Here are the 31 Growth Mentors of August 2023

1. Albert Mai

Describe yourself

I have worked at 7 startups in digital and growth marketing across Vietnam, Singapore, and Australia in the past 8 years. I have had experience working with GetVero, Tinybeans, GlamCorner, Airtasker, Dolphin Browser, Ticketbox.vn, and Pollenizer Singapore and have helped them generate more than $22m in revenue within 3 years of joining. My industry experience ranges from marketplace to e-commerce, subscription service, SaaS, and mobile apps. My skills encompass SEO, SEM, Social media marketing, business intelligence, web analytics, and marketing automation.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I want to become a growth mentor I want to contribute back to the startup community where I have grown up and to challenge myself further as teaching is the best form of learning.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

Growth mindset is the ability

• To learn continuously while staying humble and open-minded
• To apply knowledge cross-industry in order to solve problems and test new ideas with the right tools in a short amount of time
• To question all assumptions in order to validate them with qualitative and quantitative data

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Sustainable and profitable growth strategy and framework

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Calculate direct response modeling and traffic uplift for TVC and radio ads campaigns by using business intelligence tools such as Looker or Tableau or DOMO to match raw Google Analytics traffic data to the minute with TVC or radio ads spots in Google Sheets or in the database.

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2. Alexey Arkhipenko

Describe yourself

I always achieve my goals and love challenges.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I just want to meet talented people in my sphere and share my knowledge and experience.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

A growth mindset fosters a positive and proactive approach to personal and professional development, leading to greater accomplishments and a deeper understanding of one’s potential.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

How to build a mobile business and how to choose a niche on the App Store. I think it would be interesting for beginners in business.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

I created a mobile company with 30+ professionals. It was a big challenge for me but it is a beginning I think.

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3. Amanda Milligan

Describe yourself

I’m Amanda, an inbound marketing expert with 10+ years of experience working for B2B brands and digital agencies. My specialty is building brand authority, particularly in the context of SEO, content, and brand. If you envision your company building trust and community with your target audience in order to scale, I’m here to help.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I want to give back to the community that has shared so much with me. I also want to get experience working with folks at all different sorts of companies.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

I’m not a fan of growth “hacks” as much as I’m a fan of sustainable growth strategies. My version of a growth mindset is tapping into the value you can provide your audience and understanding how you can utilize that offering in every way possible (building trust, moving folks through the funnel, raising awareness, etc.).

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Brand authority! I think it’s the No. 1 most underutilized element of any marketing strategy. If you become the authority in your space, every marketing tactic gets exponentially easier.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

I noticed there was a ton of potential in some internal data we had access to, so I did the analysis myself, worked with a designer to package it into a report, created a lead gen page, spoke about it on several podcasts and webinars, and used it in multiple podcast pitches. It’s driven leads and improved brand awareness and authority all in one effort.

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4. Andrei Iocin

Describe yourself

Hi, I’m Andrei and I’m super passionate about Growth and Marketing. Started out as a dev, became a founder, and then switched completely to Growth, which I absolutely love.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

Because I’m super passionate about Growth, because I want to help others on their growth journey, and because I want to constantly keep learning from like-minded peers.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

To learn and try things out on a daily basis. Adopt what works. Drop what doesn’t.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Data tracking and analysis. Because I have a more technical background and love diving into data to find new conversion and growth opportunities.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Using Segment and SQL to pull product usage data into an automated email to give users insights into their activity but also to showcase how they are getting value from the product.

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5. Andrew Lavrov

Describe yourself

Business development and product management expert with 10+ years of experience. I’m the Founder and CEO of Oco – B2C SaaS security cameras with smart analytics and co-founder of a full-service e-commerce distribution and marketing agency, that helps brands to build their presence in North America, with 8-figure annual revenue.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

To share an experience and help develop awesome ideas.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

Listen to your customers, use data, and test features, and channels.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Product development.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Built a never-existing product and achieved annual sales of $1M in 2 years.

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6. Angelica Rizaeva

Describe yourself

Hi there! I am happy to share my 8-year global marketing expertise gathered at such corporates as Kaspersky and Nestle, as well as side projects for new businesses. Let me guide you through product marketing strategies and business growth for mature solutions and start-ups.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

Mentoring is the way I express my ability to help marketers in achieving their goals.
Start with your customer, deliver a great product, measure results, and then apply constant, continual effort to grow your business.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

As a child you learn how to walk, you fall down and then try to stand up over and over again. So the growth mindset is when you’re never afraid of falling down, because you know for sure you’ll do everything to rise up again!

