Mia Velasquez
Commit
Chicago, IL USA
"A lot of great things in the world are brought to life because somebody refused to put it down even when it wasn’t making money and succeeding. For me, as long as I still have that passion and fire for something, that’s the reason I stick with it."
Career Roadmap
Mia's work combines: Business, Entrepreneurship, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
There is a lot of insecurity that I personally have had on my road, especially in not feeling credible or entrepreneurial enough to make it work. I try to separate myself from the thought - if I met someone doing what I am trying to do, I'd be supportive and impressed. How I speak to myself should be no different.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Biochemistry
Rice University
Bachelor's Degree
Project Management
Rice University
Graduate Degree
Business Administration and Management, General
Northwestern University
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Co-Founder & CEO:
High School
Bachelor's Degree: Business/Commerce, General
Bachelor's Degree: Computer Science
Graduate Degree: Business Administration and Management, General
Certification: Computer Programming/Programmer, General
Certification: Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I was born in Columbia and immigrated to Texas with my family when I was five years old.
2.
Attended Rice University where I received my bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and managerial studies.
3.
Was initially on a pre-med track, but after seeing the commitment and dedication needed to go to medical school and become a doctor, I realized that it wasn’t truly my passion.
4.
After graduating, I took a job as a consultant and business analyst at Accenture.
5.
Discovered that the flexibility of a career in consulting would enable me to continue exploring different industries and fields of interest while satisfying my desire to solve problems.
6.
Later, I took a job as a consultant at Deloitte S&O Consulting where I worked for over 4 years.
7.
In 2016, I left my job and attended Northwestern University where I received my master’s degree in business administration.
8.
A year into my MBA program, I started laying the groundwork for my company, Commit, which helps streamline the payment process for events and organizers—I'm now the Co-Founder and CEO.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
You are not good enough to be doing this.
How I responded:
There is a lot of insecurity that I personally have had on my road, especially in not feeling credible or entrepreneurial enough to make it work. I try to separate myself from the thought - if I met someone doing what I am trying to do, I'd be supportive and impressed. How I speak to myself should be no different.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I've dealt with the struggle of being raised in America by a family that is not American, but trying so hard to fit in. It empowers me to know that my family has sacrificed so much. I focus on this as a source of gratitude and motivation.
There is an inherent insecurity in entrepreneurship. I constantly feel like I don't know enough or that there is someone more capable than me. I never saw myself as an entrepreneur, so sometimes I worry that I'm not passionate enough about it.
Life can be stressful and it's really important to me to constantly check in and be aware of my mental state. To manage it, I do what I can by being mindful and in touch with how I am feeling.
When I was growing up, I so desperately wanted to fit in and be like everyone else. I started going by Mia instead of my real name Maria. I tried to hide as much of my Hispanic culture as I could. I now see the strength in being a Hispanic woman.