Meet Sasha Pines, CoS at Grow Therapy and Primary Mastermind Network Founding Member
Read how Sasha Pines's background in community building and strategy consulting at Bain helped her land her role as CoS at Grow Therapy, a health-tech startup making mental healthcare more accessible, and the lessons learned along the way.
As a CoS Mastermind Founding Member, Sasha has witnessed first hand how the network has grown exponentially. With each new member comes a new set of knowledge, perspective, and experience that make the collective network so powerful. Interested in joining? Apply here.
Can you walk us through your career journey to date? How did your interests and/or values help shape where you landed?
As a first-generation Middle Eastern woman, I developed a passion early on for empowering women. I’ve channeled my entrepreneurial spirit towards building communities around this mission, first via co-founding Vanderbilt Women in Business and then later co-founding Aspire to Her for businesswomen navigating the first decade of their careers. After college, I joined Bain & Company to get top-level training on strategic problem solving and how to think like a CEO. After nearly 3Y, I felt ready to translate those learnings in a more operational capacity at a startup with a social mission. As employee #5 at Grow Therapy, a healthtech startup making mental healthcare more accessible, I get to wear many hats and really get my hands dirty building a company from scratch alongside an inspiring team.
How did you land the CoS role at Grow Therapy? What advice do you have for others who are looking to transition into early stage tech from a different industry?
In any company, it’s all about the people. This sentiment is especially true at early stage startups where so much is subject to change and pivot. So when I was looking to transition into operations at a tech startup, my #1 priority was finding a team I really believed in. To do this, I relied heavily on my network and asked mentors, “Which entrepreneurs do you really believe in?” A trusted former colleague at Bain introduced me to the founders of Grow, and with his endorsement of the team, I knew I found my people.
What has been the most rewarding part of the role so far? The most surprising and/or challenging?
The most rewarding part of my role is all the relationships I’ve formed with our amazing therapists. Every therapist in Grow’s network is passionate about helping others, and it’s meaningful to help them open and grow their own private practices so they can focus on their clients. Grow Therapy is growing (punny!) fast, and with each new state we launch to, we’re helping provide a service to people that need it now more than ever after COVID.
What is something you are very good at? How did you develop that skill? What advice do you have for someone working on it?
Bringing good energy to the room! Growing up in CA in all that sunshine definitely gave me a head start :) It’s important to me that people feel supported, empowered, and happy. I try to be generous with compliments and recognition, and share a positive perspective in every situation.
How has networking amplified your career?
The foundation behind both Vanderbilt Women in Business and Aspire to Her has been connecting aspiring businesswomen with mentors. Through building these communities, I’ve met so many kick-ass female leaders that care deeply about uplifting others. Networking has allowed me to build meaningful relationships with mentors that really serve as role models for me. They inspire me to have bigger ambitions and provide advice along the journey. The CoS Mastermind Network in particular has greatly expanded my network for seeking advice, gathering best practices, and identifying new opportunities in the tech space.
Who is someone that you admire that you’ve learned from? How have they influenced your career, your thinking, your approach?
The best aspect of any Chief Of Staff role, in my opinion, is getting to work directly with company leaders. I’ve learned a ton from Jake Cooper, Grow’s CEO. He’s super scrappy, knows how to hyper prioritize against a larger strategic vision, and has built a culture in which every voice matters. I’ve learned a ton from observing Jake’s leadership style. He’s found an ideal balance of providing direction while also giving his team runway and true ownership; it’s clear to all of us that he believes in his team. If you’re interested in applying, check out our job opportunities here!
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