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Successful GTM strategy. For me, GTM strategy is a beautiful complex thing where you put all your
knowledge & ambitions, analytics & data to find the best ways to achieve the growth targets.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Who said difficult enterprise solutions are hard to launch and promote?
Created from scratch GTM strategy with a global marketing plan and launched a new enterprise solution aimed to solve data protection issues for financial, supply chain, and IT industries.

Cross-functional management led to fully synchronized 360° activation in online and offline channels, demonstrating up to +80% media achievement, and 3x number of articles in PR, while the launch webinar brought +300% in lead generation and became the best performing in 2019 at the company.

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7. Ash Bailey

Describe yourself

I have an affection for B2C brands that are human-first. Simply put, they actually give a crap about what they put into this world. Over my six-year career, I’ve dipped my toe into various marketing functions, over the last two years however, I’ve doubled down in performance, specifically in paid advertisement and email marketing. My love for marketing comms and design gets me out of bed, and my intrinsic need for feedback (usually in the form of data) keeps my motivation high.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I sharpen my own toolkit by being faced with random problems, coupled with the sheer enjoyment of supporting highly motivated individuals with knowledge, insights, and killer resources.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

Waking up every day with a can-do attitude and an intrinsic desire to do better. If I could lay it out in three guiding principles: 1. strong strategic compass 2. consistent retrospection, feedback, and refinement 3. willingness to try new tactics.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Facebook Ads – It’s fast-paced, changes frequently and it requires high proficiency in every marketing faculty; market/persona research, copywriting, data and analytics, copywriting, design.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

We had a 20,000+ dead list on email. For the most part due to a deliverability issue on Outlook. Rather than spending £1000+ on cold email re-engagement, I opted to use BFCM to hit them up with an irresistible offer via an FB Ads remarketing campaign. I addressed them directly, I even shot the video myself. Achieved a ROAS of over 600% and more importantly 860 re-engaged subscribers.

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8. Bala Muthiah

Describe yourself

Hello! My name is Bala, and I am currently heading engineering for a line of business within Lyft called Vehicles. I have been in the tech space for over 17 years and have worked in various spaces including but not limited to startups, e-commerce, Saas, and currently in transportation tech. My life has been inspired, shaped, and uplifted by various mentors starting with my mom and I believe opportunity and equity as the keys to this world’s future.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

To make the world more equitable, everyone has to give more than they receive. A word of wisdom is a good starter for greatness, I have had the privilege of having amazing mentors in my life who changed the course of it to where I am today. I have always seen it as pay it forward and have been mentoring for over 10 years and would like to expand that relationship in a more structured and accessible way.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

To me growth mindset is bringing out the inner child in us, as every child is born with a growth mindset, they see the world on a very different level. They do not worry about what the world thinks about them and are always curious about what the world brings to them. Their memory is short-lived and they are able to move past what they want and what makes them happy.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Emotional Intelligence: Throughout my life, I have learned a lot from many of my mentors, and the secret to success is not knowing when to give up and when not to, but it is about how to keep yourself resilient whether you give up or not and maintaining the peace within.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

I have helped people see their strengths and leverage them to overcome their weaknesses. My ability to connect the dots and identify patterns in individuals’ journeys has enabled me to grow leader within organizations and society. My role as a Coach for a team of refugee students and software professionals made it possible for them to win the social hackathon Kickapp Cup and I led the team to present the solution to 32 non-profits in Leon, France.

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9. Cynthia Mutanu

Describe yourself

I am a creative marketing leader who loves crunching numbers. I am very skilled in using marketing data to formulate creative insights that enable impactful decisions for businesses. As you can tell, the classic MS Excel is still key in my Martech stack for unlocking growth for clients I work with 🙂

Currently working in a fintech company as the Senior Manager: Marketing Operations and Activation.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I am a beneficiary of mentorship in different spheres of my life, especially my career, and I would also want to offer impactful guidance and thoughts to potential mentees.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

I would say that it is the ability to cognitively approach challenges and opportunities with grit, smart effort, collaboration, and utilizing insights from data to improve the value offered.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Product marketing campaigns. It provides an opportunity to understand and define the end-to-end product journey map. From this, a mentee is able to improve product market fit that strategically positions the business for enhanced revenue growth.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Our company had a long lead time in signing up new customers (businesses on a B2B model). The very first self-onboarding system geared towards the acquisition of new customers for the business was developed.

