
Michelle S.
5.0
Break into VC (Stanford Grad; Investor @ Pear, Contrary, GSV)

Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business

Works at Google
Available Wednesday at 1:30 AM UTC
Usually responds within 48 hours
If my calendar doesn't work for your schedule, let me know! I'm able to move things around to make sure we have plenty of time to work together. :)
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Michelle's Coaching Offerings
Custom hourly coaching · $75/hour
Get help with Technical Interview Prep, Networking Strategy, and .
Browse Michelle's coaching offerings for MBA
Michelle's Venture Capital Qualifications
Experience level: Analyst
Open to working with clients outside the U.S.
Hey! I've been a Lead Venture Partner at Contrary Capital, intern at GSV Ventures (ed-tech focused fund), and scout for Pear VC. I also ran Cardinal Ventures, a nonprofit accelerator, wherein alumni companies have gone on to raise $540M+ in capital from Sequoia, First Round, Y Combinator, Tim Cook, Marissa Mayer, and more. Then, I founded College Ventures, a network of 60+ universities focused on launching student-run accelerators. Plus, I co-founded Friends & Family, a nonprofit for startup builders at Stanford. I'll also be headed back to Stanford in a few years to get my MBA at the GSB. I know what it's like to recruit into VC with no investing experience, craft a believable narrative, and curate a network that will help you succeed as an investor. I've cold-emailed my way into this industry, and I want to help you do the same!
Michelle can help with:
Technical Interview Prep
Networking Strategy
Resume Review
LinkedIn Review
Behavioral Interview Prep
Salary Negotiation
Sourcing
Promotion Strategy
Michelle also coaches for MBA
About Michelle
Hey there! I'm an APM at Google, and recent grad of Stanford (where I majored in Management Science of Engineering). I'm also a deferred admit to Harvard Business School and Stanford GSB. I've spent time as a PM in Big Tech and startups, and I worked in venture capital beforehand. I know firsthand what it feels like to not be "technical" enough and pivot from finance/consulting/business development roles to tech. It's a steep learning curve and you need to know the tips and tricks to make it through these crazy selective pipelines! Together, we can help craft a narrative that beats the system. My clients have secured PM internships in Big Tech and multiple startups, and analyst roles at leading VC funds. In the past, I've been an APM intern at Google, a Founding Product Manager at Harbor (a startup acquired by Citizen App), a PM at Stanford product studio, and an investor at Contrary Capital, GSV Ventures, and Pear VC. I've run multiple startup accelerators, and even founded one. I see how marrying entrepreneurial passion and understanding of the business ecosystem can make you a super strong, differentiated PM candidate. As your coach, I can help you: - Craft a resume that showcases your strengths, and will beat hard recruiter screens - Design a LinkedIn account and cold DM strategy that wins replies - Make a narrative that makes answering "Tell me about yourself" a piece of cake - Create and edit answers to common behavioral questions (e.g. Why VC? Can you tell me about a time you failed?) - Find and personalize a framework that help you crush questions on design and strategy
Why do I coach?
I coach because I know how long and arduous recruiting and applying to grad school can be! Personally, I didn't even make it past the first screen at Google when I first applied my sophomore year. By doing mock interviews, editing my resume a ton, cold emailing, reading lots of PM books, and re-crafting my narrative, I've worked hard to secure an internship and full-time APM role at Google (with acceptances to places like Microsoft, Atlassian, and more). This then empowered me to kick ass at grad school applications - and I got into Stanford GSB and Harvard 2+2! I recently published a primer on Google APM recruiting on my personal website (michschwartzman.com/writing) and so many folks have reached out asking for personal help. I've come to Leland to officially launch my coaching after awesome feedback from my clients - and I can't wait to help more people breakthrough!
Work Experience

APM
August 2023 - Present
Lead Venture Partner
Contrary
June 2020 - Present

APM Intern
June 2022 - September 2022

Product Manager
Stanford Student Enterprises
October 2021 - June 2022
Built websites and apps for clients at Cardinal Labs, a nonprofit product studio run by Stanford students.
Founding Product Manager
Citizen
September 2020 - August 2021
I worked at Harbor, a startup acquired by Citizen (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwio5frHqrL_AhUbADQIHV65An4QFnoECA8QAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftechcrunch.com%2F2022%2F01%2F26%2Fcrime-tracking-app-citizen-acquires-harbor-a-disaster-prep-app%2F%23%3A~%3Atext%3DThe%2520controversial%2520crime%2520watch%2520app%2Cthe%2520financials%2520of%2520the%2520deal.&usg=AOvVaw2jQjLxC3WJqYEFLXs-knkb).
Managing Director
Cardinal Ventures
November 2019 - May 2021
VC Analyst Intern
GSV Ventures
April 2020 - June 2020
Venture Scout
Pear VC
November 2019 - June 2020
Michelle was also given offers to work at
Microsoft
Atlassian
Education

Stanford Graduate School of Business
MBA, Business
Accepted via deferral program.
Stanford University
Bachelor of Science, Management Science and Engineering
2018 - 2033
Michelle was also personally admitted to
Cornell University
Brown University
Duke University
George Washington University
Vassar College
State University of New York at Binghamton
Harvard Business School
3 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
Knowledge
5.0
Value
5.0
Responsiveness
5.0
Supportiveness
5.0