Main Responsibilities of a Founder at P16 Partners
Aditi's career path, initially envisioned as a legal career, unexpectedly veered into education after a Teach for America experience, revealing a passion for "equity and education" despite discovering teaching wasn't a fit. This led to roles in academia, a national R&D think tank, public policy, and Google, culminating in the founding of a consulting business to support non-profit leaders, demonstrating a dedication to leveraging diverse experiences to impact the education sector.
Career Pivoting, Nonprofit, Education, Equity, Entrepreneurship
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Aditi Goel
Founder
P16 Partners
UC Berkeley
Harvard University Graduate School of Education - Master in Education Policy & Management
Philosophy
Education, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Entrepreneurship and Business Owner
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Aditi's career path highlights a willingness to explore different fields and adapt based on experience. She initially pursued philosophy, then Teach for America, followed by roles in academia, a think tank, public policy, and finally, Google. This demonstrates adaptability and a proactive approach to career development.
2. Her experience at Teach for America was a pivotal moment, revealing her passion for education equity but also highlighting the importance of self-assessment and finding the right fit within a field. This showcases the importance of identifying strengths and weaknesses and adjusting career paths accordingly.
3. Aditi's entrepreneurial journey, starting her own consulting business (P16 Partners), after gaining diverse experience in various sectors, highlights the value of accumulating a range of skills and experiences before venturing into independent work. This underscores the benefit of building a strong foundation before taking on the challenges of entrepreneurship.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
My career path shifted in college. I majored in philosophy, thinking I would go to law school. However, senior year I sat in on a couple of classes and realized law school was not for me.
As a philosophy major, I was unsure about pursuing academia or law school and tried to figure out my next steps. My roommate was applying to Teach for America, and I thought, "Great, I love kids, I think I love teaching, and it's two years of job security. Let me apply." I got in, and that shifted the course of my career.
I never considered a career in education, equity, or nonprofits, but Teach for America was the game changer. From my TFA teaching experience in both New Orleans and East Side San Jose, I realized I am a fervent advocate and believer in equity and education, but I'm not a great teacher.
My career path has been about figuring out how to be in the education sector and the space of equity and opportunity without being at a school site. I worked in academia at Northwestern University but realized it wasn't for me. I also worked for about six years at WestEd, a large national R&D think tank.
While I learned from WestEd, I also realized it wasn't the right fit. I worked in public policy for a couple of years and then was recruited to Google to design and launch a national computer science program for Black and Latino kids in communities.
With all those varied career experiences across different sectors and roles, I left Google to start my own consulting business. This allows me to work with nonprofit friends and leaders who do amazing work but may not have the support they need to lead their organizations and do their work. Now, I'm an entrepreneur leading my own consulting business.