This past week the Sutardja Center hosted an exceptional A. Richard Newton Series lecture – a fireside chat with Jessica Mah, Cal grad and cofounder & CEO of inDinero. Jess is certainly accomplished and articulate, but what made the evening exceptional, was the sincerety, authenticity (even if it’s an overused word) and vulnerability of insights shared. She has received plenty of press for her success at a young age (Forbes list 30 under 30 list and Inc. Magazine cover story), as well as for her challenges. Recent headlines have included “How Couples Therapy Helped Bring This Company Back From the Brink” and “This 24-Year-Old High School Dropout Is Tackling A Problem Every Startup Hates To Deal With”.
During the hour-long discussion, Jessica shared anecdotes from Cal, and from her days at Y Combinator through her early success and failures and her hopes going forward. Students were encouraged by her courage, bolstered by her enthusiasm and likely relieved as she recounted her lack of “stellar grades”. One student said, “I enjoyed Jessica’s no-nonsense mentality, and how even when she was on the brink of giving up, she managed to push through. I think she really hammered home the importance of taking every opportunity you can and just going through with it.” Being a successful entrepreneur isn’t about success or failure, it’s about what you do with that success or failure.
Sign up for the A. Richard Newton Series Spring Semester on Telebears Today – CCN E98 27902 E198 27935 E298B 27986