Mathlete and Supply Chain Expert Ksenia (pronounced “Senia”) Zvyagintseva is chairing VLAB’s Jan. 22, 2019 evening panel called Young Entrepreneurs: Meet the New Generation of World-Changers at the Stanford Faculty Club.
She is quite the impressive woman in STEM (science technology engineering and mathematics): Ms. Zvyagintseva, 24, holds a combination degree in mathematics and computer science from Saint Petersburg State University, one of the largest and oldest universities in Russia. This means she traveled 5,529 miles to get to the Silicon Valley from where she went to school. Therefore saying she went the extra mile is an understatement.
Here is what she has to say about the woman who inspired her, her day job at a brand name, multibillion company, her favorite math class and why, her philosophy of work and life, and how she learned about VLAB.
Michelle: Your day job is in supply chain management at a well-known Silicon Valley company: what kind of tasks do you do and what have you learned?
Ksenia: It has been an incredible career journey so far, I keep learning every day and I find my role to be truly unique as I’m always working on the variety of projects; this is what makes things interesting. Most of my time I work on the projects related to data science: I help to develop and support advanced analytics solutions for supply chain management.
Michelle: What was your first VLAB event? A panel chair role is a big deal at VLAB: how and why did you become a chair?
Ksenia: I found out about VLAB by looking at the conferences at Stanford via the web. This was several months ago. I was immediately fascinated by the idea of being able to learn about new technologies and innovations from the monthly events. Believe it or not, this is my first VLAB event ever. Being 24 years old myself, I realize how important it is for young people to follow their dreams, and I’m really impressed by what some young entrepreneurs are able to achieve. I decided to become an event chair to highlight and recognize young people with disruptive ideas.
Michelle: Wow! You must be smart in mathematics; I see part of your degree focused on that subject. What was your favorite math-focused subject and why?
Ksenia: I like statistics the most. Learning it at the university gave me the ability to apply knowledge to real-life work projects. Getting the math degree wasn’t easy: it required a lot of hard work and persistence.
Michelle: You mentioned that your mom is a math professor. She must have been a fantastic role model. Was that the case?
Ksenia: Yes, I need to give credit to my mom for helping and supporting me for the entire time of my education and always in life.
Michelle: Despite having worked at a large multinational company for quite a while, you’re the first person I’ve met who attended Saint Petersburg State U. What was it like going to school there and how does it compare to, say, schools like San Jose State University, Stanford University or Cal Poly?
Ksenia: Education at Saint Petersburg State University was great; I’m grateful for having this opportunity in life. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to study at any of the schools in the U.S. but I would definitely want to continue my education here and maybe get another degree in the future.
Michelle: You traveled far from home to get to the Silicon Valley. You landed a job at a name brand company. In my eyes, you have already succeeded in life and this is amazing because you are not yet 25 years old. What is your philosophy of life and/or work?
Ksenia: It’s important for me to keep challenging myself and learning new things for continuous personal development. I think that this is the only way to grow in life. I believe that hard work and passion for what you do are two key elements of success. Always go an extra mile!
The 2019 Young Entrepreneurs panel happening Jan. 22nd is moderated by Jeremiah Owyang, Industry Analyst and Founding Partner, Kaleido Insights, and includes Andrew Scheuermann, CEO and Co-Founder, Arch Systems, Riley Ennis, COO and Co-Founder, Freenome, Bá Minuzzi, Co-Founder and General Partner, Babel Ventures, andMarina Mogilko, Co-Founder, LinguaTrip.
Buy tickets now! https://vlab.org/events/young-entrepreneurs-world-changers/
Here is Ms. Zvyagintseva’s LinkedIn profile: https://tinyurl.com/kseniazvyagintseva
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Michelle McIntyre is an award-winning Silicon Valley PR consultant to VCs and startups, blogger, social media influencer and IBM vet. @FromMichelle on Twitter
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