Here are the 20 Growth Mentors of December 2025

1. Anastasia Kotsiubynska

Describe yourself

I’m an SEO with over 8 years of hands-on experience across various industries and 2 years in management. In my current role, I’m responsible for growing revenue through organic traffic, contributing to SEO product development, and building and managing the SEO team. I’ve also launched a new function within the marketing team—SEO industry studies. I truly enjoy the process of building (team, product, etc.), and I think one of my strongest sides is my communication skills and finding the right approach to each person.

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

While having extensive hands-on experience, I’ve also built a highly functional SEO team and new directions within a company; I believe my strength is identifying other people’s strengths, truly listening to them, and helping them find the right path.

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

A growth mindset means for me looking at yourself as a dynamic individual that always evolves and moves, not as a person with a fixed set of characteristics. From this perspective, every success and failure is not part of your identity but rather part of your learning process and your growth path.

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

SEO

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

I first try to better understand the problem, what it includes, and how it influences the situation. So, first, I investigate the problem itself, and then I focus on understanding the context and determining whether this is something specific to our case or something happening in the market or externally. Then I build hypotheses and find ways to reject them until I find the most realistic one to test again.

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2. Chris Dankowski

Describe yourself

I’ve been in the tech sales space for over 14 years as an AE, sales manager, sales coach, and now as a Strategist, where I consult HUGE companies (SAP, Cloudflare, Verizon, and others) on how to refine and streamline how they enable and operationalize their sales managers and reps.

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

I love to help! I have a unique background and skillset that enables me to provide tremendous value to scaling revenue orgs, and I love being useful.

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

Fail fast and know when to pivot.

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

Sales Engagement

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

Just yesterday, a large client wanted a scorecard to socialize internally to demonstrate the impact of our work. I was able to export a few out-of-the-box reports from their instance, merge the files, set up some filtering, and use the data to tell our impact story.

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3. Dan Layfield

Describe yourself

I ran the growth team at Codecademy from 10M ARR to 50M ARR, then was a PM at Uber, and now I am a Director of Product at Diligent. I specialize in monetization, churn reduction, and retention for consumer subscription companies.

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

I love working with start-ups and helping them get unstuck. We had to figure out how to do so much on our own at Codecademy that it feels good to give back.

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

You are continuously trying to get better despite your flaws.

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

Subscription churn reduction strategies

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

I would say:

1. The knowledge of the person I’m talking to
2. How the product is laid out
3. How they’re tracking data
4. What’s on their roadmap

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4. Fabrizio Erra

Describe yourself

Emphatic, good listener, way before being a skilled Marketer.
Love to support and help people to grow, learn, and improve, as I’m the first who seeks this for myself. Be ambitious and curious, we’ll sort out all the rest!

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

Emphatic, love to help and support growth, love to make an impact, want to expose myself to more.

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

Being ambitious and curious is all that matters. These two skills will drive one to discover, test, and learn through real-life immediate feedback. All the rest is just being able to learn from one’s experience and grow day by day from that, without repeating the same mistake more than once.

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

Performance Marketing is my main expertise. Data-driven, platform differentiation, and integration to develop an interconnected, full-funnel strategy to build and scale a sustainable business.

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

• What is happening?
• Why is it happening?
• What’s the cause of this?
• What are the direct and indirect consequences of this?

Once we understand it 360 degrees, then:

• What’s the long-term solution (possibly directly acting on the cause) to avoid this problem from happening again in the future? Let’s start from there.

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5. Jamie Boyle

Describe yourself

I have 17 years of experience in high-growth tech, including two unicorns. I mix hands-on execution with advising CEOs, CTOs, and product leaders on strategy, building teams, scaling rapidly, and finding product-market fit. I’m easy to work with, and while I have broad experience, I have particular strength in data, AI, and other technical domains.

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

I’ve been mentoring since 2021 because I get satisfaction from helping/guiding others, and watching people & projects grow over time.

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

A growth mindset means being comfortable making decisions before everything is certain. You take calculated risks, accept that some calls will be wrong, and treat those misses as useful data rather than failures. The goal isn’t perfection, but learning and identifying outsized opportunities quickly.

This means knowing what you’re trying to learn with each step, being deliberate about the bets you take and the downside you’re willing to accept, and having a bias to action.

Growth also means we need to be comfortable delegating responsibility rapidly. In doing so, as leaders, we need to ensure everyone has sufficient information and authority to act independently.

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

Managing product/tech through finding product-market fit and growth phases. In particular, the combination of strategy and team building in a high-risk, high-growth environment.

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

A lot of the hard problems don’t have easy, clear answers. I start looking at the problem from first principles (e.g., what is a customer trying to achieve, what value are they really searching for?). I work through the data to try to find objective information about what is happening or some signals that we can interrogate further. I look for qualitative information like customer feedback, user recordings, or ideas from within the company.