I was tasked to lead a new team of 15 people. I introduced daily scrums that were meant to proactively seek solutions to the issues that came up. I closely collaborated with the product team and software developers to integrate customer feedback for improved process flows.

Despite the self-serve system being a first of its kind and with several challenges encountered, over 200 businesses actively used our company’s payment gateway within the first 4 months.

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10. Dan Siepen

Describe yourself

Hey, I’m Dan Siepen, and I’m a growth marketing consultant and advisor from the land down under (Australia ;). I’ve been a growth marketer for over 7+ years, working across SaaS & eCommerce, including the likes of working with Seed to Serie A startups, as well as fast-growing Australian brands.

In terms of skillset, I have strong experience in content strategy and content marketing, SEO, paid media/media buying, organic social, copywriting, conversion rate optimization (CRO), landing pages, and email marketing. On top of these main skills, I’ve done numerous growth strategies, demand gen strategies, and channel-specific strategies for clients I consult/advise across SaaS and eCommerce.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

A mission and purpose I have in my life is to help mentor and give back, both in business and in life. I’ve actually been mentoring/advising for a few years now, and I really enjoy the satisfaction of sharing knowledge and helping startups (or any type of company) unlock bottlenecks they may be experiencing at a given time.

Plus, I know there’s a gap in the market for startups/companies who are looking for trusted advice without having to break the bank. The value someone can receive from just a 30-minute call (for example) can go a long way to help steer them in the right direction with greater confidence to help them achieve whatever the desired outcome is.

More than anything, it’s actually a lot of fun mentoring when you can work out problems together and see how they go about their growth journey. 🙂

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

A growth mindset, for me personally, is broken down into two parts.

First, a growth mindset is about the balance of ambitions/goals and your ego – you need to balance ambition and conviction on your opinions/viewpoints whilst still being open-minded, coachable, and open to change. We all have an ego (made up of our beliefs, ambitions, talents, personalities, etc.), but it’s up to us how we can control it toward success.

Second, and closely tied to balancing ambition and ego, is having patience and enjoying the process of ‘growth’ – even if the desired perceived outcome hasn’t been achieved yet in your eyes. It’s all about the 1% incremental improvements towards a goal, ensuring you embrace the beauty of the challenge and having fun along the way.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

It’s quite tough to narrow it down to just one as I have experience across a few areas, but for me, if I did have to pick one, it would be demand generation closely tied with content strategy (It’s technically two, I know ;).

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

I’ve worked on some pretty awesome solutions (just myself or with other marketers in teams) to help solve complex problems. One of the most effective ‘out of the box’ strategies for early-stage startups I’ve worked on is “side project marketing” and “content experiences”. I did this heavily with my previous startup I co-founded and focused on creating content through Webflow-based curated experiences. I ran many tests and launched numerous content pieces, with one of them getting past 10k+ unique visitors p/m after just a few months. It’s an initiative I’m doing even more actively now and seeing pretty positive results.

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11. Filippo Stefanelli

Describe yourself

I love helping people who work in close contact with start-up/scale-up founders. I can provide guidance and share hard-earned lessons on how to have an impact without losing sanity.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

Sharing some hard-earned scar tissue learnings to help other people excel in their jobs.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

Putting the customer first and iterating from that. Being curious. Being humble.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

How to handle a demanding founder to thrive and deliver outstanding work.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Developing a creative solution in a highly regulated industry (digital wealth management) by leveraging relationships and a willingness to change the status quo.

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12. Gabriella Araújo

Describe yourself

I’m the intersection of Art and Science. I spent almost a decade at Google, marketing products such as Google Search, YouTube, and Nest. To me, growth is a function of the value you create + stories that click with people.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

Serve as a growth engine for high-potential businesses.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

Growth is a marathon – it’s a lot of small wins (and failures) combined. A growth mindset is an endurance mindset.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Product Marketing

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

My life is full of those. But when working at Google in Brazil, we had to train thousands of small ad agencies on digital marketing. We were hosting a bunch of small events, and my thinking was “How can we scale that in countries with 200m people?”. Brazilians work and play hard, so I thought a weekend boot camp had a fit with the local culture, and also scale. So we hosted a few of those to our most promising agencies and had a series of online trainings too. That was 8 years- the world was very different. This program created community too and drove quite a lot of growth for us. I was very junior at the time, but I’m still super proud of what we achieved.

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13. Harshita Lakhiani

Describe yourself

I am Harshi, and I have been a digital marketing expert for 6+ years. I am currently working with Careem – the Middle East’s tech unicorn as an Associate Director of Digital Marketing and enabling decision-makers to leverage digital marketing to acquire, engage, and retain valuable customers. I have a passion for solving business problems with digital marketing solutions. Prior to moving to the client side (aka Careem), I was on the agency side providing media planning and strategy to clients across FMCG, entertainment, and automotive industries. I am a big believer in “knowledge is power” and I look for opportunities to learn from others in the industry and to empower individuals with my knowledge and experiences. In my free time, I enjoy reading and dancing.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I believe that knowledge is power, and I would like to empower individuals in pursuit of knowledge.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

1. What you don’t know, you don’t know. So set a hypothesis and craft an experiment game plan to test the hypothesis, and never expect it to show “results” – expect outcome and next steps. The whole point of experimentation is to learn, it’s not failure or success. That comes after.
2. Look into the data, and look deep. There are a lot of data points, some might seem mundane but do not discard them right away. Extract key insights and document those insights on a frequent basis, so that you can set reasonable assumptions.
3. Be open to multiple iterations, experimentation cannot and should not be done occasionally. The more you iterate, the more data you’d have to extract insight from, and simply put – the more you’ll find out and know 🙂

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

I would mentor someone on how to use digital marketing to solve business problems such as growth, full-funnel marketing, or creating brand awareness for example. It is a medium that requires an investment which can be overwhelming for a lot of individuals starting out with little to no knowledge. I want to be able to guide them into making decisions comfortably and to be able to measure the impact appropriately too. I believe my experience of working with a wide range of clients especially at Careem will allow me to guide individuals.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Plenty of experiences, but the one that pushed me to put a designer hat on was at a time when customer acquisition efforts through digital marketing were slow, i.e. customers were not activating sooner. To improve and speed acquisitions. I created bespoke ads (some on my own and some with the designer’s help) with offers that were clearly labeled as “limited time only” (in reality these offers were active for quite some time) but it successfully generated buzz and pushed customers to activate sooner than later. The impact of this resulted in a 20% drop in CAC and monthly new users grew by 20%.

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14. Huey Le

Describe yourself

Hi everyone! My name is Huey Le and I partner with technology companies to increase their retention, revenue, and customer value through effective Customer Success strategies. With over a decade of experience in Customer Success and Talent Acquisition, I have successfully built and managed Customer Success teams from the ground up with a hyper-growth SaaS company across Australia, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines, and Singapore whilst building the 1st Customer Success community in Australia.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I would like to help startups with building their Customer Success strategy.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

A growth mindset to me means to be willing to learn and grow together as a team.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Customer Success. I’ve spent a good part of my career working with startups and hyper-growth companies building their Customer Success strategy but also building a Customer Success centric culture.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

I was working at Zoom during their hyper-growth phase and as a leader, I was responsible for building a team of 30 people from the ground up whilst also being able to keep our churn numbers very low.

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15. Kareem Mayan

Describe yourself

Hi, I’m Kareem. I run TrialToPaid.com and help B2B SaaS companies grow revenue by converting more trials to paying customers. I’ve built and sold three SaaS companies over the last 15 years. I’m a dev by training, but moved to UX and then Product Management over the years before starting my first company in 2007.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I’ve been optimizing SaaS Trial to Paid conversion for 20+ years (dating back to my time at ESPN.com in 2003) and I’m happy to pay that knowledge forward.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

0. Learn from others.
1. Be curious, not judgemental.
2. Seek data.
3. Be humble.
4. Improve in small steps or big leaps, but improve.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

How to grow your trial to paid conversion to 20% and beyond.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Identified and implemented a growth tactic for a client that grew qualified traffic by 25%, basically overnight.

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16. Kayla Medica

Describe yourself

I work with B2B SaaS businesses to join their sales and marketing efforts for a coherent, consistent customer experience. Specializing in sales enablement and product marketing, I’ve launched products, markets, teams, and functions. I am also the author of Mehdeeka, an Australian weekly newsletter aimed at solo or small marketing teams wearing many hats!

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I’m working on growing my presence as a SaaS PMM leader, and want to continue to grow through Growth Mentor.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

Being singularly focused on what will lead to high-impact results, not what’s flashy or “looks” good.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Go-to-market, it’s one topic made up of lots of smaller moving parts that need to all work together and complement each other.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

The opposite for me was realizing that the marketing calendar I was using for myself could also help out our customers, and releasing it to them (an HR audience!). I thought it was no extra effort and a small thing, but it ended up becoming a hugely popular resource that the CSMs would get hounded for “When is the next one coming out”!

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17. Lucia Bustamante

Describe yourself

I’m a Design Manager with over 7 years of experience shipping products and collaborating with cross-functional product teams, making a focus on the discovery phase and with a passion for turning complex problems into simple and engaging experiences.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I love sharing my experience with others and turning conversations into action items to help people be their best selves.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

Knowing what people need is a must, but a growth mindset is doing our best to deliver what people love.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Data-driven decisions, user-centric approach, opportunity mapping.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Managed to redesign strategy and revisit the vision for Mujeres IT, a voluntary community with +1000 women, to make the project more sustainable and less demanding.

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18. Max Goldstein

Describe yourself

I love solving problems and building communities. Throughout my career, I have had the unique opportunity to work in different emerging markets and industries, including technology and CPG, and I specialize in taking companies from an idea to product market fit using community-driven marketing strategies. I’d love to learn about the problem your company is trying to solve and brainstorm how we might accelerate growth by leveraging the power of the community.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

To diversify my exposure to a number of different startups & industries and to use my unique entrepreneurial experiences to help others.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

A growth mindset starts with curiosity and an eagerness to learn. It’s cultivated with a willingness to make objective decisions and accept facts regardless of how challenging the consequences are.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

I can advise startups on how to establish and grow a community around your company’s brand, product, or service. Over the last 12+ years, I have developed vibrant digital communities across tech (Google) and CPG platforms and I have excelled at the zero-to-one phase of their development.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Solving complex problems involves drilling down on the data as well as the individual dependencies that are reinforcing the problem. I have the ability to translate complex problems into pro formas / spreadsheets to create strategic clarity and simplify problems into actionable tasks.

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19. Melanie Almeida

Describe yourself

Hi, I’m Melanie.
I have ten years of experience in Marketing with three years dedicated to Growth Management for startups.
I specialize in analytics, team management, and marketing operations.
I evolved in the field of developer marketing, helping B2D products to grow. And run several online meetups with one dedicated to Developer Marketing.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I used GrowthMentor as a mentee last year and recommended it to a lot of friends.
This year I feel ready to give back by becoming a mentor too.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

It’s consistently asking questions to our peers, our users, and our customers to search for the next great iteration.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Marketing for developer-first product.
It’s the field I am currently working in, and it’s still pretty niche.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

In a previous role, we were doing acquisitions in + 30 countries at once. Me and my intern, built a system to create fast landing pages with weweb and an Airtable database to personalize the language and content of these landing pages.
Before this system, we were building the landings one after the other and it was hard to update past landings.

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20. Michał Domański

Describe yourself

Hello, I’m Michael. Throughout my career, my focus has been on sharing knowledge, building connections with people, and finding solutions for their business challenges in the B2B sector. Over time, I discovered that my true passion lies in being an architect and advisor rather than a builder. I derive immense satisfaction from nurturing and guiding others as they grow professionally. My expertise primarily stems from extensive experience in sales, particularly in high-level managerial positions, with a focus on startups/SMB markets.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

My entire professional goal is to help others build and scale their businesses.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

Never stop learning. Don’t hoard the knowledge for yourself. Be curious about others, connect with people, and get fascinated with them. And realize it’s on you only to define your value.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

How to network and nurture relationships. Because there are so many myths around it! Networking is no speed dating, yet people think about it as such. Also, so many of us are afraid of it. Unnecessary. I’d like to teach them to embrace networking on their own terms and understand they can shape that experience however they want. And reap huge benefits in the long run.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Automating information distribution within an organization with a simple Zapier/Slack/CRM workflow. With 20mins of work, I saved 100s of work hours spent yearly on communicating and looking for data within the company.

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21. Miky Bayankin

Describe yourself

Hi, I’m Miky and I help founders, product, ops, and sales leaders identify their growth bottlenecks and solve them.

I am a marketplace expert with 10+ years of experience in launching, scaling, and operating marketplaces.

After growing marketplace products at Uber, Borzo Delivery, and 2 of my own startups, I’ve been working with marketplace founders, and product and ops teams to help them grow faster, build better products, scale sales and operations, hire new people, and fundraise.

