Career Path of a Product Manager and Engineer at a Fintech Company
Honorebel's career path began early with tech camps and The Hidden Genius Project, an organization that trains and mentors Black male youth in technology and entrepreneurship. This led to an impactful high school product management internship at EA Sports, followed by internships at ASRA Space where they helped take the company public, Turner Construction as a project engineer, and eventually, their own startup - all experiences that highlight a deep passion for "leading teams" and building.
Product Management, Internships, Technology, Entrepreneurship, Leadership
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Honorebel S. Walker
Product Manager - Engineer
Fintech Company
University of San Diego
Engineering - Electrical
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense, Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Early exposure to technology through robotics and digital media camps sparked a passion for technology.
2. Involvement with The Hidden Genius Project provided training, mentorship, and networking opportunities with tech companies, leading to an internship at EA Sports as a product manager.
3. Internship at Astra Space involved being part of the team that took the company public, offering valuable experience in a fast-paced environment.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Any internships or jobs you had before your current role?
For sure. I would say it kind of started relatively young. My mom was pretty on it and would sign me up for different robotics and digital media camps at UC Berkeley and other places.
I found my passion through technology at these tech camps. I was also part of an organization called The Hidden Genius Project in Oakland. This initiative trains and mentors Black male youth in technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
Through the program, I had the opportunity to build portfolio projects at various tech companies. This process allowed me to connect and network about technology, business, and anything else. I then got my first internship through the program at EA Sports.
While still in high school in December 2018, I worked as a product manager at EA Sports. I pitched different ideas and video game concepts to senior leadership. That's when I realized I really liked being a product manager, leading teams, and building out ideas.
Throughout that process, I had different internships and experiences. After EA Sports, I interned at ASRA Space, an aerospace company that made rockets and satellite launch vehicles. During my three and a half months there, the company went public, which was a really good experience.
The year after, I worked for Turner Construction, a major general contractor. They build many significant projects, like SoFi Stadium. I was a project engineer there, working on engineering exteriors at Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego.
We were building a shopping center and converting it into a life science building, creating a dual-use space for the public and commercial sectors. I had internships throughout college and even created my own startup. It was a networking platform that connected engineers, researchers, and scientists to foster innovation.
I was very involved in college and even before. It's kind of a full-circle moment because everything comes back to technology and business.