Blog

Name

Jeffrey Williams Navarro

What is your hometown or home base?

San Juan, Puerto Rico

What did you do prior to Tuck?

Most recently, I worked at YouTube managing music publishing partnerships in Latin America. Before that I worked in YouTube’s legal department — this is back when I thought I may go to law school (didn’t happen)!

What made you want to be part of the CDS fellows program? What is the best part about being involved with the center so far?

I’m the type of person who follows a variety of tech blogs and news in my free time. The idea of regularly meeting with a community of peers that were equally curious and interested in discussing current events in digital technology and its implications on the business world and beyond — with the added benefit of faculty guidance! — was extremely appealing. 

As for the best part, I’ve loved the support I’ve gotten from Patrick and Carolyn on my fellows research project. I’ll wake up with emails from Patrick featuring articles, offering to connect me with contacts for informational interviews, and generally giving support and helping me hone it. I’m excited for what the end product will be!

What other activities are/were you involved in at Tuck?

I’m a director for the Tuck Social Venture Fund, a co-chair for Tuck’s chapter of the Consortium for Graduate Students in Management, member of HASA, ski racing Wednesdays, ski and snowboard club, and a team member representing Tuck at the Venture Capital Investment Competition; we won first at regionals and are going to the global finals!

What has been the biggest growth moment at Tuck, where you stepped out of your comfort zone? What did you learn from that experience?

Adjusting to living at Tuck was much more difficult than I initially expected. I had never lived in New England nor anywhere nearly as remote and cold as Hanover and going back to being a full time student after working for 7 years was tough. I also transitioned into a long distance relationship with my partner who I had been living with prior to Tuck. It took me some time to find my people and place in the broader community and appreciate the charm of Hanover, which I now love. My advice for first or even second years that are still going through it is that it’s completely normal, everyone struggles a bit and to reach out and ask for help. Out of the difficulty comes amazing opportunity and it’s well worth it!

What CDS opportunities or experiences have you learned the most from your time at Tuck so far?

My CDS fellows project has been a source of immense satisfaction and learning. Seeing firsthand the power and depth of the Tuck network as I reach out for informational interviews makes real what I’ve heard about so often. Before that, I didn’t quite get it. But having conversations with such brilliant people that were incredibly keen on helping me was a phenomenal experience that took my project, curiosity and learning to new heights.

What class at Tuck pushed your thinking the most?

Early Stage Venture Capital Workshop (now a practicum!) by Jim Feuille. A great hands-on course I’d recommend to anyone remotely interested in learning more about what a venture capitalist considers and works on. It’s a big time commitment but well worth it.

What books are you reading, podcasts are you listening to, or shows are you watching?

I read a lot of tech blogs! My favorite is Ars Technica, and I also read Y Combinator’s Hacker News, 6 Pages, The Verge and Tech Crunch. For podcasts I regularly listen to Breaking Points by Krystal and Saagar and the Daily by NYT. As for shows, I’m watching The Last of Us (huge fan of the game) and second season of the White Lotus.

What advice do you have for Tuck students interested in tech- and digitally-focused career pathways?

First, be curious: read about the current happenings, understand the trends, and determine what you see yourself doing in the very broad field that is digital technology. Second, have an opinion: what does your experience and knowledge tell you about the current happenings? What’s your hypothesis? Third, engage with the world. Talk to your peers, your network, help mentor someone and look for a mentor yourself. Above all, believe in yourself and apply for that role!