My approach is simple: 1. I listen 2. We analyze together 3. We fix what’s broken 4. We look for inspiration 5. You create, deliver, and grow.

While we can work with frameworks, playbooks, and best practices from my experience and what’s been proven on the market, I help you focus on what’s relevant to you, at this time. What worked for Airbnb and Uber 10 years ago, isn’t necessarily going to help you scale. It’s rather a creative act, but we’ll spend a lot of time looking for those bright ideas that may be timely for you.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I love helping others to grow, I enjoy making connections and learning from other great folks, and I love to give back.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

Growth is a development and a sign of life. In nature, what doesn’t grow, fades and shrivels. Same in business. A growth mindset is about observing, listening, analyzing, and acting with creativity and energy. If you don’t follow through, the universe will move on.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Finding balance in growing both sides of the marketplace. I’ve gone through 0 to 1, 1 to 10, and 10 to 100 stages of marketplace growth, and will be able to point out what’s more relevant at each stage.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

At Borzo, we were able to get traction on a delivery product for pizzerias, only when we scrapped our routing algo altogether and moved back to manual courier assignment. All of that after I insisted that we spend time observing how pizza shop admins operate.

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22. Patrick Walsh

Describe yourself

I’ve been obsessed with marketing for nearly 15 years. My first business was a marketing agency. I then went on to build the UK’s highest-rated professional publishing company. I have also helped launch a number of other companies. My focus has always been on growth and marketing. Now labelled a CMO but really my roots are as a growth hacker. I’d love to help other startups and marketing teams hack growth.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I want to share my knowledge of growth and marketing. My skillset has been honed over 14 years in marketing. On top of that hearing about the marketing problems teams are facing will also help with ideas for my YouTube channel where I talk about marketing.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

To always be looking for the edge. Whatever the business or product you are promoting there is always a lower cost of acquisition that can be found. I’m always learning new things about marketing. That’s why I love running my YouTube channel so much. It gives me a reason to go down even more marketing rabbit holes and share what I learn.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Marketing automation. I love to automate repetitive marketing tasks. This allows you to optimize your team and get so much more from less. Especially now with all the tools emerging. It’s never been easier to get maximum efficiency.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Using the email subject line of “you are invited to” rather than just telling someone out your offer. How you position an offer can be so powerful.

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23. Rod Richmond

Describe yourself

I’m a former agency founder who now works as a CMO for a scale-up brand. I have been working in performance marketing since 2009 and have helped, consulted with, and scaled multiple startups in that time.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

Having conversations with founders about growth and marketing is always a fun and energizing experience for me!

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

Long-term, customer-focused growth systems. Not quick win growth hacks based on what is fashionable today.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Expanding beyond paid search as a channel and why it is an excellent foundation for growth.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Revising the checkout flow based on live search data for an e-commerce brand.

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24. Romana Hoekstra

Describe yourself

Hey, I’m Romana Hoekstra! Do you know how some people can’t stop talking about their favorite sports team or the latest Netflix series? Well, that’s me, but with content marketing. It’s my job, it’s what I do for fun, it’s… well, you get the picture. I’ve spent 5+ years working with B2B SaaS startups and helping them grow, making their content something you want to click on, read, enjoy, take action on, and remember. So, let’s get to it, shall we?

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I have 6+ years of experience in digital marketing, especially in B2B SaaS content marketing. I’m working with startups and companies, managing content marketing teams, and helping CEOs and CMOs build their marketing engine through content. For the last year, I’ve been providing mentorship sessions on content marketing for a donation to support Ukraine, and now I want to extend it to the GrowthMentor. I love being a mentor and want to help more people with my knowledge.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

A growth mindset is believing that you can become a better version of yourself, no matter where you’re starting from. I think of it like this: It’s the belief that you’re not stuck where you are, and you can always learn more, do more, and be more. So in simple words, a growth mindset is all about keeping faith in your ability to grow, learn, and improve, no matter what comes your way. It’s about believing there’s always room for a little more, a little better!

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

B2B SaaS Content Marketing Strategy. What works in 2023 and 2024, what should you focus on, what role plays LinkedIn in all of it, and how to make your blog work in the AI era.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

I walked into a B2B startup as the new content marketing lead. There they were, pushing out articles with high hopes but no real strategy. It was like shooting arrows in the dark, hoping to hit a target.

Looking at this scenario, I thought, “We’ve got all this great content, but we’re not making the most of it.” So, I set about building a content distribution engine from the ground up. Instead of just publishing articles and crossing our fingers for clicks and impressions, I turned each piece of content into a multi-purpose tool.

