Frisco Chamber of Commerce

Mentors

Experience the Power of Mentorship: Connect with Frisco's Best and Brightest

Welcome to the Frisco Chamber of Commerce Mentor Program! Our program connects high school and college students, as well as young professionals, with experienced business leaders who can provide guidance and support on their career journey.

Available Mentors

Click to view:       Students         Internships 

Mentor

Indravadan Patel
Area of Expertise:

With nearly 20 years in the IT industry, I bring a robust background in software design, architecture, and development across both Waterfall and Agile methodologies. My expertise spans software engineering, database design, project management, system integration, and process reengineering. As a skilled Tech PM, I am adept at streamlining operations, optimizing team performance, and driving customer satisfaction and revenue growth.

Technical Leadership & Architecture: Proficient in designing solutions that balance system performance, user experience, cost-efficiency, and future flexibility.
Project Management & Business Analysis: Extensive experience in coordinating teams, developing project plans, and performing cost-benefit and ROI analyses.
Data Science & Emerging Technologies: Expertise in statistical analysis, machine learning, data visualization, and cloud technologies.
Hands-on Development & DevOps: Proficient in front-end (Angular, React) and back-end technologies (Java, Python, Spring Boot), as well as DevOps tools like Jenkins, Terraform, Docker, and Kubernetes.
Industry Knowledge: Significant experience in insurance, mortgage, asset management domains.
Education & Certifications

Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS)
Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology (BEIT)
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
Life Office Management Association (LOMA) I & II
Research Contributions
Published works include studies on association rule mining, information spread modeling in social media, multi-agent route planning, and market basket analysis, which demonstrate his analytical and innovative thinking.

Status: High School Student, College Student, Other
Availability: Open
Contact: indravadan81@gmail.com

Mentor

MD TARIQUZZAMAN
Area of Expertise:

As the Founder and CEO of RentYard Inc., I bring over a decade of experience as a Senior Web Developer combined with a deep passion for entrepreneurship. My journey has equipped me with a unique blend of technical expertise and business acumen, enabling me to assist new founders in transforming their ideas into successful ventures. Currently, I also serve as a startup mentor at The DEC Network in Dallas.

I specialize in guiding entrepreneurs through the crucial early stages of their startups, from business formation to developing Minimum Viable Products (MVPs). My focus is on integrating technology with business strategies to create sustainable, scalable solutions. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to implement technology into an existing business, I provide mentorship that streamlines processes, optimizes resources, and positions your venture for growth.

I am passionate about sharing my knowledge with the next generation of founders, helping them navigate the startup ecosystem and avoid common pitfalls. As a mentor, I aim to inspire, educate, and empower entrepreneurs to bring their visions to life.

Status: Other
Availability: Open
Contact: tariq@rentyard.net

Mentor

Dhaval Sahija
Area of Expertise:

Area of Expertise: Business Consulting; Management, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, Digital Transformation, GotoMarket Strategy, Marketing 

 

Status: Other
Availability: Open
Contact: dgsahija@gmail.com

Mentor

Jeff Craig
Status: High School Student, College Student
Availability: Open
Contact: jeffc.runner@gmail.com

Mentor

Jeff Craig
Area of Expertise:

Marketing and Sales. Nearly 40 years experience developing sales teams, client/customer relationships, marketing and sales plans/strategies for growing a business’ top and bottom line. Experience with products, software and services to small, medium and F500 companies/organizations. Specifically, how to organize and plan a marketing / sales approach that differentiates your message/offerings and can be adopted by your marketing/sales teams.

Status: High School Student, College Student
Availability: Open
Contact: jeffc.runner@gmail.com

Mentor

Krishna
Area of Expertise:

around 40 years Expertise in Managing Business in diversified industry segments across the globe specially with US / EU/ Asian Businesses. Foused into Manufacturing Operations driving Profitability with Growth. 

Process expert with Master Black Belt in Six Sigma, Lean Expert, and TOC Champion

Status: Other
Availability: Open
Contact: m_mkrishna@yahoo.com

Mentor

Gopi Kokkonda
Area of Expertise:

Experience with Success and Failure (learnt lessons) building 4 companies in each of the below. 

Startups: Fund raising | Marketing |Sales | Partnerships

VC/Investment : Tech Start ups | Social Entrepreneurship | Real estate | Recruiting

Tech Expertise : Security | AI | Cloud

Status: High School Student
Availability: Open
Contact: Gopi.Kokkonda@ZenVc.co

Mentor

Rafia Munir
Area of Expertise:

Website Development | Graphic Designing | Social Media Marketing | Web Accessibility | NDSS Ambassador

Status: High School Student, College Student
Availability: Summer Only
Contact: rafia.munir@gmail.com

Mentor

Irene Li
Area of Expertise:

Retail & merchandising as well as global sourcing in apparel, arts and crafts, grocery industries 

 

 

 

Status: High School Student, College Student
Availability: Open
Contact: Ihylee47@gmail.com

Mentor

fnfOzvSR
Area of Expertise:

11/2011

Status: High School Student, College Student, Other
Availability: School Year, Summer Only, Open
Contact: sample@email.tst

Mentor

Meenakshi Singh
Area of Expertise:

I am an expert in providing content training for Texas Educator certification, career counseling, and CDA licensing training for preschool Directorship. Along with this, I offer training for minimum standards for afterschool programs, creative content writing, resume writing, college counseling, and college essay reviews. I am also skilled in imparting knowledge in public speaking and interview skills.

