vFairs Customer Success Manager
With a background in project management, relationship building, and a strong foundation in technology, I’ve had the privilege of working with diverse clients and teams across industries to ensure their success. My journey has taken me from serving clients in the technology sector to managing key accounts and fostering growth in the corporate world. My approach is centered around active listening, understanding unique needs, and collaborating with stakeholders to craft tailored solutions. I believe in the power of data-driven decision-making, and my experiences have honed my ability to identify challenges, develop strategies, and drive results. Throughout my career, I’ve consistently achieved high customer satisfaction and retention rates by advocating for clients’ interests and championing their success. My goal is to leverage my expertise and passion for customer success to make a meaningful impact, fostering lasting relationships and driving growth for both customers and organizations.
vFairs Project Manager
Ali is a tech enthusiast and project manager who thrives on bringing ideas to life through innovative technology. With experience managing virtual events and tackling creative projects like running a successful Minecraft server, Ali blends technical know-how with a knack for teamwork and leadership. Passionate about gaming and esports, Ali also enjoys playing football and is always ready to take on new challenges. Whether it’s finding creative solutions or exploring fresh ideas, Ali loves collaborating with others to make an impact.
Session and Q&A Moderator
Anagha Todalbagi is a Product Manager at Microsoft with a Master's degree from Cornell University and an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Engineering from India, and several years of experience as a software engineer. At Microsoft, she leverages her technical expertise and passion for building cloud solutions. She currently works on the products: Azure SQL database and Fabric. She has previously worked at various startups and enjoys learning. She pays it forward by speaking at tech conferences/events (https://bit.ly/conference-tech-talks) and mentoring at The Mentoring Club. She is excited to share her perspectives on Leadership and Generative AI!
Linkedin: Anagha Todalbagi | LinkedIn
Evaluation and Improvement Lead
Arnold Pedrigal is a seasoned IT professional with over 30 years of experience working with Silicon Valley Fortune 100 companies and leading industrial organizations. His expertise spans software engineering, web development, systems architecture, database design, project management, and business systems analysis. With a strong track record of implementing global applications, managing cross-functional teams, and driving stakeholder engagement, Arnold is known for his problem-solving skills, organizational abilities, and effective communication.
In addition to his IT background, Arnold has extensive experience in TV and digital media production, including audio-visual editing, production, and live streaming. He is a lifelong learner, currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Analytics from Georgia Institute of Technology. As part of The Mentoring Club's Data Analytics team, Arnold leverages his technical and analytical expertise to provide actionable insights that align with the organization's goals and mission.
Session Moderator
With a Bachelor’s degree in IT Management and several years of experience in the restaurant industry, Biswa brings a unique blend of technical expertise and operational insight. His career has been shaped by a strong foundation in team leadership, customer service, and process optimization, which I complement with a keen understanding of technology’s role in driving business efficiency and growth. As an entrepreneur at heart, he is always looking for innovative solutions to enhance performance and create value. Committed to lifelong learning, he has embraced opportunities as a mentee and volunteer in the The Mentoring Club, supporting the development of others while furthering his own professional growth.
Media Editor, Technology Team Lead
Breene started as a Test Technician with Ampex, Sony Broadcast and Compression Labs.
Breene grew into a Manufacturing Engineer position at Cisco Systems and Brocade Communications.
Breene is now retired, volunteering with the The Mentoring Club as a media editor and volunteering with KMVT-15 public access TV as part of their high school sports video crew. Other interests include travel+wildlife videography and being part of an amateur early music performance group as a flute player.
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Evaluation and Improvement Team
Program Manager | Software Engineer | Photographer | Travel Enthusiast
Daniel Nguyen is a Program Manager for The Mentoring Club, where he leads initiatives to inspire leadership and foster growth within the community. A Bay Area native, he graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, equipping him with a solid foundation in technical problem-solving and software development. Daniel started his career as a software engineer before transitioning into program management, where he now combines his technical expertise with a passion for driving impactful projects.
In addition to his work, Daniel is a professional photographer and an avid traveler, having explored 30 countries in just two years. His global experiences and passion for connecting with others fuel his commitment to building a more empathetic and collaborative future through mentorship, innovation, and volunteering.
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Program Management Lead
Darya Taheri is an experienced Product and Program Manager with a proven track record of leading SaaS initiatives and managing complex, cross-functional programs. Skilled at aligning strategy with execution, she excels in delivering customer-focused solutions through Agile methodologies.
About a year ago, Darya discovered The Mentoring Club and realized the profound power of mentorship, community, and giving back. This experience has positively impacted her life in countless ways, and she often reflects on how transformative it would have been to find such a community earlier in her journey.
Beyond her professional expertise, Darya is a passionate well-being advocate, certified in Anat Baniel’s NeuroMovement and Donna Eden’s Energy Medicine, specializing in neuroplasticity and energy balance. In her spare time, she practices Cleargreen’s Tensegrity Magical Movements to quiet the mind, release old habits, and unlock the often-neglected potential of human resilience and growth amidst life’s stresses.