By combining these different signals, we can come up with theories about what is most likely going on – constrained by hard evidence. From there, we can either design experiments to validate our hypothesis or make a decision on a course of action based on the limited data.

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6. Jehan Lalkaka

Describe yourself

I seek to understand how a product works and how customers buy, so I can tell the story of why anyone should care. For over 10 years, I’ve helped LinkedIn, Amazon, eBay, and high-growth startups like 15Five and Udacity grow sales by launching new products, making them easy to understand, compelling, and memorable. Can’t wait to do the same with a broader group of amazing startups at GrowthMentor.

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

I want to solve a wider set of problems related to marketing and growth.

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

Growth mindset means always thinking like a beginner. Don’t assume. Ask thoughtful questions. And be willing to change your own mind.

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

How to be persuasive in 1:1s, in group settings, and across your marketing.

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7. Josh Boone

Describe yourself

I’ve spent 20 years advising founders on growth, marketing, and strategy. I built and exited a 7-figure agency, burned out hard, sold everything, bought an RV, and spent two years driving around the US trying to figure out who I was without the work. I live with ADHD and bipolar, so I know what it’s like to scale a business while your own brain is throwing curveballs.

These days I help ambitious founders in two ways. As a fractional CMO and growth strategist, I cut through the noise, find the hidden opportunities, and show them where to focus for the biggest impact. On the personal side, I help them redefine success, get clear on what’s actually blocking their growth, and build systems and businesses that support a life that feels fulfilling and sane.

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

I help young founders figure out what’s really blocking their growth, both in the business and in themselves, so they can build companies that scale without burning them out.

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

First: What does success look like? Then, you search for the hidden blindspots that everyone else overlooks, and the areas with the biggest opportunities. Signals in the noise. Not just internally and among competitors – what are unique ideas from adjacent or completely different industries that no one else in yours is even aware of? How can you introduce B2B partnership opportunities in DTC ecom? How can customer retention strategies from the wealth management firms be used for a women’s personal hygiene startup? How do you create growth engines? How do you create a constellation of all of the opportunities across marketing channels, narrow in on the channels with the biggest impact, assemble the teams, and then ensure that they are all working in tandem across a unified strategy? How do you create those positive feedback loops? That’s business, but if you zoom out, how do you apply that to your own life? What does success look like? What are the most effective ways of getting me there? What resources do I have? What kind of partners would naturally align with this that can act as force multipliers? How can all my efforts create compound interest that I can utilize in other ways that also get me closer to my goals? All of this is about seeing constellations of opportunities and constantly reanalyzing and making the moves that create momentum and compound over time into real, sustainable growth.

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

Helping founders succeed while living with ADHD, bipolar disorder, anxiety, or chronic illness, because I’ve lived all of it. Since I’ve been so open about my own mental health and chronic illness, I have had a lot of founders privately open up to me about their own struggles. They don’t talk about it publicly because they’re worried about it hurting their careers. How clients or investors will take it. Entrepreneurs are 5 times more likely to have ADHD than the general population, and 32% of entrepreneurs have two or more mental health conditions. It’s an epidemic that isn’t getting enough attention. Typically it stops are “burnout,” but that doesn’t tell the full story of what so many of these founders are struggling with, and they don’t feel like they have many, if anyone, they can talk to about it because of insecurities and career concerns. Look, I’ll put myself up against anyone when it comes to growth strategies for startups – but the mental health side with these founders is something that gives me so much more fulfillment and meaning. It’s where the real breakthroughs happen.

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

I feel like I covered that pretty in-depth with the growth mindset questions. Happy to dive deeper into that on the call, though.

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8. Mark Mukhin

Describe yourself

I’ve spent the last few years growing apps across Europe and North America and building a few of my own along the way. I enjoy helping to cut through noise, understand users, and design experiments that actually move numbers.

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

I enjoy solving real growth problems with operators, and mentoring lets me turn my hands-on experience into fast, usable clarity for early teams.

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

A growth mindset is choosing evidence over ego, learning loops over fixed opinions, and momentum over perfection.

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

I’d mentor on paid growth done properly: grounded in channel economics, clear messaging, and a smooth post-click experience.

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

I run a quick audit, translate the patterns into a few hypotheses, test the highest-impact one, and use the results to isolate the real root cause.

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9. Nick Malekos

Describe yourself

I am a T-shaped marketer and have worked in startups for the past decade. My main expertise is SEO, but I have experience and worked in content, email, ppc, and sales, essentially passing through most marketing roles, whatever it takes to grow a business!

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

I do think mentoring is a great way to share knowledge, but also challenge myself to learn by helping others with different experiences.

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

Growth in marketing is nothing more than doing great marketing, being open to testing and evaluating channels.

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

Digital marketing.

