0:00
Dom, tell us a few words about you, what you work on, etc. Yeah.
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0:04
So, I am director of events at YC.
0:08
Um, I basically do all of our public-facing, large-scale events.
0:09
So, anything from demo days, the female founders conferences, our outreach tours, um, and then also just most recently work at a startup, and then several things in between. Awesome.
0:19
Uh, so, how did you get started in events and, you know, working at YC?
0:24
Was this sort of a planned path or have you been figuring out it out as you go? Yeah.
0:30
Um, I would say I've been figuring it out as I go.
0:32
Um, I have more so a jumpy, uh, background.
0:35
So, originally I was planning to go to school to become an attorney.
0:40
And I would say like about a week before I was supposed to apply to law school, um, I definitely just changed my mind.
0:45
I was working at an entertainment law firm at the time, and I just figured out that it just wasn't something that I wanted to do.
0:52
And I told myself that I wanted to plan tech events.
0:55
And at the time, I had no clue what that even meant.
0:56
Like, what does that mean?
0:58
You want to plan tech events? I didn't know.
1:00
I just knew I wasn't going to law school.
1:01
So, I moved back from Atlanta.
1:04
Um, I went to Clark Atlanta University, and I moved back from Atlanta home to Oakland.
1:07
And from there, I was just working at a law firm during the day from 9:00 to 5:00, and then at lunchtime, I would actually sleep in my car, and then after work, I would go to my family's club, Me Lounge, and I would run that at nighttime.
1:20
And then I would do that same thing every day over and over and over until I found a job that would allow me to do events.
1:28
So, I ended up at Frog Design, um, as an office manager, and they allowed me to do events at like South by Southwest and different hackathons.
1:33
So, from there, I was able to create a portfolio and make sure that I was marketing myself as an events person.
1:39
And, um, from there, YC found me. That's awesome.
1:42
I love that and that it you sort of like hacked getting into it.
1:48
Uh, I want to jump back to, you know, your sort of deviation from going to law school for a second.
1:53
Um, you know, you said you changed your mind a week before you went.
2:00
Like what was that process like?
2:00
You know, how how long did it take to make the final decision that you were going to make that change?
2:10
Yeah, well I would say it took me quite a while of course because I waited that late to go and change my mind.
2:18
But honestly I was definitely afraid.
2:20
This was one thing that I knew like my entire life I wanted to do.
2:21
Just that's the only thing I knew I was going to be an attorney.
2:25
I was going to be an attorney.
2:26
That's the only thing that everyone knew about me.
2:27
I was into fashion also I wanted to be an attorney.
2:30
So for me to just have that feeling inside of me just thinking like wow I just really really don't want to do this and I know that if I don't do it I'm going to be disappointing so many people.
2:39
I was really really hurt and afraid and also I didn't know how to explain what I wanted to do at the time.
2:46
So it just came down to a simple call.
2:46
I basically just called my mom and I told her I was like hey you know like I do not want to be an attorney and I'm going to move home and I'm going to plan tech events.
2:56
And she's like great, where are you going to live? And I was like what? I have a room.
3:01
Like my high school room. It's still there. I'm sure it's there.
3:06
And so that was a learning experience for me too.
3:10
But I would say that it was the best decision I ever made because if I didn't make that jump or take that step then I would probably end up doing things that I I'm not like I have no enjoyment of.
3:20
Like and right now I'm like super passionate about events and I always will be. That's awesome.
3:25
And so how did you know it was tech events, you know? Yeah, odd story.
3:28
So when people would get dropped off at the mall like in high school or junior high or whatever, I would get dropped off at RadioShack.
3:38
And and I it's it's really weird but I loved RadioShack.
3:42
I loved seeing how things worked.
3:44
I loved taking things apart.
3:46
And then at some point I started to like walk around the store and act as if I was working there which was weird at first, but then like the the manager wanted to hire me.
3:54
So, I've always just been interested in how things work.
