STUDENT IMPACT STORY
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CDO Helps Student Make Career Switch into the World of Venture Capital
anting to make a bigger impact in the world of healthcare, Thomya Goode, MBA ’21, came to the University of Michigan Ross School of Business to prepare for a career in venture capital (VC). The Knoxville, Tennessee native had been working in the medical device space, working in several engineering roles for a San Francisco Bay area healthcare company. “I realized I wanted to have a broader impact, and wanted to touch more devices than the one to two I was working with,” Thomya recalled. “I wanted to invest in multiple startups that were healthcare-related.” Michigan Ross was an ideal place to facilitate this career pivot.
credible — something I felt would ensure her success regardless of which career path she chose.” Thomya’s chosen career path has landed her back in the Bay area, working as an investment associate for Rhia Ventures. The company’s mission is to “create a vibrant U.S. market for sexual, reproductive, and maternal health that produces equitable outcomes for all.” It accomplishes this through direct investments, technical assistance, and shared resources in companies working toward this goal. Securing this job was proof to Thomya that she made the right choice in attending Ross.
“I have a lot more I’d love to Soon after beginning her Ross experience, Thomya was introduced accomplish, but right now it’s my dream job because it’s what I came to the Career Development Office (CDO) and took part in its to Ross to do,” she said, running through a checklist of her job “wants” Functional Accountability Career Teams (FACT) Groups, through when she came to Ann Arbor. “I wanted to pivot from working at a large, which second-year students help first-year students navigate their stable company building medical devices to supporting entrepreneurs industry career paths. In weekly meetings, the small groups review who want to do the same. I wanted to have that experience, and I resumes, check timelines, examine pitches, and wanted to do it on a diverse team in the identify companies a first-year student may be “CDO is a really important resource, especially Bay area who not only wanted to be able interested in contacting. The VC FACT Group for people switching careers and need a little bit to scale healthcare, but also with a focus on was in its inaugural year during Thomya’s first underrepresented communities. It just so of guidance and support in understanding the happens that the place I landed does all of those year at Ross. new world they’re trying to move into. Having things. I feel like I have landed a role that really those dedicated resources, people, and ideas in aligns well with me.” “The group helps you start to learn how to recruit, how to talk to others from Ross in the that office is a major help.” career you want, and walk you through the Thomya is grateful to have had access to CDO process,” she said. One of her first contacts at resources as her career pivot was taking shape. CDO was Christina Strong, associate director and MBA career coach. “CDO played a big role in me getting the right job for me,” she said. “Thomya showed up every week with a positive attitude,” Strong said. “They get us to ask ourselves, ‘What is it that we’re looking for?’ How do “I think that she was successful in finding a role that was, in her words, we tell our story? How do we present ourselves to the jobs we’re looking her ‘dream job,’ because she was patient, focused, and put in the work to for?’ Thinking back, it makes me say to myself, ‘You came, you saw, you land the right job for her. Those traits will serve her well in her career.” conquered. You got exactly what you were looking for.’” Thomya also worked closely with Imari Love, CDO associate director of finance. Love said the MBA student’s career focus stood out immediately. “Thomya is equipped with the rare combination of being able to both think clearly and communicate clearly,” he said. “Once you start speaking with her, it instantly becomes clear that she is genuine, passionate, and
The career-development services Thomya received were made possible in large part by the Michael Gross Student Success Fund, established by Michael Gross, BBA '83, and the Career Services Student Success Fund, established by Bryan Marsal, BBA '73, MBA '75. These funds were created with the goal of providing students with the resources needed to plan and secure successful careers upon graduating from Michigan Ross.