How has your background affected your future?

Where you grew up and your background can often have surprising effects on our lives and careers. We’ve asked folks from the community to tell us about how their background has affected them.
I grew up in China, and honestly, my childhood felt more lonely and bland than adventurous. Living away from my parents because of their jobs, I was that kid in the boarding school and then the one going to a foster family on weekends. Later, it was my grandma who looked after me through middle and high school. Read more>>
I’m from Greenville South Carolina, a fast growing city with a renaissance of an art community. The South can either make or break you. Especially when you grow up being a black and effeminate young boy. I’ve had to learn how to ignore and repel ignorance while in the midst of building my self esteem. Read more>>
I was born in raised in Venezuela – I grew up as the Hugo Chavez regime seized control of our government and quickly became extremely aggressive towards any dissent. I aspired to become a journalist and eventually started working with a local newspaper that was against Chavez – I also protested against the government through other activities. Read more>>
I was born in Manhattan, New York. Our mother in Brooklyn raised my older sister and me. I remember my mom working so hard to keep a roof over our heads. She sold Avon and would work all day, every day. We grew up in the second-worst set of projects in Brooklyn. Read more>>
I grew up in Duluth, MN. Both of my parents were/are entrepreneurs, so, I grew up around risk and leadership—those elements felt familiar to me, even if uncomfortable at times. Money was often tight in my home, and I could see and feel the financial stress when my parents were in the thick of it. Read more>>