3:58
And so, I knew that that was always a part of tech, but I I had no idea that tech would blow like this. Mhm. Yeah. Totally.
4:03
And so, um you know, did it feel like making that transition, did it feel super scary, or you just sort of went for it, or how did you sort of get your start?
4:14
Yeah, it felt very scary, especially because my entire background had nothing to do with events. Mhm.
4:20
But also, it had everything to do with events.
4:21
So, um my professional background didn't have any event planning experience, but my personal background was I was always the one bringing everyone together.
4:29
Um I was the one the one doing the events for my sorority in college.
4:32
Um Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Sigma Chapter.
4:35
And um I've just always been a part of events, and I've always loved the little details of it.
4:41
So, and on one side of my brain, you know, people are left-sided and right-sided, and I would say that I'm both.
4:45
Um like I'm really serious about the details, but also like the creative side is what drives me. Very cool.
4:49
And so, I have one sort of funny question, but uh so, is like what are the big differences creating an event for like in a club context versus uh a tech context?
5:02
I mean, I think we can think of some obvious ones, but are there any sort of funny, interesting ones? Um let's see.
5:06
I would say the main thing is the target audience. Yeah. Of course.
5:13
Uh for clubs, you kind of just want anybody there.
5:15
Like you want someone to show up. You need that number.
5:17
And for YC and for tech events, it's all about the quality and who we have come to the events and then the outcome of it.
5:23
Um and the outcome of the club is just like how much money did we make? And can we make more? Yes, for sure. Yeah, yeah.
5:30
So, that sort of leads me into my next question, which is uh about outreach.
5:35
So, you know, I know that you think a lot about who is actually attending these events, and and you um have sort of taken on uh supporting YC's outreach efforts uh particularly with black students and in the black communities, and I'd love to hear more about sort of how you think about that and and also the work you're doing. Yeah.
5:55
Um so, I would say well, right now or in the past couple of years, um I've worked with Code 2040.
6:01
Um I've given scholarships with Team Arsenal, um Bay Area Seminoles, and then also my church, New Life Community Membership Church.
6:07
And basically, what I've done is try to think about things that I've learned at YC that I had no idea about and that I could have known just from being in the area.
6:20
So, what's happening right now in Silicon Valley is there's all these different companies and all this different information and all these different people coming out of this space.
6:26
Well, right in the backyard is Oakland, and there's people that have no idea what's going on.
6:31
And not that they're not brilliant people or that they can't do those things, but they just have no no access to it, and they don't know.
6:39
So, the things that I've been learning, I've just been learning to like start pretty small, and that's just basically teaching people exactly like, "Oh, well, you know, what is Silicon Valley? What does tech mean? What is a startup?
6:49
What's a startup versus a small business?
6:51
You know, how can I get involved in that?"
6:52
And I think that starting small is something that you need to do in order to go larger.
6:56
So, I've worked with Oakland Public School Districts in doing like different like career weeks and teaching them all about YC and startups.
7:03
And then also, um I've also worked with um Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Bay Area, um kind of just ushering them into the space.
7:13
And then one thing that I was super proud about that um I was very passionate about was bringing in the Raiders.
7:18
So, I met with them and I got them to come to like some of our startup schools to like learn how to invest in companies, and then also, um got them to come to our demo days so they can invest in companies themselves.
7:27
And I feel like you you have to start small, but also you have to use those people that are role models.
7:33
Like teach them first, and then they can like branch out and teach others as well. Oh, that's super smart. I really like that idea.
7:41
Um have the role been really receptive to the work you're doing or how have they been? Yeah.
7:46
Yeah. Yeah, they're super receptive and also I think they feel very comfortable with talking to me because um, I let them know and I I'm very upfront about this with everyone that I I had no idea what YC was or what it did or like anything about the startup space
8:00
and I kind of just dug into it and figured it out and of course I learned a lot from YC as well, but sometimes it's very intimidating when you're in um, this space and you feel like everyone knows so much and you don't know anything. So you tend to just like
8:11
So you tend to just like be shy or like kind of just like stand back or like stand in the shadows and not wanting to ask those kind of questions that could make you look or feel like you're less than.
