Eric Coly
AYANA Therapy
Los Angeles, CA USA
"You need to be able to be seen for you to feel compassion."
Career Roadmap
Eric's work combines: Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I didn't feel like my college major was my choice. My parents had expectations for their children to pursue good, stable careers. My three choices were finance, medicine, and law. I chose to study and start my career in finance in order to make my parents happy and proud. However, I grew very unhappy in the field. It took 10 years for me to be able to differentiate myself and my personal happiness from the expectations of my parents.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Finance/Accounting
Franklin University
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I grew up in Senegal and moved to the United States for college.
2.
In keeping with a route that would make my parents happy, I earned my bachelor’s degree in finance from Franklin University and then started my career in banking.
3.
I spent ten years in finance growing more and more unhappy because the field was never really a great fit for me and my own personal happiness.
4.
I eventually hit rock bottom and decided to make a career change.
5.
I founded Le Dessein, a socially responsible fashion company aimed at helping to educate young girls in Africa—it gave me a chance to be more courageous and explore my goals and passions.
6.
When one of my friends was struggling to find a therapist, I came up with the idea that there should be an easy way for prospective patients to filter through therapists and find the right match.
7.
After a lot of studying and perseverance, I created AYANA Therapy, a telehealth platform that connects marginalized communities with licensed therapists through a matchmaking algorithm.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Parents:
You need to study finance, medicine, or law.
How I responded:
I didn't feel like my college major was my choice. My parents had expectations for their children to pursue good, stable careers. My three choices were finance, medicine, and law. I chose to study and start my career in finance in order to make my parents happy and proud. However, I grew very unhappy in the field. It took 10 years for me to be able to differentiate myself and my personal happiness from the expectations of my parents.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I went into finance to adhere to my parents' expectations. I spent 10 years in finance growing more and more unhappy because it wasn't right for me. I fell into a deep depression. When I hit rock bottom, I finally felt free enough to see other paths.