Matt Iseri, Founder, President and CEO of Tokusaku, Inc, '05 MBA
On What Got Him Into the Albers Mentor Program
As an MBA student, I was mentored by Jesse Tam. That experience, plus my past experiences while interning at various companies, grew my passion for mentoring. As a valuable tool in professional growth, I wanted to be able to give back when I was in a position to do so.
His Experience as a Mentor
My best experiences have been connecting with the students and sharing not only my professional journey, but also seeing where theirs started and how I may be able to connect them with other people besides myself, to get additional insight to help them along the way.
One of my best interactions was with one of my mentees last year. The whole year had been virtual, and I was able to meet them in person at the end of the school year for the Mentor Appreciation night. I was able to hear one of my mentees speak of their experience from the program. Luckily, it was a positive one.
What Students are Looking for in Mentorship
I find with mentees that a lot of what they need is additional information. For a lot of MBA students, I see they are either coming out of one professional career and want to switch to something new or are starting back in the work force. In both examples they are looking for additional perspectives and views to help them on their next career journey. Sometimes it’s advice in a specific field and sometimes it’s just help in networking to meet with other people.
Advice He'd Give Anyone Considering Being a Mentor
For those who are on the fence, it can be and most often is usually a very fulfilling experience. A lot of times mentees help educate us on new trends in the work force as well as challenges they are experiencing (i.e. career growth in a virtual or hybrid world) that we may have not seen.