One article wasn’t just an article anymore. It transformed into videos, LinkedIn posts, Twitter threads, and Quora answers. It was like we had suddenly amplified our voices and were speaking from every corner of the internet.

And the result? We were no longer just a whisper on a single blog. We were a conversation across multiple platforms, reaching a far wider audience and driving a significant increase in our traffic.

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25. Ryan Severns

Describe yourself

👋 Hi, I’m Ryan. I have spent my career in early/growth stage startups helping build out the GTM functions. I’m a 2x VP of Marketing, former SaaS co-founder/COO, and current founder of an analytics & ops agency. I love data, analytics, RevOps, and structured approaches to testing/learning, all with the end result of growth in mind.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I have benefitted greatly in my career by learning from others and it brings me joy and fulfillment to help others on that journey.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

There is so much out there to learn. So many different companies, experiences, industries, and approaches, and the world is always changing. I love it when people are eager for new insights and further develop themselves.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Strategic planning for driving revenue growth. I love helping connect the dots between big growth targets and the tactical steps needed to get there.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

I’ve found that mid-funnel conversions are often the place where you can make a quick impact with creative thinking. It is typically not wild ideas, but testing with messaging, timing, and approach that can drive huge results.

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26. Sebastian Pashaei

Describe yourself

I’m a technology enthusiast with significant experience in building products, scaling worldwide, and managing their performances. I would like to help folks with very complex business challenges.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I want to give back and share my in-depth knowledge with folks in need.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

The ability and willingness to challenge the status quo and think outside the box to create financial, social, and environmental impact.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Climate Tech

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

During my PhD, designed a simple 2×2 matrix for a problem, including 1M nodes.

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27. Shamsheer Shergill

Describe yourself

The backbone of my product practice is built upon not only strategic thinking but also a deep emotional resonance with the end user. It’s deeply important for me to understand the motivation behind why something is being built or a goal is being set because I believe that the rest flows with so much ease and autonomy for leaders and the team. I also love to leverage my growth background and build iteratively, which helps get learn faster and pivot when needed!

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I very much enjoy helping people unblock themselves by asking excellent questions! Also, I love growth thinking and breaking down product problems collaboratively to determine the next steps that feel easy!

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

A growth mindset means not feeling pressure to achieve a certain outcome but rather setting a direction and goal for yourself and being flexible on how to get there based on the learnings you get along the way. It’s the ability to be nimble and update your strategy as you go along, which also means putting small tests out into the market and validating problems/assumptions ASAP!

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Getting founders & teams to understand how to capture user value at each part of the lifecycle. Having spent years working on retention and engagement, I’ve seen that wins are so much bigger when paired with changes in the product earlier in the lifecycle i.e. more tightly aligned onboarding leads to faster ah-ha moments & thus stronger engagement/retention.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

I’ve been mentoring product managers, and some of them are in search of new roles. One in particular was feeling a lot of scarcity because there were only a few roles that fit his criteria and he felt urged to connect for roles that weren’t a good match for him. To help him break out of this mindset, I likened his search to pro-NBA players – the players are excellent and at the top of their game but there are only a select number of teams that want them and vice versa! This helped this PM see his search in a completely fresh way and made him feel excited!

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28. Spencer Price

Describe yourself

Hey there, I’m Spencer Price, co-founder and CEO at Halla. I dropped out of USC at 19 to start this business with two high school friends. We’ve since completed two accelerator programs, raised $10M to date, and have successfully deployed our technology in more than 3,000 e-commerce storefronts so far. I spend most of my time wrangling investors and overseeing marketing and partnerships.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I would never have gotten where I am today without soliciting tons of advice and mentorship from a wide array of folks over the last ~7 years on my entrepreneurial journey, so it’s about time to give back!

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

Every overnight success takes ten years. Be prepared to get excited about tons of opportunities that never come to fruition, and to be skeptical about outcomes that will ultimately surprise and delight you. In a nutshell: a growth mindset is a perspective that allows you to navigate the vast abyss of uncertainty, and to learn a ton while doing so.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

I’d love to help young and/or inexperienced founders pitch their pre-revenue visions incredibly well, without falling into the claws of imposter syndrome.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

Our most successful fundraiser involved me asking every committed investor to make at least one introduction to someone who might be interested in participating; this nearly doubled the total round size.

