Here are the 17 Growth Mentors of November 2025

1. Alexandra Connerty

Describe yourself

Hey! I’m Ali, have 12+ years of experience working with growing tech companies across Europe and North America on marketing and communications topics. I’m a generalist across content, with broader experience in go-to-market planning and product marketing. I have supported over 40 companies with their value propositions and sales messaging.

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

I would like to support other growth marketers in Europe and build a community beyond my current network.

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

A growth mindset for me means having strong opinions held loosely. It means there is space for anyone in the room, no matter their title, to admit when they are wrong and work collaboratively towards a solution.

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

Talk to me about value propositions, sales messaging and product launches.

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

The root cause of a problem doesn’t appear after asking a few questions. Sometimes the same question needs to be asked a few times. I love supporting people to get to the root cause by asking guiding questions until they have the tools and perspective to see the problem.

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2. Anand Vatsya

Describe yourself

I have a pretty unrelated (but very interconnected) portfolio. Over the past few years, I’ve

• Launched 7 products as a product marketer
• Scaled outbound to six-figure revenues
• Managed $1M in ad budget with an average. ROAS of 6+

In short, I know a few things about helping companies in the 0-$1M and $1M-$10M segments grow.

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

After working in different areas of product growth & GTM over the years, I believe I have some good knowledge to share with people.

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

• Always being curious.
• Always striving for a better outcome.
• Always open to feedback to improve oneself.

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

Demand – Generation & Capture.

Today’s GTM isn’t about relying on one channel to outperform others. It’s about a multi-threaded approach where each channel, while doing its own work, needs to build on the other channels’ efforts in order to build a high-intent and qualified pipeline.

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

I like to follow the first principles approach, where I try to break down problem statements into easy-to-analyze chunks, and then reason with each to understand the gaps. This approach has helped me eliminate conformity or recency biases, which I have sometimes been guilty of latching onto in the past.

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3. Anastasia Borisova

Describe yourself

I’m a Product Leader who thrives on helping teams move from chaos to clarity. Over the past 10 years, I’ve scaled SaaS and AdTech products globally, launched bold experiments that turned into 8-figure wins, and learned that growth starts with understanding people — both customers and teammates. Mentoring is my way of paying that forward: helping others find focus, confidence, and sustainable growth.

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

I’ve seen how mentorship can turn reactive teams into strategic, data-driven ones

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

Growth, to me, is a systematic approach to uncovering and validating opportunities that truly matter — the ones that relieve real customer pains and move the business forward. A growth mindset is what keeps this loop alive: a commitment to experiment, learn, and align every insight with the bigger vision.

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

I’d mentor on building an end-to-end Product Cycle Framework — from Discovery to Development, Deployment, Adoption, and Success Measurement. Most teams struggle not because they lack ideas, but because they lack structure. I love helping them connect these stages into one clear, repeatable system that drives focus, alignment, and measurable growth.

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

I dig for the “why behind the why.” First, I gather signals from data and users to map what’s really happening. Then I break the problem into smaller parts, test assumptions, and look for patterns that repeat. True clarity comes when you see how the system creates the issue — that’s when you can fix it for good, not just patch it.

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4. Divya Sethi

Describe yourself

Hi, I’m Divya. I bring 18 years of diverse experience across global enterprise high-tech companies like VMware, NetApp, and HP R&D. Currently, I am working as a Senior Product Manager at a technology company, Nutanix, where I lead global priority products with C-suite visibility across the organization.

Through the course of these 18 years, I’ve taken on various roles — from developer, to technical leadership, to my current role as a senior product manager and led the development + launch of many successful tech products . I still remember walking up to my manager with around two years of engineering experience – A curious mind who wanted to understand how we decided what to build next, what our customers felt about the product, how everything came together and much more. I asked to get involved in pre-sales demos and go-to-market activities, and to my surprise, I was not only welcomed i,n but those meetings also changed how I viewed my product and company tech. As I look back, I think that curiosity set the tone for my product management career—and there hasn’t been a dull day since!

I have also led Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning product initiatives during my career, and I currently spend my weekends deep-diving into this exciting space. Lately, I’ve been especially intrigued by the latest developments in Generative AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP). In addition, I’m a regular product blog writer and a speaker at customer events and industry conferences.