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

The first step is collecting information, data, empirical, and qualitative. Then, brainstorming possible problems and solutions (hypothesis). We need a system to test and evaluate those hypotheses, including what it means to succeed in solving the problem, how long we can give the solution to work (and be flexible to change in the process). A problem might not be solved with the first iteration or test, and sometimes you need to test multiple solutions at the same time.

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10. Palu Bancarel

Describe yourself

I am an investment banker who mistakenly turned into a startup founder. I’ve created a few different tech companies with one successful exit. Now, I work with Shopify, helping them get into the biggest retail brands.

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

I’ve created many different companies (most failed, one was successful), and I’d love to share my knowledge with other startup founders.

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

Growth mindset means you are constantly evolving and rejecting the status quo. Never stop reiterating and making things better.

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

Getting your first big customer.

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

Continuing to ask why

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11. Patrick Nancarrow

Describe yourself

I’m the founder of TRGT – a performance marketing agency specialising in startup and scale-up growth. I have 15 years of experience in performance marketing, and 10 years of experience running a business that I took from 2 people to 80 in 7 years and successfully exited to PE in 2021. I’m very well versed in learning from my own (many) mistakes and helping others to avoid the same pitfalls.

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

I have been lucky to have had some career success. I want to be able to help others do the same, and I like working with people to improve the things that are important to them

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

A growth mindset is always looking for a positive path to improvement and never setting limits.

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

Running remote teams – I’ve been running one myself for 10 years and love discussing the topic.

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

I tend to over-analyse, which can be advantageous for (some) problem-solving, so typically my approach involves lots of thinking, asking others for their opinions, and then much more thinking.

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12. Patrick Sweny

Describe yourself

With 16+ years of GTM experience and 8+ years in RevOps leadership roles, I am passionate about solving business problems with data, technology, and process. My operational superpower lies in my ability to truly listen, understand, and build solutions that match the needs of the individuals impacted. In addition to solving problems, I have expertise in rebuilding and maturing RevOps teams by introducing management systems, e.g., Scrum, ticket management, leveling, values, and OKRs.

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

Since I was a young professional, I have participated in various forms of mentorship, and helping others is a personal core value.

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

To me, a growth mindset follows a curious individual who loves to learn and takes risks. Importantly, a growth mindset requires action, as you cannot grow if you are forever curious. Application leads to growth.

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

GTM Strategy

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

Build trust by engaging with people via sincerity, diagnose their situation by asking ‘why’ repeatedly, confirm the root cause with data or anecdotes, and then prove it by pressure-testing it with others.

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13. Ruben Lozano

Describe yourself

Hey! I am Ruben Lozano, and I work as Growth Marketing Manager at Lyssna. Besides that, I am a Content Creator and Mentor to startups that I invest in about Growth, Experimentation, Analytics, GTM Engineer, and Performance. Previously, I was working as a freelancer for B2B and SaaS startups.
When I am not working, I love sports, futsal, basketball, CrossFit, running, swimming, etc.

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

Because I want to help and inspire the next generation of young marketers

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

A growth mindset is that energy inside of you that keeps you out of your comfort zone.

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

I am doubting between Growth (Experimentation) and GTM Engineering, but probably the latter. It has been pretty popular recently, and it is so exciting to see all the new tools and the 1000 use cases that can be built.

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

I listen, and once it’s done, I start to ask why 5x. Then, I will start thinking about ideas to solve those from the last one to the top.

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14. Sebastian Utubor

Describe yourself

I’m Sebastian, and I’m here to help with all things product marketing and commercial strategy. I come from a finance/management consulting background, and have also been fortunate to work as Product Marketer at brands like Instagram, Financial Times, and Checkout.com. Across all three, my role has often focused on 0-1 launches. I’m currently at Checkout, refining our positioning, working to empower sales, and driving GTM strategy for new bets.

I’m really excited to see if all I’ve how I can help entrepreneurs, where almost everything is net new!

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

After working in Silicon Valley and moving to London, I want to feel like I’m part of creating something special here, even if it’s just providing basic advice and support.

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

An internalized understanding that with patience, trust, understanding, and commitment, you can learn or achieve almost anything.

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

Product strategy.

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

1. clarify & identify symptoms
2. break the problem into component parts
3. collect data and further context
4. collaborate with stakeholders
5. test, validate, and iterate

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15. Shalev Morag

Describe yourself

Hi, my name is Shalev Morag, and I am a Director of performance marketing with over 10 years of experience in technology and education. I lead a performance-based department and have a wealth of knowledge and skills to share with others. As a growth mentor, I am excited to use my expertise to help others achieve their goals and make a positive impact in the world. I am always looking for ways to continue learning and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in marketing.

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

To help others achieve their personal and professional goals, share my knowledge and expertise, and make a positive impact in the world.

