Career Coaching, Events, and Resources

I’ve helped clients land interviews and roles at top companies like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Google, BCG, Netflix, and McKinsey—and I’ve done it without charging Silicon Valley prices. I know what hiring managers are looking for, and I specialize in helping you tell your story in a way that opens $100K+ doors. As a nationally ranked debater and a product manager who’s built my own career at top companies like LinkedIn & HubSpot, I bring a strategic lens to everything from resume rewrites to interview prep. Whether you're trying to break into competitive industries or level up your early career, I’m here to help you do it clearly, confidently, and affordably.

I've never applied to a single job I've had -- every single one came through proactive networking on LinkedIn. While at LinkedIn, I gave 12 live coaching presentation events in NYC to hundreds of students and job seekers from around the world. Prior to LinkedIn, I gave similar presentations to different student groups at different universities in Utah.

Jake Cortez is a Vice President and Strategy Manager at JPMorgan Chase & Co., where he leads the strategic organization of operations teams for Employee Compute, one of the firm's most significant technology organizations. With over 17 combined years of experience in military and financial services, he is a transformational-focused leader who drives strategic and metrics alignment across global software development, engineering, operations, and technology incubation teams. He is also an alum of Harvard Business School and a combat veteran. He is a continual servant to the Veteran community as a leader, accelerating toward the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals at scale. Specialties: Strategy Execution, Training, Administration, Operations Management, Development Planning, Process Development, Critical Thinking, Analytical Skills, Leadership, Communication Skills, Detail Oriented, Management Skills.

The most-requested, highest-rated MBA Career coach at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Former strategy consultant and politico turned career coach and entrepreneur, I personally have taught and coached more than 1,200 students who now work at top companies across major MBA industries (Consulting, Tech, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Marketing, etc.). I've successfully advised domestic and international students, military veterans, tranditional pre-MBA professionals, artists, musicians, teachers, engineers, and others. As the Consulting coach, I'm proud that Chicago Booth had the most internship and job offers from Tier 1 Consulting firms across top MBA schools every year of my tenure. I am excited to contribute my expertise and knowledge from the world's business school to help you achieve your career goals.

Welcome to my profile! With over two decades of experience in career development and advising, I have guided over 1000 individuals to achieve their professional goals. As the former Assistant Dean of Graduate Career Services at USC Marshall School of Business and Associate Dean at Washington University's Olin Business School, I have honed my skills in problem-solving, communication, and student success. My extensive background includes directing career education at Indiana University and currently advising graduate programs at Duke University. Whether you're navigating career transitions or seeking to enhance your professional trajectory, I'm here to provide tailored support and strategic insights. Let's connect and chart your path to success!

I’m qualified as a career coach because I’ve spent nearly three decades navigating the kinds of career decisions my clients are facing. I’ve built and scaled teams, led global practices, owned P&Ls, and worked closely with senior leaders at Deloitte, KPMG, Rolta, and Amazon Web Services. I’ve experienced promotions, plateaus, reinvention, and high-stakes transitions firsthand—not just advised on them. Alongside this experience, I’m an ICF-ACC certified coach with 125+ hours of formal coaching. My coaching blends structured frameworks with deep real-world context, helping clients gain clarity, confidence, and direction during critical inflection points. I focus on visibility, leadership identity, decision-making, and execution—so clients don’t just choose their next step, but step into it with conviction.

I have an MBA from Columbia Business School and a diverse career spanning top companies like The Walt Disney Company, Samsung Electronics, Nordstrom, and Accenture. I bring a wealth of experience in global strategy and development. Over the years, I've helped numerous professionals navigate their career paths, leveraging my insights the different companies I've been at. Whether you're looking to break into a new industry or climb the corporate ladder, I'm here to provide tailored guidance and actionable strategies. Let's connect and chart your path to success!

I've guided 300+ students from underrepresented backgrounds into competitive careers at top companies, combining personal experience overcoming barriers with proven systems that deliver results. I've personally mentored students who landed roles at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America, often helping them go from having no industry connections to securing life-changing opportunities. My own journey from a first-generation Nigerian-American immigrant to working at firms like General Atlantic, Goldman Sachs, and Lead Edge Capital gives me deep insight into what it really takes to break into competitive industries. I specialize in helping people who feel like outsiders figure out how to get insider access to the careers they want, using practical strategies based on real data from hundreds of successful career transitions.

I’ve navigated a career path that spans consulting, Big Tech, and mid-market PE operations - experiences that give me a unique perspective as a coach. I started in management consulting at Deloitte, advising executives on strategy and transformation. From there, I transitioned into Google, where I worked across partnerships, strategy, and technical sales, learning how to thrive in one of the world’s most competitive tech environments. Today, as a Director of operations at Valsoft, I act as an operations executive across a portfolio of software companies, helping leadership teams grow and operate effectively. Having made these transitions myself, I know firsthand how to break into new industries, succeed once you’re in, and build the skills to lead — and I bring that experience directly into my coaching.

Hey! I’m Michael, a Forbes 30 Under 30 founder whose career has been shaped by navigating major pivots and high-stakes decisions without a clear playbook. I started on a traditional path toward medicine, left medical school to pursue entrepreneurship, built and scaled a media company reaching over 25 million people monthly, and later earned my MBA from Wharton to deepen how I think about strategy, leadership, and long-term career planning. I understand how overwhelming career decisions can feel, especially when you’re questioning a path you’ve invested years into or considering a pivot into something less traditional like entrepreneurship. I’ve lived the tension between stability and risk, prestige and fulfillment, and short-term security versus long-term optionality. I’ve also had the benefit of learning from mentors, building teams, and making real decisions with real consequences, not hypothetical ones. I work with people who are feeling stuck, at a crossroads, or thinking seriously about changing direction. Some are exploring entrepreneurship or side projects. Others are deciding whether to pivot roles, industries, or functions, or trying to understand what success should look like at this stage of their life and career. My approach is practical, honest, and grounded in real experience. I focus on helping you clarify what you want, pressure-test your options, and move forward with confidence rather than second-guessing. If you’re facing a big career decision and want thoughtful guidance from someone who’s navigated multiple transitions at scale, I’d love to help you think clearly and build a path you can stand behind.