I truly believe that even in a world full of chatbots and automation, real human connection matters. We all grow by learning from each other.
If you think I can support you in your journey, whether it’s navigating a transition, learning about or scaling in product management, or just talking things through, feel free to connect. I’d love to help!

Topics of interest

1. Product management – Career transition, career growth
2. Product vision and strategy
3. Customer success
4. Go-to-market
5. Product launch
6. Deliver value using AI/ML in products

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

I can recall several instances throughout my career when I wasn’t sure how to take the next step (for example, transitioning from engineering to product management), and each time, I wished I had a mentor.
I truly believe that my 18 years of diverse ( and interesting) work experience can be valuable to someone going through their own “I wish I had a mentor” moments.

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

To me, having a growth mindset means working on being a better version of myself every day , the version defined by me and nobody else.

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

Product management

There are several reasons why I chose this topic. Product management encompasses the entire product journey—from concept to launch. As exciting as this journey can be, it also comes with its share of challenges, including the multiple roles one has to play and the uncertainties and complexities that arise along the way. The role can also feel lonely at times, as you’re often the sole owner responsible for managing many different aspects of the product.

Having played various roles and managed multiple products, I’m hopeful that I can offer valuable guidance to peers navigating similar challenges.

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

When it comes to evaluating the root cause of a problem, one of the very first steps is not to conclude quickly on the basis of what seems like the obvious choice i.e. the first “this must be it “.

It is imperative that I think of all the possible aspects that can influence the result and not be limited to thinking inside the box. Once I have the factors jotted down, I look for supporting data points and strong data analysis can go a long way. Sometimes, the data may not be available, and I have to draw logical conclusions.

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5. Gaia Renna

Describe yourself

I am a T-shaped marketer with 8 years of experience growing a startup into a profitable business, skilled in planning and executing multi-channel digital marketing strategies. Leveraging my startup background, I specialize in finding creative, outside-the-box solutions to drive sustainable business growth.

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

I am genuinely curious about other people’s goals, ambitions, and projects, and I love helping others turn their dreams into reality. I often assist my friends for free, and I truly enjoy transforming their aspirations into practical, actionable plans. I am eager to offer my support out of passion, while also learning more about different markets and business models.

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

To me, a growth mindset is like nurturing a child—staying curious, learning from every stumble and triumph, adapting along the way, and steadily growing stronger and wiser while keeping your goals in sight.

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

If I had to choose a focus, I would specialize in advising on content strategy. As both a songwriter and digital marketer, I’m passionate about crafting messages that resonate and delivering them effectively across multiple channels.

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

I approach issues like a doctor approaches a disease: I analyze the symptoms and address the most plausible causes first while considering less obvious possibilities. I involve my team and stakeholders to ensure diverse perspectives and avoid bias.

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6. Iryna Kutnyak

Describe yourself

I help SaaS founders and agency teams bring clarity to growth. Together, we fix what feels messy – from content operations and analytics to onboarding systems and team workflows. After 10+ years in the SaaS world, I’ve learned that growth gets easier when everyone knows what’s happening, why it matters, and what to do next.

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

I guess my professional experience in SEO, content, analytics and operations is helpful for the community.

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

To me, a growth mindset means staying curious even when things go wrong. It’s about treating every challenge like a data point – not a failure. In practice, it’s the ability to look at a messy process, a dip in results, or a tough conversation and ask, “What can this teach me?” rather than “What went wrong?”

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

I’d mentor someone on building scalable operations – turning ideas into clear, repeatable systems that support growth. Because most founders don’t fail for lack of ideas or motivation – they fail when things start working too well and the backend can’t keep up.

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

I start by mapping what’s actually happening – not what people think is happening. That means asking questions, looking at data, and tracing the issue back to where the workflow or decision first broke down. Once the pattern is clear, I separate symptoms from causes – missed deadlines, for example, often point to unclear ownership or poor prioritization, not slow people. My approach is part detective work, part systems thinking: find the bottleneck, fix the process, and make sure it doesn’t repeat.

