Kevin Oye has been a mentor for EforAll’s program since 2014. Kevin has also volunteered as an EforAll application reader, specialist and serves on the local advisory council.
Kevin is the Executive Director and Professor of the Practice at the Gordon Institute in the School of Engineering at Tufts University, where he is responsible for driving the Institute’s mission to teach leadership, business, and purpose principles to students from high school to undergraduate to graduate school and throughout their professional careers, equipping them with the agency, skills, and mindsets to lead impactful lives. Along with a faculty of 44 faculty and 10 staff, Kevin and his team create and deliver academic and co-curricular programming for all Tufts students, inspiring and enabling them to incubate their innovation and entrepreneurial mindsets and develop their business and leadership skills, all with deep purpose. In addition to his leadership responsibilities, Kevin teaches classes in innovation, entrepreneurship, and strategy at Tufts.
How did you first hear about EforAll?
I was the Vice President of Systems and Technology at Sycamore Networks, Inc. founded by Desh Deshpande. When it was announced that Desh Deshpande was providing the initial funding to create what would ultimately become Entrepreneurship for All, I jumped at the opportunity to be a Mentor and give back.
How would you describe being a Mentor?
It’s an absolute blast! I get to watch entrepreneurs discover themselves, cheer them on when they’re successful, and watch them build their confidence.
What initially inspired you to give back?
I’ve always felt incredibly lucky that I didn’t have the struggles my parents faced. As Japanese Americans on the West Coast during World War II, they were not always welcomed. Both families were swept up in President Roosevelt’s executive order requiring all people with Japanese ancestry on the West Coast, including U.S. citizens, to be removed from their homes and placed in internment camps. Yet even after World War II, when they were not allowed to return to their West Coast homes, they never complained. When they were allowed to leave the camps for the East Coast, they received help from the American Friends Service Committee, the Quakers, in Philadelphia, who welcomed them and helped them find housing and resettle in the Philadelphia area where they rebuilt their lives. Ultimately, giving back is the reason we’re living in this world, as you realize how interdependent we all are. It’s a beautiful thing, it’s a humbling thing.
What is it about EforAll that compelled you to volunteer 31 times since 2014?”
Inspiration. While I initially started mentoring as a way of giving back to the community, I quickly realized how much I was learning and being inspired by the EforAll entrepreneurs, as they are often taking a big step away from being part of someone else’s operation to creating their own businesses, giving them the agency to be their own CEOs, while also generating opportunities for others to join their ventures. Our future will depend on creative leaders such as our EforAll entrepreneurs, to define the businesses and roles of the future. It’s a joy to help them.”
What are your most important words of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs based on all you experienced through your mentoring with EforAll?
Fall in love with the problem, not the solution. Dig deep to build your business around a challenge that addresses both functional and emotional needs. By choosing a meaningful problem, you’ll stay motivated and creative, evolving your solution and approach as you grow and times change.
Do you have a specific EforAll mentor experience that was rewarding or significant to you, and why?
Wow, I love all my children! But if I were to single out the one common trait of those entrepreneurs who I see as role models, it’s the grit and determination of the ones who jumped in full-time with no safety net to build businesses from scratch. Several examples include Laurin Mills with the Dinner Daily, Kesiah Bascom with Offbeat Compost, Maryelle O’Rourke with Maryelle Artistry, Debra Fowler with History UnErased, and Neftaly Medina with Kitchen Animal Catering. They all demonstrated grit and unfailing determination to succeed, with the humility to be open to being coached and changing their solution while being laser-focused on serving their customer needs. They truly demonstrate the EforAll values and impact.
How do you approach mentoring an Entrepreneur?
I’m a big fan of asking questions. I get into listening mode and really enjoy learning about the vision an entrepreneur has for their business and their big why.
What is your favorite part of being a Mentor?
It’s watching that light bulb moment when an entrepreneur is no longer looking for validation, they simply have an idea and can see the opportunity to advance it.
What makes a good Mentor?
You need a mindset that is curious about learning, and you need to have empathy towards an entrepreneur and their journey.
What advice do you have for entrepreneurs?
“To thine own self be true.” William Shakespeare