Darya’s LinkedIn: Darya Taheri | LinkedIn
Session and Q&A Moderator
Deepak works in People & Culture at UC Berkeley’s Human Resources Department—People & Organization Development. He has 11 years of experience facilitating training and professional development, including conferences, presentations, and webinars. He also has experience in student affairs, including but not limited to career development, student organization leadership development, and fundraising.
Technology Team
Ian McNabb is a volunteer for The Mentoring Club and CSix Connect with a Ph.D. from Peking University in Beijing, China having studied Nebular Physics. Currently, at CSix Connect, he provides technical and administrative support for the networking nonprofit to help job seekers in transition or looking for their next step in their respective fields. He previously worked at NASA Ames Research Center studying the chemistry of planetary nebulae. He is enthusiastic to help The Mentoring Club spread the message of leadership and the importance of mentoring. He also enjoys going on walks and exercising.
LinkedIn: Ian McNabb
Social Media Marketing Team
Jane Lourize Camba is a Visual Content Designer and Social Media Assistant at The Virtual Buzz.co, where she helps brands shine online through eye-catching visuals and engaging social media content that genuinely connects with audiences. Outside of her professional work, she volunteers at The Mentoring Club, demonstrating her commitment to community impact.
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Creative Design and Digital Marketing Team
Stephen is a brand and web design expert who is passionate for good, accessible design that tells stories. With a background in media marketing and IT, he's worked with industry experts in the last 10 years. He founded Ilustre Digital Co., a web design agency, with aims of breaking global barriers and providing accessible services to both the local and international community.
In the last decade, he's dabbled in several multi-media roles including, short filmmaking, fashion reporting, editorials, and brand design & strategy.
As a motivated individual he continues to tap into international markets to showcase Filipino talent and to motivate fellow peers into the potentials found in tech and AI.
He believes in giving back, and as a volunteer for The Mentoring Club, he hopes that others may get inspired and value the importance of mentorship and the community as a whole.
On weekends, he enjoys mountaineering and cycling.
Salesforce Administration Team
Experienced Salesforce Administrator with a strong background in marketing management. Skilled in customizing, process automation, user experience, and data management. Specialties: Salesforce Admin, Platform App Building, Marketing. Currently pursuing a nursing to build a strong foundation for becoming a Salesforce-certified Health Cloud Administrator.
Salesforce Administration Team
Krishnaveni (Veni) is a Salesforce Administrator, specializing in aligning Salesforce operations with business and compliance needs, including SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) standards and Segregation of Duties (SOD) principles. Skilled in Salesforce Org setup, email blast coordination, donor management system updates, and report generation to ensure data integrity and security. Proficient in Salesforce Lightning, Quip, and process mapping to automate workflows and enforce compliance protocols. Additionally, she brings over six years of mentoring experience in Java, data structures, and algorithms, guiding high school students in building impactful projects such as a community app, underscoring my dual strengths in technical instruction and secure system administration.
Founder and CEO of The Mentoring Club
Liesel lives for helping people. After three fulfilling decades of supporting managers and leaders solve business problems through information technology solutions, Liesel set out to assist people find their path to meaningful work and become purpose-driven leaders. She believes doing meaningful work leads to success and happiness. And she believes mentors play a crucial role in this process. She founded The Mentoring Club, Inc. to provide a mentoring community for aspiring as well as seasoned leaders in the workforce. By establishing a global platform, The Mentoring Club has the bold intent of changing the world, one leader at a time by providing a mentor for anyone who needs a mentor anywhere in the world. The community has about 500 mentors and mentees from 6 continents and over 50 countries.
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Collaborative Visual Facilitator
Mary Smith, Co-Founder of Manresa Collaboration, LLC, and Founder of Breath of Life Center, is a collaborator at heart, dedicated to creating spaces where teams and individuals can share perspectives, work through challenges, and align on meaningful solutions.
Through her work at Manresa Collaboration, she helps organizations brainstorm ideas, uncover new possibilities, and develop actionable strategies. As a seasoned Visual Facilitator and Live Illustrator, Mary captures key themes and insights in real-time, making conversations more engaging and outcomes more tangible.
In addition to her corporate and team-focused work, Mary guides women to become leaders in their personal lives, empowering them to unlock their potential, navigate challenges, and take charge of their unique journeys.
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UX Designer
Nadia Erokhina. I am a UX designer (last 17+ years) which means I love to translate implicit problems (mainly created by engineers), assumptions (produced by managers), expectations (from beloved customers) into visual elements (all sorts of). That path led me from Siberia to California where I have been working in startups, HPE, Google and now found my tribe - The Mentoring Club. It would be useful if you need to destructure the opportunity you face into "knowns", "unknowns" and experiments to test that.
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Social Media Marketing Team
Nadj Zaragoza is the Founder of The Virtual Buzz.Co, where she serves as a Buzz Cultivator, creating excitement around content marketing and social media to turn engagement into business growth for her agency, personal businesses, and client brands. Passionate about mentoring and leadership development, Nadj has evolved from mentee to social media marketing consultant at The Mentoring Club, paying forward the guidance she once received.