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

A growth mindset is the belief that you can improve and develop your skills and abilities through effort and learning. As a Director of performance marketing, having a growth mindset can help you approach challenges and setbacks as opportunities for growth, stay motivated and adaptable, and foster a culture of continuous learning and development within your team. This can ultimately lead to better performance and success.

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

As a Director of performance marketing, I always had a desire to mentor others and help them grow professionally in the field of performance marketing. My focus is on helping individuals to improve and develop their skills and abilities, and supporting them in their professional growth. By mentoring others, I hope to share my knowledge and expertise and make a positive impact on an individual’s career and personal development.

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

As a leader in performance marketing, I faced the challenge of helping my team members grow and develop in their careers. To address this problem, I came up with an out-of-the-box solution: creating a customized mentorship program for my team. This program included pairing team members with experienced mentors, providing structured support and guidance, and offering regular check-ins, skill-building workshops, and opportunities for new challenges and responsibilities. By implementing this program, I was able to provide my team members with the support and resources they needed to grow and develop in their careers.

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16. Sjors van den Dries

Describe yourself

I’m passionate about helping entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of scaling their businesses. Over 10 years as a startup CEO, I grew a company from 1 to 30 people, back to 15, and ultimately sold it to a leading OSINT software firm. Today, as a Corporate Development Manager, I focus on acquiring companies that bring strategic value. Having experienced both sides of the investment table, I’m well-equipped to help entrepreneurs grow and flourish.

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

I want to be a growth mentor to help entrepreneurs overcome scaling challenges by sharing the hands-on experience I gained as a Startup CEO and Corporate Development Manager in a leading software company.

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

Accepting that growth is never a straight line

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

Preparing a company for investment, drawing on my own experience of the process and the pitfalls and enablers that can make or break a deal.

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

My approach starts with listening. Entrepreneurs know their business and customers better than anyone, and often the root cause surfaces when they’re given space to talk it through. I focus on asking the right questions—because answers discovered by the entrepreneur tend to stick more than advice handed down. Thanks to my hands-on experience, I know how to frame those questions to guide them toward real insights.

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17. Stelios Constantinidis

Describe yourself

I’m an AI leader in fintech with a 6-year track record of deploying growing AI products in a regulated environment. Active listener with public speaking experience and an outcome-focused mentality.

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

I love startups, visionaries, and innovators – would love to support them in AI if I can!

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

A narrative toolbox that unlocks existing value by consistently planting seeds.

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

How to grow AI products!

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

Seeing the problem from multiple angles and working out what happens if we change X.

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18. Stephanie Reese

Describe yourself

For the past 15+ years, I’ve worked across B2B, B2C, SaaS, marketplaces, and e-commerce. I’ve helped companies go from scrappy to scalable in the US and Europe. I’ve operated inside teams of 5 and teams of 400, owned full P&Ls, and helped build organizations that hit 8-figure revenue without drowning in headcount.

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

I love startups and want to share my knowledge. I’m also hoping some of those initially free relationships will lead to fractional engagements.

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

A growth mindset for me means systems that work, trying new ideas, and executing quickly.

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

If I only mentored on one topic, it would be setting up founders for success to get back to the parts of the business they enjoy.

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

Discussing priorities, how systems currently work, and how leaders are communicating are important to pinpointing the root cause of a problem.

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19. Yariv Drori

Describe yourself

I have diverse experience in many aspects related to digital marketing. I have managed creative teams, led innovation teams, and managed global operations groups with more than 100 employees. I worked at several tech firms, on the buy side and the sell side of media. Today, I am a chief strategy and product officer for a B2B media company with over 10k customers.

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

I want to be the person I needed when I was younger.

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

I believe that growth is a way of life, not a bank account. It is about keeping minds evolving.

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

It would be about having a clear footing about who they are, what they want, and why they want it. I believe that knowledge is key to the development of confidence and great personal and professional relationships.

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

I am fortunate to have had several such events in my career. One notable example was when I needed to solve the need for the company to scale its services globally and fast, while maintaining service quality and SLA. In 6 months, I was able to design and build a centralized, 24/hour, scalable operation that offered trafficking and QA services to 34 offices around the globe, with a unified interface.

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20. Zach Yungst

Describe yourself

I started, bootstrapped, and sold a company called Cater2.me, which is a technology-enabled B2B services business. Over the course of 15 years, my co-founder and I managed a team of 200+ people. I’m excited to help work through questions related to scaling, bootstrapping vs VC funding, team management and growth, founder / early-hire dynamics, product development, sales organization, customer service, and financial management.

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

I sold my business and would love to help people working through a similar journey.

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

Always asking how this can be improved, whether that means done faster, more efficiently, more effectively, or scaled more quickly.

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

Building a business via bootstrapping.

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

Peeling back layers by asking questions, considering all stakeholders, and taking on the perspective of the relevant audience.

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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.