8:18
Um, so I feel like they feel very comfortable with talking to me about things like that and um, it makes me feel good as well.
8:26
And then I'm I'm super honest.
8:26
I'm like, "Hey, if they ask me something that I don't know, I'm like, you know, I really don't know, but I could probably find someone that could answer that for you." That's awesome.
8:35
Yeah, being comfortable in saying when you don't know something is really hard, especially uh, like in a work context.
8:41
So, yeah, I I relate and understand completely. Very cool.
8:45
Um, and so are there any common misconceptions that pop up over and over with students or, you know, when you're meeting with people who don't really know about tech that you want to just get out there, get get people over?
9:01
Yeah, um, I think that the most common one is everyone thinks that you have to have like a particular background or like they have um, this this background that's like, "Oh, well, you went to you had to go to MIT or did you go to Harvard?
9:14
Or, you know, like, what's your what's your tech background?"
9:16
And honestly, like I do not have a tech background.
9:19
Um, I I created like a space for myself based off of the things that I was interested in and I think if people just like follow their own dreams and goals versus trying to follow a path that others have created, then um, then it'll work out.
9:33
it'll work out. And then also this misconception of there are no there are no women at YC, there are no black people at YC, there is no you know, there's all these things and it's like when I'm walking around with all these different people, it's like it's it's definitely very diverse and we're doing
9:48
everything that we can to possibly bring more people in, but I think it's also very important that I do things like this so people know that, you know, I am here and I am a voice and I'm helping out a lot and those are the two things that I think are the things that are like definitely a relic or misconception for sure. Got it, Got it, for sure.
10:06
And you you work with your university as well.
10:08
Tell me a little bit about that.
10:11
Yeah, so basically during the outreach tour we go to a bunch of different stops domestic and international and we host office hours, we do different talks and most recently I did um an outreach tour at Morehouse College which is basically right across the street from Clark Atlanta, it's a part of the AUC.
10:28
So, we did office hours there and then we did a talk there and I'm planning to go back um 2019 to do like an entire AUC tour.
10:34
Um I think it's very important that that everyone has access to all the information that there is this space and that there's other jobs that they can apply for.
10:43
Just everything's not all about being a doctor, a lawyer, a dentist and you know, engineer at this point.
10:50
Um you can be in tech and not be an engineer or not have a tech background. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah.
10:54
Um and so one of the things that I've been super impressed by, you know, as we've gotten to know each other at YC is just the way you sort of proactively identify you know, holes or problems that you see and they have nothing necessarily to do with your job, but you then just go tackle them.
11:16
You know, how do you think about that?
11:18
Is that something that is you have sort of you've built up the muscle for over time or you've thought about actively or tell me a little bit more about that.
11:28
I'll say that my total frame of thinking is totally different ever since I started at YC.
11:33
So now when I go about things, I'm always thinking about what's the problem I'm trying to fix here.
11:38
And that's Yeah, very YC like he's just like he has embedded this inside my brain.
11:43
I find myself like working on things.
11:45
When I first started I would work on things and be like like just working on it for so long.
11:49
And then he'd be like, "I'm sorry, but like what are you trying to fix here?"
11:52
And I'd be like well, I mean I I guess nothing.
11:55
I guess I guess I'm not trying to fix anything here.
12:00
So now I try to make sure when I'm am working on things or I'm looking for things that are broken to find those ways that I can fix them. Mhm. Yeah.
12:06
And how do you avoid feeling blocked by them?
12:10
Like as an employee I think sometimes people feel like oh there's a problem in my organization but I'm just one person, you know, I'm not a leader in the classic sort of terms.
12:22
Like how how do you go about sort of doing the things that you know are the right things to do and you know can help sort of fix problems and avoiding that?
12:32
Um I would say it's still very nerve-wracking and that's like a normal thing to feel I think in any role. Yeah.