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7. James Doman Pipe

Describe yourself

I’m James — a product marketing strategist who helps B2B SaaS teams sharpen their positioning and go-to-market execution. After 15 years of learning product marketing from the ground up and scaling PMM through 12x revenue growth, I now run Inflection Studio with my friend Alicia, and I write a newsletter called Building Momentum about marketing, growth, and momentum in early-stage startups.

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

15 years building product marketing and go-to-market in B2B SaaS, looking to help early-stage founders navigate GTM!

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

I strongly believe that progress is always possible. Challenges are just opportunities to learn, not signs to stop.

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

If I had to mentor someone on one topic, it would be navigating change during organizational pivots. A constant theme in my career has been helping companies move from A to B. It’s rarely just about marketing or go-to-market strategy, but instead about reshaping how the entire business thinks and operates to reach the next stage.

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

I start by figuring out whether there’s a real problem or if it’s an alignment or perception issue. If it’s genuine, I explore the implications it’s creating and what the ideal state should look like. That gap usually reveals where the current process, decisions, or communication are falling short.

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8. Jessie Tung

Describe yourself

I started in investment banking, sharpened my toolkit in consulting, and rode the hyper-growth wave in SaaS. Now I help founders turn smart ideas into scalable growth. I’m all about mixing strategy with heart (and a bit of mischief) to make growth feel human again.

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

I want to give founders practical, no-pitch, go-to-market coaching that gets them unstuck fast, so they can skip costly detours and build kinder, smarter growth.

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

To me, a growth mindset means staying curious enough to keep learning and brave enough to keep unlearning. Whether in banking, consulting, or SaaS, the real growth happens when we experiment, adapt fast, and let data, empathy, and AI sharpen how we think, build, and lead.

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

If I could mentor on one topic, it would be helping founders design go-to-market strategies that grow with clarity and heart, using AI to simplify decisions and accelerate what truly matters. I’ve been there, working with brands like Disney, LiveNation, and Unilever, and I know what success looks like. My goal: remove bottlenecks and fast-track your growth with 20 years of hard-earned experience.

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

My approach starts with listening, not just to what’s said, but what’s not said. I map the system, surface hidden assumptions, and test hypotheses fast. Years in consulting and SaaS taught me that the root cause is rarely the symptom; it’s usually in the process, mindset, or misalignment that no one’s naming yet.

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9. Julien Schwartzmann

Describe yourself

I am a Product Leader with 13 years of experience, where I serve as Lead Product Manager and Head of AI Products, building B2B SaaS solutions for the insurance and financial services sectors. I have actively participated in bootstrapping two startups from scratch, one in the UK and one in Southeast Asia. I have also already worn hats as a founder, software developer, management consultant, product manager, project manager, account manager, and business developer. I mentor on actionable product strategy & roadmap, rapid MVP iteration, and go-to-market strategies.

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

Broaden my network and help entrepreneurs.

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

A growth mindset means I believe you get better by jumping in, moving fast and breaking things, instead of waiting for perfect plans. It’s all about being street-smart and actively listening and observing your ecosystem (competitors’ moves, consumer behaviours, clients’ unspoken needs, …). Decide at speed, then experiment, iterate and tweak as you go. Setbacks aren’t roadblocks; they’re just data to speed up the next move.

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

SaaS Product strategy and go-to-market strategy, as this is naturally the topic where I am the most experienced.

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

I live by the 5 Whys approach with active listening (e.g., “Why did the product fail ?”, “Ok, we closed some sales but retention wasn’t good, so why did customer churn ?”, etc., until I get to the bottom of it). Interviewing people in the trenches: engineers, sales, customers, … to cut through polished excuses. I dig past surface reasons or justifications (e.g., “bad market timing”, “the technology wasn’t good”, …). I also like to pair qualitative insights with quantitative ones, even better when the two indicate the same signal.

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10. Krzysztof Szyszkiewicz

Describe yourself

Hello! My name is Kris (actually Krzysztof Szyszkiewicz) – I am a passionate pricing professional and consultant by heart, brain, and choice. Currently, I am the co-founder of Valueships, a boutique pricing consultancy. Previously, I worked at McKinsey, where I honed my pricing skills.

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

I have a passion for knowledge sharing and creating an impact… and it’s fun 🙂

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

Ever-evolving curiosity and accepting change as the status quo

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

Pricing – here comes most of my experience and the topic I am most passionate about

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

Issue tree with arguments that are MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive)

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11. Lia Parkhurst

Describe yourself

I’m a strategist who helps leaders find clarity in chaos and turn complex ideas into compelling narratives. My superpower is seeing what you can’t see when you’re too close, and helping you articulate it in ways people actually understand.

What you’ll get: an honest perspective on your strategy, help untangle complexity, and the ability to communicate what you’re building in ways that resonate. You’ll have to leave knowing your story and trusting your next move.

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

I’m energized by helping people find their own clarity (and watching them trust themselves enough to act on it!).

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

To me, growth mindset is curiosity about what you don’t know, the courage to jump into the unknown headfirst, and being open to the possibility of radical transformation – even (and especially!) when it looks nothing like what you thought.

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

Strategy…and then how to communicate it clearly. Strategy is the foundation of every decision a startup makes, but it’s useless if your team doesn’t understand it. The best strategy in the world falls apart if people can’t rally behind a vision they actually get!

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

Asking lots and lots of questions to get as much data from as many perspectives as possible. Checking for understanding along the way. And, most importantly, not assuming I know more than the experts who live and breathe the problem every day.

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12. Liubov Vladimirova

Describe yourself

Hello, my name’s Liubov, I am ex-CPO of Russia’s biggest electronics retailer, leading a team of 300 developers. I believe that technology and innovations have a positive impact on global development and prefer to use a data-driven approach in product management. Love conducting UX research and going deep into numbers.

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

I would like to enrich my own experience, as well as to give back, as I was a mentee myself.

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

The most important question is ‘What for?’

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

Product management in e-commerce, because it’s a growing industry.

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

Created personal pricing functionality, which resulted in a huge impact on CR and GMV.

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13. Ofri Lehmann

Describe yourself

Hi, I am Ofri. Today, I am the VP of OPS and Product, but for the past 15 years, I have been leading in the world of technology, many years in the security and defense world, and yet at the same time, in developing a range of technologies during the Covid period. For the past 4 years, I have been an executive in a Startup and led the operations and product axis. From a small company with 10 people, we are today working on 3 continents and with 350 amazing employees and dozens more on the 3rd side. In my free time, I like to explore caves and especially enjoy good meals from my wife, the chef 🙂

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

Decades of leading projects and product processes, with the last 4 years building from 0 to a company with 350 employees. It’s time to share the experience, mistakes, and successes.

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

God is in the details, owners, goals and truly everything is possible with technology!

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

no limits, why to block

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

As mentioned, God is in the details, because to solve a problem, you must be part of it, feel it, and experience it. You don’t understand a gap by reading summaries and presentations; you understand by talking to the customer.

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14. Olga Meaurault

Describe yourself

I’m a Growth Marketing & eCommerce Leader (ex-Amazon, ex-Luxair, Startup CMO/ Marketing Lead) with 19 years of experience in B2B and B2C Marketing, App Growth, and eCommerce. I help founders and teams unlock growth, from zero-budget launches to scaling with €10M+ resources, using creative hacks, UGC, and AI-driven strategies. Having helped both startups and SMEs accelerate their growth, I’m now focusing on empowering early-stage teams to unlock their full potential, prevent errors, create viral loops, think strategically and data-driven and scale sustainably.

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

I have been a mentee at your platform for 3months now and before for 3 -6 months, and as I have 19 years of experience, I feel like I have more to give back than to get, though I continue on learning.

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

Growth mindset means for me open to learning and lifelong learning. Every day I learn from C-leaders and new young job starters, and from clients, and from peers. Being open, flexible to new inputs, progress and adapting to new technologies, this is part of growth mindset as well.

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

Startup Marketing – how to start, how to set KPIs, how to distribute the budget, how to prioritise. I love startups and as I have been working at 3 startups already in Marketing Senior positions (Senior Manager, CMO, Head of Marketing), I want to give this knowledge to others, and I also love to solve difficult cases, create viral loop,s and help them grow. I can also talk more about CRO, websites, apps, paid ads strategically, which MarTech tools to select, etc.

