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"I had to make a decision because I knew that if nothing changed, I was just gonna fail out of EECS. I remember EECS actually sent me a letter where they were like, 'Hey, if your GPA continues this low, you will be kicked out next semester.'"
In part one of our conversation with Alfredo Andere, we delve into his journey from Mexico to the prestigious EECS program at UC Berkeley. Alfredo shares his early fascination with technology, the challenges of adapting to a new educational system, and the pivotal moments that shaped his academic and personal growth.
Raised in various cities across Mexico, Alfredo's passion for technology was sparked by reading biographies of tech leaders like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. His entrepreneurial spirit emerged early when he organized a forum that attracted high-profile speakers, including former Mexican presidents, to his all-boys Catholic high school. Despite initial struggles with calculus at Berkeley, Alfredo's determination and commitment to his studies ultimately led to his success in the competitive EECS program.
Key topics covered:

• Upbringing in Mexico: Moving between cities and experiencing different cultures
• Early tech inspiration: Impact of reading biographies and following Apple keynotes
• High school innovation: Creating a forum with 4,000 attendees and notable speakers
• Transition to US education: Challenges of applying to and choosing Berkeley
• Academic resilience: Overcoming initial struggles in EECS through intense dedication

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Subscribe to the podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ 
Find our guest, Alfredo Andere, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfredoandere/Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latchbio/
Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about ExcedrLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Resources and articles:AWS (Amazon Web Services): https://aws.amazon.com/AstraZeneca: https://www.astrazeneca.com/GCP (Google Cloud Platform): https://cloud.google.com/ EVO https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6589126/AlphaFold 2: https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/Dyno Therapeutics: https://www.dynotx.com/Bulk RNA-seq: https://www.scdiscoveries.com/support/what-is-bulk-rna-sequencing/
Companies, universities, & people mentioned:Apple: https://www.apple.com/LatchBio: https://latch.bio/UC Berkeley: https://www.berkeley.edu/
Uri Levine: https://il.linkedin.com/in/uri-levineFelipe Calderon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felipe-calderon-9b104a23/?originalSubdomain=mxVicente Fox: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincente-fox-president/?originalSubdomain=mx
Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:50 Alfredo's upbringing in Mexico and early influences05:24 Reading biographies of tech leaders and early inspirations08:09 Developing interest in technology and Apple11:51 High school experience in Mexico15:40 The importance of relationships in Mexican business culture20:10 Creating a forum that attracted high-profile speakers23:13 The power of persistence and networking27:10 Application process to US universities and choosing Berkeley31:22 First experiences at Berkeley and academic challenges35:14 Struggling with calculus and the pivotal decision to commit35:39 OutroThe Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.