Mariangela Smania, CEO and Founder at AlmaXP
Mariangela is the CEO and Founder at AlmaXP, which offers tailor-made learning expeditions and programs that are transformative based on a unique combination of art and entrepreneurship. Between 2014 and 2015, Mariangela was a representative of SRI International (Stanford Research Institute) in Brazil, working in business development with innovation hubs in the state of Santa Catarina. Residing in Silicon Valley since 2006, Mariangela has also lived in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain. By immersing herself in all these different cultures, Mariangela developed an interest in human behavior and what makes us unique. She’s passionate about art, creativity, innovation and helping others develop a growth mindset: enabling them to make a difference in the world by opening doors to possibilities. She has exhibited her artwork in Europe and in the United States, including at Tercera Gallery in Palo Alto and at the San Francisco Design Center.
Q: Why do you choose to spend your time mentoring others?
A: Coming to Silicon Valley, I met very interesting people, and they were not only humble but also very generous with their time. Through them, I gained different perspectives and clues on how to rethink a problem I was facing. If I can be helpful to anyone, I would like to be just like those early mentors in my life because they were very helpful to me in many aspects. I’d like to pay it back and help others; in the same way, I was helped by my mentors.
Q: What do you personally gain from mentoring?
A: I love to learn from others and in fact, I think we do learn a lot from and through others. By giving my time to mentor others I also receive a lot in return. I learn from different perspectives, businesses, backgrounds, which enriches my life, both personally and professionally.
Q: To what do you attribute your success?
A: I attribute a big part of my success to having met amazing people that helped me although I didn’t have a background in business. You see, I’m an artist. My background is in art. Some of these people gave their time to help me because of who I was, not because of the degree I had or where I had studied. I feel privileged that I had them, and they changed my life completely.
Q: What does good mentoring look like to you?
A: Good mentoring is more listening than giving answers. A good mentor encourages the mentee to go deeper by asking questions that clarify goals and assumptions. Sometimes we believe things we haven’t questioned in a long time, and they are not always true. A good mentor asks powerful questions to uncover the true intention behind a goal or a statement. Also, a good mentor creates a safe space where the mentee can be open and candid. One of the key elements for mentors is that they don't need to give you all the answers but listen and guide you in a certain direction. One of the biggest contributions a mentor can make is to uncover hidden potentials and enlarge the mentee’s network.
“Sometimes we believe things we haven’t questioned in a long time, and they are not always true. A good mentor asks powerful questions to uncover the true intention behind a goal or a statement.”
Q: How has mentoring impacted your own journey?
A: What I’ve realized through mentoring is that you can learn from anyone, from someone younger, from someone older. This concept of reverse mentorship has allowed me to learn from people in different fields and different stages of life. That for me has been hugely helpful. And today I'm learning so much with my grandchildren.
Q: What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a mentor?
A: I would encourage a new mentor to review the material provided by Ceresa. I found it very helpful: it gave me a different perspective on how to introduce things and how to ask important questions. A good question can open the door for other possibilities without judgment.
I would also encourage a mentor to be vulnerable in the stories they share. And by doing that, you're offering a space of trust and safety to the mentee so that they, in turn, can be comfortable sharing as well.
Q: Why do you choose to mentor with Ceresa?
A: I had the privilege of meeting somebody special through a course that I took at Stanford. And she happened to head the Mentor Program at Ceresa and approached me to be a mentor. Mentoring with Ceresa opened a path that I did not consider before. Sometimes you don't know how useful you can be for somebody. I had the privilege to see my mentee grow and to meet other mentors who are helping other people. It’s something very special and I thank you for the opportunity.
Mentorship: integral to the Ceresa whole-person approach
At Ceresa, mentorship is an integral part of our leadership development process. The mentor-mentee relationship is a key component in providing the structure, and at the same time fluidity, necessary to facilitate pointed leadership and career growth for both the participant and the mentor.