 

Status: High School Student, College Student, Other
Availability: Open
Contact: smartsclublearning@gmail.com

Mentor

Sundar K
Area of Expertise:

Accomplished Technical Manager with a robust background in data-focused leadership roles i nTelecom & Finance ; With over a decade of experience, I consistently drive technical excellence, yielding tangible business results. My skill set encompasses legacy modernization, data transformation, real-time data ingestion, ETL processes, and effective team management. I excel not only in managing teams but also in mentoring and inspiring team members, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing. I am committed to driving efficiency and excellence in complex data-driven initiatives.

Status: High School Student, College Student
Availability: Open
Contact: sundar.nkm@gmail.com

Mentor

Alex Nascimento
Area of Expertise:

15+ years experience with a Fortune 500 US company
Visionary leader who drives strategic thinking for Shared Services and Finance Operations
Creates a road map for future years and relentlessly executes on strategic vision and plan
Seeks out innovation and new ways of thinking in Shared Services
Drives formal governance meetings across all functions with Senior Management
Coaches and supports managers in improving their skills; sets the strategy and goals for skills development
Promotes continuous improvement; plans and executes improvement programs
Coordinates regional Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) Quarterly Representation including ensuring Control Owner and Business Process Owner compliance
Monitors industry best practices and latest industry thinking in outsourcing, off-shoring, shared services, BPO and GBS
Responsible for period closing cycle and internal reporting which satisfies the needs of Corporate and/or Business Unit management
Assist external reporting which satisfies the requirements of national and state authorities, shareholders, debt holders, boards of directors, workers councils, security analysts, rating agencies and other interested parties

Status: Other
Availability: Open
Contact: alex.nascimento@sevn.technology

Mentor

Saurabh Aggarwal
Area of Expertise:

Building a career in CRM and Customer Experience Technology

Modern Sales and Digital Marketing

 

 

Status: Other
Availability: School Year, Open
Contact: xsaurabh.agg@gmail.com

Mentor

Ravi Lothumalla
Area of Expertise:

College Admissions Counseling & Career Counseling. Help find Internships for High School | GAP Year | College Students

Company: First Experience

Website: FirstExp.org (Will be ready by the end of July)

FirstExp1222@gmail.com

Status: High School Student, College Student
Availability: School Year, Summer Only, Open
Contact: RaviLothumalla@yahoo.com

Mentor

Michelle Norris
Area of Expertise: The arts and cultural sector are my primary focus areas to include managing non-profit organizations, development strategy, board organization and training, arts education, museum building and conceptual exhibit design, cultural district creation and planning, theatre and performing arts center management, event and gala planning, community engagement, arts marketing, creative placemaking and arts in the municipal sector.
Status: High School Student, College Student, Other
Availability: Open
Contact: mnorris@friscotexas.gov

Mentor

Anthony Gutierrez
Area of Expertise: Undergraduate in Accounting from USC.  More than 20 years of executive finance and accounting experience in diverse industries and public accounting.   Worldwide experience with Australian, European, American and Latin American international companies.  Traveled to over 15 countries and lived outside of the country 20 years.  Current finance executive for a national Promotional company.
Availability: Open
Contact: anthonygutierrez@hotmail.com

Mentor

David Smith
Area of Expertise: I am a 40 year + broadcast veteran and still active in the profession. I have built many sales teams and staff over the years and enjoy teaching and conulsting with others to raise their proficiencies and aptitude. Additionally, I serve on non-profit boards and have always been committed to enhancing my community throughout my prfessional life.
Availability: School Year
Contact: david.smith@alphamediausa.com

Mentor

Neetu Rishi
Area of Expertise: How to establish your Personal Brand and convert your passion to a profession.
Status: College Student
Availability: School Year
Contact: thesuccessdoor@gmail.com

Mentor

Sherica Spearman
Area of Expertise:

Responsible for assisting in a range of marketing initiatives within an organization. Their duties include tracking analytics for social media campaigns, finding and vetting influencers, creating campaigns on Twitter, Tik Tok, Instagram, and YouTube, creating social media content calendars and writing captions for social media posts. Work with our owner to direct and manage a day-to-day social content calendar for social media channels and drive engagement. The ideal candidates are current high school students, and college students. Successful applicants will possess excellent communication, research, writing, and organizational skills. Ability to work easily in a team environment or independently. Motivated self-starter that can take the initiative and ownership of projects. Positive attitude and willingness to learn. Ability to multitask. Bonuses are available

Status: High School Student, College Student
Availability: Open
Contact: thatfajalady@gmail.com

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