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Anna Bao
Operations and Products Expert, Ex-founder of Kleido
Anna Bao is currently the NYC Local Lead at Future of Higher Ed, a role she has held since February 2024. In this position, she is involved in a community of over 2,000 individuals, including founders, educators, operators, investors, and advocates, focused on innovating post-secondary education and workforce development. Her responsibilities include organizing in-person events and building partnerships with local groups to promote educational innovations.1
Prior to her current role, Anna was the founder of Kleido, a career advice marketplace that connected students with professionals for career insights, which she led from March 2021 to September 2023. She has also served as a Studio Coach at Cornell Tech, where she coached master's students in developing technical products in response to industry challenges.1
Anna holds a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies in Biomedical Engineering and Business from Cornell University and has been recognized as a "Top Immigrant Leader" in New York by Primary Ventures. She is skilled in operations, product management, and process optimization, and is fluent in both English and Chinese.1
Highlights
Join us for the Women in Edtech & Workforce Picnic in NYC at Central Park!
Marissa Lowman and I are bringing together women in post secondary education for a picnic discussion on AI, featuring some 👀 special guests (more on that soon!) on Saturday, 9/14. See invite in comment for more details. We hope to see you there!
Future of Higher Ed
There's plenty of advice on how to avoid being one of the 90% of startups that fail in their first year. Research also shows that repeat and serial entrepreneurs are more likely to secure funding and to succeed. But what about navigating immediate paths after your first startup, regardless of its outcome?
I share insights from my own journey, exploring the mindset, opportunities in other industries, proven tactics, and non-obvious roles that value entrepreneurial experience. Depending on the nature of your departure or exit, I’ve included both full-time and part-time options. I hope it provides a comprehensive, transparent account of immediate steps and inspiration for both new and seasoned founders as they chart their next steps.
If you're a former founder and this resonates with you, let's connect! Please share and tag any founders who might benefit from this!
A special thanks to Ray Batra, David Fu, and others for your editorial support.
