Meet Alize, a Strategy & Operations, and Product, Sprint alum at The Commons & member of the Operations Team at Techstars
Read on to learn more about why Alize decided to join The Commons, what she took away from the Strategy & Operations Sprint and Product Sprint, and how she made the move into multiple operations roles in tech!
To summarize Alize's career path in 1 line
UWaterloo (undergrad) → Project Coordinator @ Soul Foods (helping new stores launch on time) -> Associate @ Digital Finance Institute (organized events for FinTech & AI companies in Canada) -> Founder @ Super PawBox (curated monthly subscription boxes for puppies & grew it to $100k+ ARR in a year) -> Strategy & Operations @ Instawork (launching in new markets) -> Ops Associate @ Techstars (help startups as they grow from early stage to venture-backed companies)
Describe yourself with 3 emojis & give us a little context on why you chose them!
🐶🐶🐶 - I clearly love dogs. I built one business for them, and now I'm starting another one for them!
Where are you located?
📍 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Joining The Commons 🤝
What was behind your decision to join The Commons?
I joined The Commons because I didn’t know anything about the Strategy & Operations role, so saw it as a great learning opportunity. What I was hoping to get out of it was: 1. Learn something new and 2. Meet some great people.
I joined the Strategy & Operations Sprint early 2022, and went on to complete the Product Sprint a few months later.
What other aspects of the community have you found helpful?
The coffee chats! I have met some amazing people through it and we still grab a virtual cup of coffee to catch up. There's great people who have helped me with resume review and job prep - and gave me a confidence boost. I was better prepared going in for interviews.
What should people who are thinking about joining The Commons know?
Do it. You learn a lot through the sprints and workshops, and you meet some solid people along the way.
Career Journey 🗺️
Tell us about your role at Techstars ⭐️
Company Overview: Techstars is an investment and innovation group that connects entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, and city governments to solve challenges across industries and geographies.
Your Role: Operations Associate
What Team You're On: Operations Team
Team Objective: The team is responsible for operational execution throughout the duration of the accelerator program as companies grow from early stage to venture-backed companies.
Throughout your career so far, what has driven you to pivot roles & industries?
I tend to go for roles where I don't know much about the industry, and I know I am absolutely going to be uncomfortable. For me, that is when I know I'll get to learn a lot and be forced outside of my comfort zone.
Any advice for people looking to land their next role?
Be patient. The market is tough, so don’t be too hard on yourself. It took me a year to find this role, so just keep at it. Remember to talk to people and more importantly chill, take a breather. The grind will be worth it when you find the right job for you.
I'm happy I had access to The Commons community along the way. A lot of people were kind enough to mentor me during the job search period (you know who you are!)
Something fun to end it off 🎉
✏️ Your fav place to source jobs: The Commons private #job-openings channel (you can check out their public Job Board here) and Otta
🎨 What you're doing outside of work: Netflixing with Kayo
🌟 A CEO or leader you admire: Ayesha Chundrigar who started a rescue foundation in Karachi, Pakistan that offers sanctuary to all animals
Ready to take the next step in your career? Apply to the Strategy + Operations Sprint to learn valuable skills for operations roles and learn from mentors who are rising stars in tech.
.svg){kind=small}
