cuSTEM Journeys

In this episode of the cuSTEM journeys podcast engineer turned investment banker, Dominic Smith, explains how his engineering background has helped him have a successful career in investment banking.In this episode, we review how much money investment bankers make, the day in the life of an investment banker, the value of an MBA, and more.Dominic also details his experience as a Math major at Morehouse College (HBCU), and why he decided to originally pursue an Engineering career. After workin...

Chef Keesha O'Galdez is an Engineer turned Chef. Since being laid off during the 2008 financial crisis, Chef Keesha has gone on to become a successful Culinary Entrepreneur, and was recently featured on Food Network's hit show "Chopped". In this episode of the cuSTEM journeys podcast we talk with Chef Keesha about her journey from Engineer to Culinary Entrepreneur. In addition to providing advice for aspiring Entrepreneurs, Chef Keesha discusses how much money you can make as a personal ...

In this interview of the cuSTEM journeys podcast, Anna Selser breaks down her journey from engineer to brand marketing manager. After majoring in Biomedical Engineering at Case University (Cleveland, Ohio), Anna worked as Sales Engineer before returning to school for an MBA. Since graduating with an MBA, Anna has become a successful brand marketing manager for Red Bull. In this clip Anna describes a day in the life of a brand marketing manager, the benefits of getting a MBA, the exp...

We are beginning Black History month by featuring one of the original founding members of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), George Smith. In this interview, we discuss how NSBE was created.Mr. Smith shares how the guidance of Dr. Arthur Bond was instrumental to the creation and success of NSBE. He also discusses what inspired him to pursue Engineering, imposter syndrome, and how we can increase the number of Black students within Engineering.Be sure to like, comment, and subscri...

In this episode, Lee Arnold breaks down how he was able to transition from being a Teacher in HISD to becoming a Scrum Master and Project Manager. After getting a Scrum Master certification, Lee attended Digital Crafts coding bootcamp where he gained the skills to help him be a successful Scrum Master for C Panel.Every week we highlight successful Black and Latino STEM professionals. Be sure to subscribe to subscribe to our channel to keep up with each episode.

In this episode of the cuSTEM journeys podcast we interview Mechanical Engineer turned Coding Bootcamp instructor Veronica Lino. During this interview we chat with Veronica about her journey from being a NASA engineer to a coding bootcamp instructor for Digital Crafts.We also get Veronica's thoughts on the following:1. The pros and cons of doing a Coding Bootcamp vs Self Taught2. How to Choose the Best Bootcamp For You3. Coding Proficiency After Completing a Bootcamp4. Typical Starting Salary...

In this episode Clarissa Hernandez breaks down how she accomplished her dream job of being an Engineer at Disney World. In order to get her foot in the door, Clarissa first interned at Disney World as a Custodian. She then went on to intern as an Engineer at Disney World, but didn't receive an offer to return as a full-time employee. After working at Universal Studios for nearly 5 years, and working at Atlas Lens Co. for 2 years, she finally received her opportunity to work as a Qua...

This episode features the Senior Product Designer for CONVOZ, Dave Giles II. Before working for CONVOZ, Dave was a History grad from the University of Washington St. Louis, worked for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) in D.C., did design work for Macys.com, worked for ESSENCE, and worked as a freelance designer.In this episode Dave walks us through his Tech journey and details the different lessons he's learned from each position.In addition to being a successful designer, Dave i...

In this episode, we chat with Joél Ramirez, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Quirk Chat, and discussed his journey through tech. Since completing a Coding Bootcamp a few years ago, Joél has had a meteoric rise through Tech. In this episode, he talks about the highs and lows of his journey, including being laid off by one of his previous employers. He also provides a ton of advice including:1. How to pick the best coding bootcamp2. Expected starting salary of a software enginee...

This week's interview features Brandi Utria, the Senior Vice President of Gig Wage. Brandi is truly an inspiration for others. During our chat she discusses the challenges that she faced as a teenage Mom after giving birth to her daughter at 17 years old. She also provides a wealth of knowledge about knowledge related to professional development, negotiating your salary, how to pivot to Tech, and navigating workplace cultures as a Woman of color.Gig Wage is a payment processing company t...