Q&A Moderator
Nethaji Kapavarapu is a seasoned software engineering professional with over two decades of extensive experience in designing and implementing cutting-edge technology solutions for both public and private sector organizations. With expertise spanning software development, cloud technologies, project management, and enterprise architecture, Nethaji has established himself as a leader in delivering impactful and innovative solutions.
Nethaji has made significant contributions to both public and private sectors in the USA, including his work with the Florida Prepaid College Board and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. His technical prowess spans a wide array of domains, from Salesforce CRM development and Java/J2EE platforms to cloud technologies and DevOps practices.
Nethaji holds a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science and Information Technology, a foundation that propelled him toward his impressive career and holds multiple professional certifications, including Project Management Professional (PMP), Multiple Salesforce Certifications, and Certified ScrumMaster (CSM). He is also a patent holder, recognized for his innovation in graphical display systems for data storage. He is also a member of prestigious organizations like IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and the Project Management Institute (PMI).
He is a Fellow of the International Association of Engineering and Management Education. His leadership philosophy emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and lifelong learning, making him a sought-after speaker and industry thought leader.
Digital Marketing Team
Nkiruka Ginika Atueyi is a skilled digital marketer from Nigeria, dedicated to harnessing the power of online platforms to drive impact. With a passion for innovative marketing strategies, Nkiruka brings a data-driven approach and creativity to her work, delivering effective digital marketing solutions that drive real results.
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Session and Q&A Moderator
With over 17 years of extensive experience in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Oil and Gas industries, Oghenovo Dafiadje is a seasoned professional currently serving as a Principal Project Engineer at Shell Nigeria. In this role, Oghenovo is responsible for the successful delivery of a diverse portfolio of projects, demonstrating a proven track record of driving results in complex environments. Oghenovo’s expertise is not only rooted in technical proficiency but also in strategic project management, making him a valuable asset in the energy sector.
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Creative Design and Digital Marketing Team
Ria Cariño is a dynamic professional passionate about driving innovation in the digital space. With a background in digital marketing, Ria has built a strong operations and project management foundation, consistently delivering results through creative problem-solving and strategic thinking. Known for a collaborative approach and strong leadership, Ria thrives in environments where cross-functional teams work together to turn ideas into actionable solutions.
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Session and Q&A Moderator
Rukevwe Agbro is a skilled professional with years of expertise in IT project management and a certified PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner. Based in the UK, she has an outstanding ability to deliver projects on time and within budget, alongside a proven record in stakeholder management, problem-solving, and implementing innovative solutions.
As a passionate trainer, mentor, and coach, Rukevwe has trained and guided over 2,000 individuals transitioning into the IT sector, equipping them with the skills and confidence to succeed. An avid AI enthusiast, she is committed to helping others
leverage technology to unlock their potential and achieve their goals.
With her dedication to leadership and mentorship, Rukevwe is also a dynamic speaker who inspires transformative growth and empowers individuals and organizations to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
Session and Q&A Moderator
Rupinder Grewal is an active CPA, with a background of financial statement audit and revenue accounting & forecasting. Currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rupinder has a proven track record in leadership, complex data analytics, and operational excellence, with a strong ability to drive organizational development and effectively manage diverse teams.
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Program Management Team, Software Quality Assurance
Safitri Shelton is a passionate and versatile professional with a diverse background in software development, quality assurance, and AI training. She has a proven track record of leveraging her technical expertise and problem-solving skills to deliver impactful results. Beyond her professional roles, Safitri is deeply committed to giving back to the community through her volunteer work with The Mentoring Club, where she is actively involved in organizing the LeadForward Summit 2025, and as a code mentor for Code The Dream, helping aspiring developers refine their skills and achieve their goals. Passionate about learning, collaboration, and leadership, she combines her technical knowledge and dedication to inspire and empower others, creating a meaningful impact in both her professional and volunteer endeavors.
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Session Moderator
Shilpa Vora is an accomplished software entrepreneur diligently working on herstartup in the AI and Fintech space. Shilpa is highly skilled in leading teams to accomplish the impossible and regularly makes "save the company" type contributions. Additionally Shilpa sits on the Board of Hacker Dojo, a space where startups from the world over come to launch.
Session Moderator
Steve Rivera-Rodriguez works as a Project Business Analyst for an Industrial Construction company. He is originally from Puerto Rico. Currently, he is living in San Antonio, Texas.
He is a mentee at the Mentoring Club, Inc. In the past he volunteered, helping design the website.
Previously, he worked on a project as Project Manager in a prosthetic technology startup.
During COVID19, he was focused on his first venture, a software startup.
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Salesforce Administration Team
I am 3X Salesforce-certified and work as a Technical Support Engineer at Propel Software, specializing in troubleshooting and optimization. I also volunteer at The Mentoring Club, where I contribute my expertise in assisting with Salesforce-related projects. I also manage a music school where I teach Indian Classical music.