12:38
Um but instead of thinking like oh I'm just one person, I think to myself I am the person.
12:45
So there has to always be one person to step out and do it for others to follow.
12:49
Everyone's not going to be that leader.
12:50
Um just like sometimes people ask like oh well how many you know, how many black people are at this company or how many black people are at that company.
12:57
And all the time you're not going to always get the answer that you want.
13:00
But how about you be that person and then others will follow you. Yeah, for sure.
13:03
Have do you feel like you've started to see the work you're doing make a difference in terms of like, you know, uh folks you've talked to going and trying out tech or like applying to YC or things like that or how's that been going? Yeah, definitely.
13:17
Um I feel like so last year this past year I did um three female founders conferences, one in New York, one in Seattle, and one in San Francisco.
13:27
And the one in New York was amazing. I'm I'm sorry.
13:30
Love Seattle, love San Francisco. Love it. Love it.
13:33
But the one in New York was so diverse. Like it was crazy.
13:36
And I remember Jessica came up to me she was like, "Wow, Dom."
13:39
She was like, "Look at all these different kinds of people here."
13:42
And I was like, "I know."
13:43
And I was just standing back and I was looking at the room and I was like, "Wow. Like I really did that."
13:46
You know, it's like you work on things for so long and you're always thinking about the future. What's your next step? What's your next step?
13:54
But you never kind of like sit there and like kind of flourish and just realize what you're doing and what you're working on now and how it's and how the outcome has affected people. Yeah. So, um yeah. It feels good. Yeah, that's awesome. Good work. Thank you.
14:07
Um do you take time to sort of stop and reflect and think about how things are going or how do you incorporate that into uh your life?
14:17
Um honestly, I haven't and that's bad.
14:20
That's not That's not good. I don't suggest that. Yeah.
14:23
Um so, I just keep I kind of just like keep going and going and going going.
14:26
Of course I know like when my stopping point is.
14:29
Like I know when it's time for self-care.
14:31
I know when it's time to just like kind of fall back and take a break.
14:35
Um but it wasn't until recently like I just listed out all of the events that I've done and when I see them and the people that I've worked with and I was just like, "What What? Like who is this person? Like who is this girl?"
14:44
Like so, um I've just recently started to do that and I think I'll do it more. That's awesome.
14:50
Yeah, I think making those like very positive lists about the things that you've accomplished is really I find also really useful cuz I don't do it naturally either.
14:58
So, um and so do you have a like a plan for your career about where you want to go and what you want to do or are you sort of figuring it out as you go?
15:09
I'm sort of I'm just figuring it out because this was my like end goal.
15:14
Like I wanted to be like an event planner like for the top tech company. Like that was my thing.
15:19
I'm going to be an event planner for the top tech company.
15:20
And now I just feel like I you know I'm there and I'm I'm definitely making a difference and doing things and there's only there's so many like ways of creativity that I can change my role here.
15:32
Um but right now I don't know like I have no idea what's next.
15:35
Um I think that the only clear option here is to work for Beyoncé.
15:42
I I I don't know I don't know what else would come after this. Sounds pretty cool. That's awesome.
15:48
And so do you do you I put any pressure on yourself to have like know those things or you know sort of play it by ear? I used to.
15:56
That was a huge thing for me in college and even before college like in high school like being pressured to figure out like figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life. Pick a major right now.
16:04
Like get these scholarships, you know, but it's not about that.
16:08
I think it's about figuring out as you go and I've learned that I've accomplished a lot more without putting those certain constraints on like my career because at that time I was just only going and moving towards that specific direction.
16:20
But now there's all these different areas, directions, like I can just literally like do you can do whatever you want to do.
16:26
It's just about like how you use your time and I don't want to limit myself to just one different area or like where to go.
16:33
That's why I'm not interested in grad school. Got it.
16:38
And do you think you'll ever do a startup?
16:42
You know I never thought I would before YC but I find myself like creating all types of startups in my mind.
