Mentor Corner: Meet Monica Feregrino
Mentor Corner is a monthly feature highlighting the incredible contributions made by our mentor network to our venture community.
At entrepreneurship@UBC, we are privileged to work with a pool of 250+ mentors across the Vancouver and BC innovation ecosystem who invest their time, expertise and insights into growing the early-stage ventures of tomorrow. From entrepreneurial leadership development to scaling venture creation, our mentor network is fundamental to what we do here and we are excited to introduce you to them in our monthly feature, Mentor Corner!
Meet Monica Feregrino.
Monica has been a part of entrepreneurship@UBC's Mentor Network for the past 9 months, working with venture teams across our CORE and Lab2Launch Venture Building programs including Sarcomere Dynamics, GeoGen and Dynamic Mirage.
Monica is an Operations professional with 25 years’ experience, currently the Vice-President, Operations at Minesense Technologies and CEO & Principal at REDI Consulting. An Electrical Engineer with a Masters in Manufacturing Engineering, her career has involved managing complex business initiatives, including daily operations, operational excellence, manufacturing, capacity, capital planning, team management, quality, supply-chain selection, contractor hour management, vendor partnership, and resource rationalization. She has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Influential Women in Canadian Supply Chain by the Supply Chain Canada Association, and as a 2020 Top Immigrant in Supply Chain.
Learn more about how Monica works with ventures as a mentor, what advice she’d give to our community and the most important lessons she’s learned along the way.
How did you get into mentorship? What brought you here? What keeps you coming back?
Early on my career I learned the value of being a mentee, understanding that relationships and broad knowledge will enable you to see things differently. It is always important to broaden your horizons; your career may see you working with a wide range of people and it is important that you are able to relate. I have been a mentor in my professional field and know in UBC I get to support entrepreneurs in areas that they are just starting to develop in. I am also amazed by the energy and drive, and great ideas that give everyone involved an opportunity to learn.
"It is always important to broaden your horizons; your career may see you working with a wide range of people and it is important that you are able to relate."
- Monica Feregrino
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your mentorship career?
I have learned that it is a small world, and people that you network with are really important. Also that mentor / mentee relationships will help you to grow and that they will challenge you. Now that I have a solid career, I see it as an opportunity to pay back all the great support that I had on my career.
Working with early-stage startups, you have the opportunity to make a huge impact on the founders you are working with. What impacts have founders made on you?
Founders have taught me endurance and fortitude, reminded me of the passion to follow a dream and that great imagination and problem-solving ideas that can turn into great business in years to come
If you could impart one piece of sage advice for our community, what would it be?
Develop relationships and truly nurture them, take the time to check on them, say hi and smile, you will never know what the future will bring.
"Develop relationships and truly nurture them, take the time to check on them, say hi and smile, you will never know what the future will bring."
- Monica Feregrino
What book are you reading? What playlist are you listening to? What is the app you can’t quit?
I am reading The Motive by Patrick Lencioni. For Playlists I have Top Latino Hits to keep me moving and I am obsessed with cooking: I love to learn new recipes and master them.
What would you share with mentees?
It took me years to realize that some of the most valuable lessons and tools are really simple actions. For me, it was learning how to say no...spend time developing and caring for yourself and give time to the people or projects that you care for, always keeping a balance.
Thank you Monica for your expert insights and continued impact on our community!
Are you interested in joining our mentor network? Learn more here.