Why did you decide to become a mentor?
I decided to become a mentor because I was incredibly fortunate to have several fantastic mentors myself, whose guidance put me on the fast track to success in my career. Experiencing firsthand the transformative power of mentorship inspired me to give back and offer that same impactful support to others. Initially, I started mentoring organically, after numerous people reached out to me on LinkedIn asking for career guidance and advice. Eventually, someone recommended MentorCruise as an ideal platform to formalize these mentorship relationships.
I absolutely love mentoring here because the people I've mentored so far have all been genuine A-players. All of my mentees are people have been people that are driven and are committed to achieving big career goals. It’s incredibly rewarding and an honor to play a role in their career journeys, and see how they reach their milestones and transform their careers.
How did you get your career start?
My career truly started with an incredible mentor named Nannette. She was a mom of two, had a PhD, and somehow still managed to run three successful businesses. Nannette encouraged me to start my very first venture—a nonprofit called MINTORME, which offered STEM mentoring to children in Germany. Through that experience, I hands-on learned the essentials of leadership, from assembling and guiding a team of 25 volunteers to onboarding and managing three dedicated program managers. As a software engineer by training, these were essential entrepreneurial skills—pitching, fundraising, and financial management—that I never encountered during my studies, making the hands-on learning experience incredibly valuable.
Looking back, those foundational experiences were absolutely pivotal. The confidence and practical skills I gained with Nannette's support accelerated my growth, allowing me to advance rapidly in my subsequent industry roles at Siemens. Without her mentorship, I wouldn’t have had the courage or capability to embrace the challenges that shaped my career path and enabled the professional success I enjoy today.
What do mentees usually come to you for?
Most of my mentees fall into one of two categories: They are either non-technical individuals looking to deeply understand and leverage AI—especially generative AI—in their businesses safely and effectively. And I also get a lost of requests from professionals that work in roles at risk of being replaced by (AI) automation, whom I guide in pivoting toward more secure, AI-aligned careers. Recently, given the current job market conditions, I've also supported many recent graduates struggling to land their first role, as well as full-stack and cloud engineers eager to transition into AI-driven positions.
I don't follow a fixed mentorship template because each mentee has unique goals, experiences, and learning styles. Instead, I adapt my approach individually, combining clear, structured goal-setting with practical, hands-on experiences—like supervised capstone projects, system architecture designs, or detailed code reviews. My goal is to provide my mentees both with the required knowledge and, importantly, build real-world confidence in applying AI skills to their own career paths.
What's been your favourite mentorship success story so far?
One of my favorite mentorship stories involves a mentee who came to me full of great ideas but unsure how to bring them to life. Initially, she just wanted some guidance with a small AI-based capstone project. Together, we explored, designed, and refined her concept—step by step transforming her basic MVP into a real, paid service.
As a serial entrepreneur myself, I genuinely love seeing mentees elevate their projects from simple MVPs to fully functioning products. It blows my mind to witness someone grow dramatically within just a few weeks, stepping confidently into the version of themselves they've always aspired to become—and then setting even bigger goals to keep pushing forward. This is exactly what a "growth mindset" means to me. And it's moments like these that make mentoring feel incredibly rewarding.
What are you getting out of being a mentor?
I think there's a common misconception that mentorship is a one-way street, where the mentor simply provides guidance to the mentee—but that's not how I see it. For me, mentorship is very much a two-way exchange. Yes, I bring experience, knowledge, and insights gained from my own successes and challenges, but there hasn't been a single mentoring session where I haven't received something valuable in return. Sometimes it’s discovering fresh perspectives, other times it's learning a completely new concept, or simply experiencing the joy of seeing someone thrive and grow.
Each interaction enriches me personally and professionally, and our conversations often become mutually inspiring. Mentoring consistently deepens my understanding, broadens my horizons, and reinforces my own growth mindset. It's a rewarding journey where mentor and mentee learn and grow together, making every session genuinely fulfilling.