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

I did ICF Coaching courses (though I have not received certification), I try first to listen, to see the full picture and to ask the questions, so that the person also suggests the solutions. If a mentee asks directly, then I give several options and also ask to think about what suits best for his or her context.

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15. Paul Jentsch

Describe yourself

I’ve spent the past years leading, building, and reshaping marketing and commercial organisations through the journey from product-market fit to mature, scalable growth.

Along the way, I’ve learned what truly moves the needle across brand, acquisition, and retention — and what just creates noise.

My approach is holistic, combining strategic clarity with pragmatic execution and strong team leadership.

I love sparring with founders who want to turn vision into traction and structure without losing momentum.

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

Having built and scaled growth strategies at Bitpanda, I want to share practical, battle-tested insights to help other teams find focus, clarity, and momentum.

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

To me, a growth mindset means constantly challenging the status quo, thinking in hypotheses, and keeping the bigger picture in view. It’s about learning fast, embracing mistakes, and building a healthy failure culture — especially crucial in early-stage environments.

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

I’d mentor someone on building a holistic growth strategy — connecting brand, acquisition, and retention around a clear value proposition.

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

I start by understanding the big picture and talking to different stakeholders to get a holistic view of the problem. Then I dig into data to uncover patterns, derive insights, and form hypotheses. Competitor benchmarking is also key to understanding what “good” looks like. This approach has helped me, for example, localise and optimise onboarding flows to significantly improve conversion rates.

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16. Vennela Subramanyam

Describe yourself

I’ve spent my career building products across startups, consulting, and now Google—learning how to turn complex ideas into scalable, human-centered solutions. From leading fintech innovations to driving AI-powered learning products, I’m passionate about helping founders bridge vision and execution and build with clarity, empathy, and impact.

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

I want to become a mentor with GrowthMentor to help product leaders and founders translate ideas into scalable impact by sharing my experience driving AI-powered innovation and global learning transformations across fintech, consulting, and ed-tech.

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

To me, a growth mindset is about staying relentlessly curious — viewing every challenge, setback, or ambiguity as data for the next iteration. As a product leader, I’ve learned that the best ideas rarely emerge fully formed; they evolve through feedback, testing, and humility. A growth mindset means leading with the belief that both people and products can continuously improve — that learning fast is more powerful than being right the first time. It’s the foundation that’s helped me scale teams, shape AI-driven innovation, and keep empathy at the center of every decision.

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

I’d mentor on how to take an idea from zero to scalable reality — how to test hypotheses fast, design, and build systems that grow with the product, not against it.

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

I begin by listening to users, data, and the team. Problems often reveal themselves through emotion or friction before numbers confirm them. I trace those pain points back to where expectations or workflows break down, and then test the “why” behind them. This mix of empathy, evidence, and structured questioning helps uncover the real constraint to solve.

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17. Zhanar Baishakova

Describe yourself

I bring 30 years of experience from leadership roles at global multinationals, spanning finance, business development, R&D, manufacturing, and supply chain scale-up.

Over the past three years, I’ve mentored 20+ startups at MassChallenge Switzerland, where I was nominated as a Mentor of the Year. My passion is helping founders accelerate from proof of concept to market launch, get customer traction and become investor-ready.

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

After 30 years in multinationals, I want to share what I’ve learned and learn from younger founders. Having mentored more than 20 startups at Mass Challenge accelerator, I pursue my passion for sustainable technologies, hoping to amplify my environmental impact by helping others succeed.

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

For me, a growth mindset means learning by doing. I like to run small experiments, see what the data and people say, and then adjust fast—sometimes pivoting if needed. I’d rather ship a scrappy v1, collect feedback, and iterate than wait for a “perfect” plan that never leaves the slide deck. Progress over perfection—always.

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

Turning ideas into PoCs and MVPs fast.
Why: it saves time, resources and money by validating product–market fit early, focusing on what customers actually value and avoiding costly pivots.

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

Collect evidence and facts, analyze data, build 2–3 root-cause hypotheses, run controlled experiments, conclude and if results aren’t conclusive, refine and repeat.

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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.