16:50
And if there was a startup that could create startups, then I would go to that startup to make my startup.
16:55
I think you're at the subject of creating a startup. I think you're there. Okay, maybe maybe. I don't know. I don't know. We'll see. We'll see. Very cool, very cool.
17:04
Um and so I um you know talking a little bit more about like you're obviously super busy and you've taken on a lot. How do you balance it?
17:15
How do you avoid burnout?
17:17
You know, what is your practice for Yeah.
17:20
Um I think that well, it it also helps that I create the YC calendar, the events calendar, so that helps that helps like kind of spacing things out.
17:30
Um it's important to know like when you can't do any more.
17:34
Um I I feel like when you when you continue to work and you're burnt out like you're not offering the best of the work that you can do and then the outcome of it is not the best.
17:43
So, what I do is after each event I do like a staycation or I go out of town.
17:47
Like everyone knows like I love I love traveling, so like that's my thing.
17:51
Um but I can do anything from oh, I'm I'm away.
17:55
I'm staying in a treehouse.
17:55
Like oh, now I'm staying in a yurt or now I'm going to be sleeping on the beach. I don't know.
18:00
But but it's good it's good to just like get away and shut off and just kind of like just refresh and replenish cuz you can never be successful while you're like running on the go go go go go and burnt out and that's one thing that I really appreciate about YC is like, you know, they respect like how I work and like they know like that's that's the way that I I can do it and that's the only way that things are going to get done. So, Yeah. That's pretty cool.
18:26
Do you like when you're on those trips, when you're reflecting and refreshing, are you reflecting also on the work you've been doing or do you like put that somewhere else for later?
18:36
Yeah, I don't think about work at all while I'm there.
18:39
So, I try to just shut off completely.
18:41
So, the things that I'm thinking about are okay, where do I see myself in 10 years or um maybe I want to learn how to, you know, do aerial dancing.
18:52
Maybe I should just join Cirque du Soleil. I don't know.
18:56
Like so, I'm thinking about all the things that I never get a chance to think about while I'm um while I'm working cuz I don't think that people understand or realize we run a like really small close-knit team and I and I appreciate that about YC, but I think that people feel like or think like we have this entire events team and they don't realize that I I am the team.
19:14
There is no An events team of one. Right, exactly.
19:18
So, a lot of my brain is dedicated to events and it it really shuts off.
19:23
So, when I do go away and I am like not working, it's it's it's kind of difficult to shut it off.
19:28
Like I I I'm constantly thinking about events.
19:31
Like it can never just go away, but I would say while I'm out, I think about it less. That sounds good. Yeah.
19:38
And when you're on these trips, like you know, are you checking email? Do you totally cut off? How do you do it?
19:46
I would say and and my friends would tell you I never totally cut off. Yeah.
19:50
I'm like 75 80% cut off, but there's always that moment like my phone goes off and I have an instinct to like just grab it because I need to know who's emailing me. I'm addicted. I need to see.
20:03
But it's it's a really good feeling when I do finally just shut it off.
20:04
Like I can go a day, maybe.
20:06
I can't I feel like I can't go longer than a day without just shutting off.
20:10
Um, but I would say I don't respond as frequently as I would during my shutdown time. Your shutdown time. Yeah, yeah. During my shutdown.
20:19
And is there anything any parting words before we go that you want to share? Um, yeah.
20:23
Um, I just want people to know that um, it doesn't really matter like how small or how big you start, but I think the main point is to just start. Like do something.
20:35
Whatever it is you want to do. I mean, I don't know.
20:36
You could be wanting to learn how to fly a kite.
20:38
You could be wanting to be the next president, not sure, but just start somewhere.
20:44
I think like the longer you wait, you start doubting yourself more and more and more and those doubts and fears stop you from who you are truly supposed to be. So, just start wherever.
20:55
Whatever Wherever that is for you, just do that. Yeah, big or small. Yeah. Good advice. Thanks, Tom. Thanks. Mhm.