Olga C.
5.0
Moved abroad x2, changed careers, got an MBA and started my own company
Studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business
Works at Khosla Ventures
Not currently taking new clients
Olga’s Career Development Qualifications
Experience level: Director
Open to working with clients outside the U.S.
Olga has helped clients get into these companies:
Let's identify the long needed change and execute on it! My career journey has been a thrilling odyssey of change, courage, and making pivotal choices. My career path has been diverse, evolving from strategy and product management roles in a big corporation, to government, to consulting, and finally culminating in me starting my own investment fund after getting my MBA from Stanford. My moves abroad and career pivots were intentional but they still demanded quite some courage and the willingness to embrace changes. I can help you with both: thinking your next step through and finding the courage to execute! If I could do it, you can do it to!
Olga can help with:
Skill Building
Career Planning
Professional Networking
Resume Review
Personal Branding
Networking Strategy
Job Search Strategies
About Olga
When growing up, I had this giant world map on my wall. I used to stare at it wondering: why was I born so far from anything else - not exposed to any other culture. As a kid, I aspired to become a true global citizen. I am passionate about helping others expand their horizons! By 2024: - I lived and worked in four countries: US, Germany, Russia, and Japan. I executed projects at scale globally partnering with cross-functional teams based in 35 different countries. - My professional background includes investing (PE/VC), public policy, business development, and product management across industrials: manufacturing, mining & energy sectors. My career highlights were looking for a perfect land plot to build a factory, spending nights in high-stakes negotiations to close a 250$ mn deal, launching the first Mercedes EVs worldwide; consulting the government of Japan on EV strategy; and, of course, starting my own company post-Stanford. - I am a dual Stanford-Harvard MBA admit (<0.5% of all applicants!). In 2023, I graduated from Stanford, where I was awarded Stanford Community Impact Award. I'm quite proud of it but I am even more proud to have been awarded a fun "A classmate who is most likely to become president/prime minister" trophy by my Stanford classmates!
Why do I coach?
I coach because my life's journey has taken me across continents and through various career paths, and I'm passionate about helping others navigate their own unique paths to success - REGARDLESS where you were born, what you studied, and what your parents think you should do. Everyone is unique and I want to help you find the right answers! When I think back about my own career, I can attribute my success to my own work ethics AND to the great mentors I was fortunate to meet. I believe in the transformative power of education, experience, and mentorship, which is why I am passionate to coach talented young people from around the world to help them reach their true potential.
Work Experience
Chief of Staff
Khosla Ventures
January 2024 - Present
Chief of Staff at a premier venture capital firm known for its early investments in Open AI, Impossible Food, RocketLab, DoorDash, Ultima Genomics - and other companies changing the world every day! I love my job because I work alongside visionary individuals from all over the world, helping them thrive in good and bad times.
MBA Summer Intern
Government of Japan
August 2021 - September 2021
Advised the Government of Japan in Okayama prefecture on clean transportation strategy, including policy proposals, stakeholder engagement, and public awareness campaigns. 4-weeks on-premises engagement.
MBA Summer Intern
EPAM Systems
June 2021 - September 2021
Identified business opportunities in Clean Transportation & Energy sector, leveraging EPAM's cloud, V2X, and energy management capabilities to develop proposals for potential clients (oil and gas, utilities, renewables, EV companies) and presented recommendations to company’s top-management.
Product Manager
Mercedes-Benz
March 2018 - August 2021
Promoted to join a highly selective headquarters-based CASE team (connected, autonomous, shared & electric) to lead strategic projects, driving electrification of the brand: - Led an interdisciplinary team to develop and execute charging program for Mercedes’s global dealer network, resulting in construction of 7000+ on-premises chargers worldwide. - Developed and executed product strategy for critical EV software (charging, payment, navigation) kicking-off Mercedes’s ultra-fast electrification with +210% in EV sales by 2021. - Managed strategic partnerships with e-Mobility Service Providers in Europe and the US, defining project scope and negotiating business deals, enabling access to 530k public chargers to 70k users. - Coordinated PM teams globally to run user research, competitive analysis to ultimately expand product offerings and enter 35 new markets including Europe, China, Japan, and the US.
Business Development and Strategic Partnerships
Mercedes-Benz
September 2014 - February 2018
Oversaw execution of a strategic $250M investment in construction of a manufacturing plant to supply Russia & Central Asia: - Coordinated a cross-functional and multicultural team through all project steps from investment DD, feasibility, site selection through business structuring, risk management to the groundbreaking ceremony - Managed multiple stakeholder relationships to deliver a successful outcome, including joint-venture partners, federal and local government, and local communities - Secured >$30M in state support to build the factory by negotiating a private-public investment agreement between Mercedes and the Federal Government, one of the largest FDI deals of the decade - Conducted regulatory analysis to help the executive team navigate the complex regulatory environment and leveraged industry associations to influence policies on taxation, procurement, and import regulation
Olga was also given offers to work at
Citi
Education
Stanford Graduate School of Business
MBA
2021 - 2023
Dual admit Harvard-Stanford MBA. Selected by Stanford Alumni to receive Stanford Community Impact Award,
Higher School of Economics
Bachelors, Economics
2010 - 2014
Awardee of national debate championships // Potanin Foundation Scholar // TOP10% of the class
Olga was also personally admitted to
Harvard Business School
Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern)
15 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
Knowledge
5.00
Value
5.00
Responsiveness
5.00
Supportiveness
5.00
Olga has helped clients get into these schools:
Olga has helped clients get into these companies: