Dara Treseder: Chief Marketing Officer at Carbon

Since Dara was young, she aspired to create an impact on the world. She had a lot of different ideas on what that would look like, however, she never had a specific job title in mind. Currently, Dara is the chief marketing officer at Carbon, a leading Silicon Valley-based digital manufacturing company. Previously, she was CMO of GE Ventures, GE's venture capital arm, and GE Business Innovations. Her story teaches us all about the power of resilience and believing in yourself and your capabilities. I greatly admire her mindset, her way of navigating life’s challenges, and her drive to create a stronger world. 

When was the time you wanted to give up, and what made you persevere through it?

There have been several times where I have wanted to give up. I tried to create a startup while I was working on Wall Street. I was so busy and had a lot on my plate, but I still thought I could run a start-up on the side. It really failed. I funded it with all of my savings, and I lost all of it. It was a very humbling experience for me. I realized what I was trying to do was not something I could do on the side and that there was more I needed to learn about entrepreneurship. Building a technology start-up and working full time was impossible for me to do at the same time. I always thought I could do anything and everything. But, I realized there are only so many hours in the day and the power of focusing. It shook me, but I learned so much from my experience. Obviously, at that moment, it was hard. I lost all of my money, and I had gone into some debt. It was just a horrible situation. But, I promised that I would never repeat this mistake again. I have become a stronger leader and businesswoman due to his experience. There is no glory in failure, but there is beauty and power in the learnings that come from failing. You should channel all of those lessons to propel yourself forward.

What advice do you have for others who aspire to be leaders like you?

We live in a world where it is so easy to compare yourself to others. Your journey is your own. Do not look at anyone else’s journey, and create a vision for yourself. Then, relentlessly pursue it. Chase opportunities that will create other opportunities. Optimize learning and ensure that you are evolving and growing. I am excited about the way the world is evolving. I am hopeful that our next generation of women will accomplish even greater things than anyone has imagined. You have to continue investing in learning and focusing on your own journey.

Throughout your career, what is an unexpected challenge you faced?

If I’m being totally honest, it has been challenging to be an ambitious black woman. So many people tried to put me down and get me to settle for less. I’ve had to be true to myself and hold on to my dreams. And it hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious! And I have learned to balance ambition with contentment. What fuels my ambition is my desire to show girls of color all over the world that they too can accomplish great things!

How do you cultivate a mindset to accomplish your goals?

I adopted a mindset I call a venture futurist mindset. This involves building a portfolio of powerful, futuristic ideas that propel us into our destiny. We need to make sure the ideas we are seeding could create a stronger, better future for ourselves and others. Having this venture futurist mindset has been instrumental for me. It’s helped me continuously create and capture value in the constantly changing reality of the world that we live in today. 

What is a key decision you made that helped you get to where you are today?

I tried to be intentional when seeking out mentors. People always think that the best mentors are the most senior people. But, the best mentors are the people who have time to invest in you and you have a strong connection with. My best mentors were those I had a genuine connection with and who truly cared about my future. It is important to seek out people who have the time and willingness to invest in you. 

When you were growing up, what was an assumption you had about the world that ended up being incorrect?

I thought where you went to college was the most important thing in life. It really does not matter where you go. University is just a beginning point. Where you go does not impact who you become. It is simply just a point on your journey. When one door shuts another one opens!