and standup comedian in New York City. Usama and Aniket discuss embracing one's own culture, the importance of passion, the difficulties of dealing with external pressures, and his tough path in the entertainment industry. Usama made the courageous decision to forego medical school and pursue his dream, and today has found widespread success as a comic with his own podcast, Mango Bae.You can reach out to Usama through his LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @usamastandsup

A child of divorced parents and an alcoholic father, Michael faced a lot of hardships at home. However, he found solace in education and an escape through playing viola. By viewing the difficult times in his life as learning opportunities, he has worked hard to become a Technical Recruiter at Google, while also continuing his love for music as a DJ and producer. Michael's story inspires us all to be resilient in the face of adversity and follow our passions.According to payscale.com, the average salary of a Technical Recruiter is $60,000. However, this number can range greatly depending on the size of the business.You can reach out to Michael through his LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @mikevonpaul

Katherine Allen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Flo Recruit. Katherine shares with Melissa how she discovered her love for entrepreneurship and venture capital, the trials and tribulations of starting her own business during college, and her experiences in the Bay Area with Y Combinator. This past year, Flo Recruit raised $1M in funding. Katherine lives in Austin and works full-time with Flo Recruit.According to payscale.com, the average salary of a CEO is $156,574. However, this number can range greatly depending on the size of the business.You can reach out to Katherine through her LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @florecruitTwitter - @FloRecruit

Dwamian Mcleish is the founder at Journely and former chief technology officer at Camp Gladiator. Dwamian and Shane recall his childhood days in Jamaica, where he fell in love with the computer lab—except it wasn’t much of a lab considering there were only two computers. Despite this, he realized his passion for technology as a young child. Dwamian also talks about how he used his skills in track and field to make his way to college in Kentucky. He talks about assimilating to the US and reconciling his cultural differences. He built his own companies, sold them, and now is working on a new venture.According to payscale.com, the average salary of a CTO is $158,456. However, this number can range greatly depending on the size of the business.Click here to read Dwamian’s Q&A.You can reach out to Dwamian through his LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @dwamianm

Dwamian Mcleish is the founder at Journely and former chief technology officer at Camp Gladiator. Dwamian and Shane recall his childhood days in Jamaica, where he fell in love with the computer lab—except it wasn’t much of a lab considering there were only two computers. Despite this, he realized his passion for technology as a young child. Dwamian also talks about how he used his skills in track and field to make his way to college in Kentucky. He talks about assimilating to the US and reconciling his cultural differences. He built his own companies, sold them, and now is working on a new venture.According to payscale.com, the average salary of a CTO is $158,456. However, this number can range greatly depending on the size of the business.Click here to read Dwamian’s Q&A.You can reach out to Dwamian through his LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @dwamianm

Kelsey Creveling is the Founder and CEO of her own ventures, including KelsC. Consulting and The Consultants Closet to name a few. Shane and Kelsey have known each other for years, as they crossed paths in Texas as Shane was seeking someone skilled and ambitious to join his company Sagacious Consultants. Kelsey opens up to Shane about her life before that as she talks about struggling with trying to fit in and losing herself in the process. Kelsey also talks about her journey as an entrepreneur and the challenges that come with that title. She shares lessons about learning your own value and advocating for it when it comes to negotiating jobs.According to Kelsey, she made $60,000 as a starting salary at Epic, with that salary growing nearly 10% every year.You can reach out to Kelsey through her LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @theconsultantsclosetWebsite - theconsultantscloset.com | KelseyCreveling.com | Safikadvsrs.com

Kelsey Creveling is the Founder and CEO of her own ventures, including KelsC. Consulting and The Consultants Closet to name a few. Shane and Kelsey have known each other for years, as they crossed paths in Texas as Shane was seeking someone skilled and ambitious to join his company Sagacious Consultants. Kelsey opens up to Shane about her life before that as she talks about struggling with trying to fit in and losing herself in the process. Kelsey also talks about her journey as an entrepreneur and the challenges that come with that title. She shares lessons about learning your own value and advocating for it when it comes to negotiating jobs.According to Kelsey, she made $60,000 as a starting salary at Epic, with that salary growing nearly 10% every year.You can reach out to Kelsey through her LinkedIn profile.Instagram - @theconsultantsclosetWebsite - theconsultantscloset.com | KelseyCreveling.com | Safikadvsrs.com

Lori Mankin is an Integrated Marketing Manager at Lifesize, a video conferencing software company with clients like Netflix, LinkedIn, and many more. Lori sits with Shane to talk about her college experience at California State University, Chico and how she found her passion in journalism. She tells about her rocky road to where she is now as she had to deal with childhood bullies, financial instability, and mean bosses. Lori also talks about going to therapy to cope with the challenges she still faces.According to Glassdoor, the salary of a Marketing Manager at Lifesize makes an average salary of $62K - $147K per year.You can reach out to Lori through her LinkedIn profile.

Lori Mankin is an Integrated Marketing Manager at Lifesize, a video conferencing software company with clients like Netflix, LinkedIn, and many more. Lori sits with Shane to talk about her college experience at California State University, Chico and how she found her passion in journalism. She tells about her rocky road to where she is now as she had to deal with childhood bullies, financial instability, and mean bosses. Lori also talks about going to therapy to cope with the challenges she still faces.According to Glassdoor, the salary of a Marketing Manager at Lifesize makes an average salary of $62K - $147K per year.You can reach out to Lori through her LinkedIn profile.

Mrignayni Chhotwani, or Maggie, is a senior software engineer at Visa. Shane and Maggie talk about her love for stand-up comedy, her recent relationship status, and her thoughts on the importance of persistence.  She also discusses some of the challenges she faces being a woman in a male-dominated industry, how she found her love for computer science, and how she was able to acclimate after a big move from India to the US for her master’s degree.According to Glassdoor, the salary of a Senior Software Engineer at Visa makes an average salary of $103,684 per year.You can reach out to Mrignayni through her LinkedIn profile.