The Garage Group has grown! We are excited to welcome two new Associates to our team – Paula Quintana and Mourad David. We asked them for one last interview after hiring them so that we could share with you all of the things that stood out to us during the hiring process and why we are so lucky to now call them TGGers! Take a look…
PAULA QUINTANA GARCIA
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am a strategist who is very passionate about the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. My professional background is in open innovation consulting, venture building, and advising entrepreneurs on their early stages of their startup.
When I’m not working you will find me discovering new restaurants in town, planning my next trip, doing yoga, learning to play tennis or spending time with friends and family.
What is a fun fact about yourself that would surprise many people?
I have mainly lived in cities that start with the letter ‘B’. I grew up in Bogota, Colombia but also lived for three years in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I then lived in Boston, MA for over 9 years. I have to admit that this hasn’t been done on purpose. It has been coincidental and the pattern has now been broken since I now live in Richmond, VA.
What drew you to The Garage Group?
I believe in what TGG is doing. Specifically, I believe in TGG’s focus in using startup inspired methodologies to tackle growth, strategy and innovation problems, and on nurturing courageous leaders. I have seen the incredible positive impact that lean startup methodologies have in tackling growth challenges and the effect that they ultimately have on consumers, in all of us. Additionally, by placing the onus on all leaders to learn and take part in these methodologies, I firmly believe that companies will be able to come up with ideas and solutions we have never seen before. This will generate even more impact on their consumers and help companies become more resilient and innovative.
What is your superpower?
The superpower that I would like to highlight is my ability to become an expert in a new topic in a really short amount of time. I love immersing myself in details of new topics but then quickly jumping to look at the big picture without losing the goal in mind. This also allows me to try new things and always be looking for ways to improve what we’re currently doing.
Tell us about a time you had to be courageous.
Every time I sit down with an entrepreneur from IDEA, Northeastern’s venture accelerator, or other Colombian startups I have advised, I have to put myself in the shoes of the entrepreneur and embody the courage that it takes to start a startup from scratch. I believe that it takes a lot of courage to be an entrepreneur and I am happy that I am able to support them in their journey.
MOURAD DAVID
Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m a strategist & innovator who loves the process of distilling business objectives to consumer needs & extracting actionable insights to create cohesive and intuitive solutions. I’ve worked across many facets of the strategy world alongside a range of companies from fortune 100 giants to local startups.
On a personal level, I’m a curious person and very entrepreneurial minded. I enjoy problem solving, learning new things, and keeping up to date with the latest trends. When I’m not in Cincinnati, I’ll usually be exploring the PNW with my girlfriend in Seattle, and when I’m in Cincinnati I’ll be spending as much time as possible in coffee shops or finding a tennis court.
What is a fun fact about yourself that would surprise many people?
I’m a dual citizen of the U.S. and Jordan. All of my family on my mom’s side (and there is a LOT of them) live in Jordan so I’d spend a significant amount of my childhood summers there, I’ll be trying to spend some time there this summer and will continue to make it a priority in my life to spend time there when I can.
What drew you to The Garage Group?
I’ve been drawn to the Garage Group for a few years actually, I focused all of my MBA classes in marketing and innovation, so naturally the Garage Group came up as I was studying at UC. Being entrepreneurial minded, with a business background, and innovation passion, naturally I was drawn to a place that outwardly wants to drive that mentality to leaders at companies.
What is your superpower?
I love being able to take research studies or documents from clients and make them as simple as possible. So I’d say simplifying or highlighting a clear insight from a more complicated presentation to drive home the main takeaway would be a superpower of mine.
Tell us about a time you had to be courageous.
As a first generation American and son of immigrant parents, growing up I felt my career options were always limited to being a doctor or lawyer. It took the courage of breaking out of my comfort zone after graduating and moving to New York with my biology undergrad degree, working there and meeting new people (as a more introverted person), to discover creative paths I could take to change careers.
Taking a job in New York that I didn’t really want, with a degree I didn’t know what to do with, all in a place where I didn’t know anyone, was quite daunting at the time, however, it allowed me to make important decisions on what type of life I wanted to begin working towards when I left.
Interested in learning more about our team of entrepreneurial leaders?