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29. Stefan Cruçon

Describe yourself

I’m a seasoned professional with hands-on experience in CRM, MarTech, User Research, and Product Management across leading companies like Klarna, Zalando, and Hellofresh. My passion lies in empowering others with the insights I’ve gained, and through consultancy and mentorship, I aim to guide individuals and businesses towards achieving their growth objectives. Whether it’s strategizing for product optimization or preparing for a crucial interview, my mission is to provide actionable and tailored support that makes a difference.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I want to become a growth mentor to empower individuals and businesses to reach their full potential by leveraging my extensive experience in CRM, MarTech, User Research, and Product Management, transforming their strategies into tangible successes.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

A growth mindset, to me, is a delicate balance between enhancing customer experience and driving revenue generation. It’s a continuous journey of learning and experimentation, where understanding the user is at the core of every decision. Through consistent user research and innovative thinking, I believe in crafting strategies that not only fulfill customers’ needs but also contribute to the business’s bottom line. This approach fuels a culture of adaptability, resilience, and meaningful growth, turning challenges into opportunities and insights into action. In my consultancy and mentorship, I strive to imbue this philosophy, guiding others to forge a path that aligns customer satisfaction with business success.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

I would mentor someone on customer-centric CRM & MarTech Product management, as I believe that understanding and aligning with customer needs is the key to creating successful products and fostering sustainable growth.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

During my time working with CRM channels, I faced a challenge where we were struggling to engage users through traditional means like push notifications and in-app messages without being intrusive. I devised an out-of-the-box solution by integrating content cards with personalized recommendations based on user behavior and preferences. This approach not only increased user engagement but also led to significant growth in revenue. The success of this strategy made me realize the potential of combining creativity with data-driven insights, and I thought to myself, “damn, I’m pretty good!” It showcased the value of thinking differently and leveraging unconventional methods to solve complex problems.

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30. Tadas Labudis

Describe yourself

Hi, my name is Tadas. I spent the last 13+ years building, launching, and leading software products. I founded an AI analytics startup Prodsight, raised $1m in VC funding, and successfully exited for a seven-figure sum in 2022. I also worked at startups and scaleups as a Product Manager and a Product Director within B2B SaaS, Mobile, and AI/ML. Currently, I consult and mentor tech startups.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

As an excited founder, I know how many potential pitfalls exist for founders, and I want to share my knowledge to help more entrepreneurs succeed.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

As a startup mentor, I believe in the power of having a growth mindset. It’s all about understanding that you can get smarter and better at stuff by working hard, not giving up when things get tough, and learning from your mistakes. I always tell my mentees to see challenges as chances to grow and improve. By keeping an open mind and being eager to learn, they can face anything that comes their way and make their startup a big success.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Product strategy is my favorite topic. I love brainstorming, experimenting with, building, and measuring different strategies to create winning software products.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

When I was launching my own AI startup, I didn’t have the time and resources to build a fully-fledged system, and I didn’t even know if customers would find value in it. To save all that effort and validate the idea, I only built the front end and manually performed the tasks that the AI would do behind the scenes. Customers were none the wiser, and this approach helped validate and iterate the idea super cheaply.

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31. Waleed Helal

Describe yourself

Hello, my name is Waleed Helal, and I am the Head of Growth Marketing at Xpence. With 11 years of experience, I specialize in B2B marketing, growth, and business development across various industries, including Fintech, IoT, SaaS, and banking.

I am passionate about mentoring, supporting, and uplifting aspiring marketers and entrepreneurs to overcome marketing and growth challenges. My vision is to ensure that no marketer walks alone in the MENA region.

In just one sentence, why do you want to become a growth mentor?

I dream of a region where no marketer walks alone.

In your words, what does a growth mindset mean to you?

Having discipline and consistency, testing different techniques, failing, iterating, growing, and repeating.

If you could mentor a startup on one topic, what would it be?

Set up a B2B Marketing Strategy For Growth because this is your growth engine’s main and basic element.

Describe an out-of-the-box solution to a complex problem that made you proud of yourself.

I have built marketing and growth functions from scratch twice in the last seven years and am now eager to build the third one.

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Interested in becoming a growth mentor?

What we’re looking for:

• Growth marketers, product managers, and designers, with extraordinary track records of success
• Inspirational founders that have “been there and done that.”
• Friendly people that take joy in helping other people.
• At least 5 years of demonstrable experience working in growth.
• GrowthMentor is a #givefirst platform. You should be cool with mentoring for free until you have three reviews.