Top 10 Mentors in Product on Upnotch
- 1 day ago
- 10 min read
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Great products aren’t built alone.
They start with curiosity, collaboration, and the guidance of someone who’s been there before. The right advice at the right moment can accelerate your growth, clarify your next move, and help you make decisions with confidence.
At Upnotch, we shine a spotlight on the mentors who make that possible—experienced product leaders who bring practical knowledge, strategic insight, and a genuine desire to help others succeed.
This February, we’re excited to feature 10 outstanding mentors in product. From founders and product leads to senior managers and technical product experts, they represent diverse industries, perspectives, and career journeys. What unites them is their dedication to helping others navigate challenges, refine their thinking, and achieve their goals.
Meet the Top 10 Mentors in Product and discover how thoughtful guidance and real-world experience can inspire your next career move.
Upnotch is completely free for professionals, making mentorship and guidance accessible when it matters most.
Dan Sears |
Dan Sears is a Chief Product Officer in AI and a seasoned executive with over 20 years of technology leadership experience, including roles as Director, VP/GM, and CPO. A three-time entrepreneur, he has led product, data, AI, engineering, partnerships, product marketing, business development, and client success teams across 24 companies in eight industries. Dan specializes in building and commercializing high-growth enterprise products, particularly in frontier technologies such as LLMs, machine learning, NLP, recommendation systems, and data platforms. With 15 years of experience operationalizing AI and data products and more than $700M in attributable revenue tied to his work, he brings a rare blend of technical depth and commercial acumen, shaped by leadership roles in both pre-IPO startups and global enterprises.
As a mentor, Dan offers direct, practical guidance grounded in real-world experience scaling products from concept to product-market fit. He has supported high-potential professionals in navigating career transitions, stepping into leadership roles, strengthening executive presence, and advocating for themselves with confidence. Known for his curiosity, empathy, and active listening, Dan creates a space of trust and psychological safety while also challenging mentees to do the work required for meaningful growth. He is especially well-suited for product leaders, AI and data professionals, and ambitious operators looking to grow in high-change, high-growth environments.
Praise for Dan |
Scheduled just the first intro call with Dan and he was very generous with his time to go deeper into helping me gain perspectives around bringing AI to our products. It's a privilege to work with someone like Dan who's got deep insights and is kind enough to share them with you without reservations.
Sandeep Kowshik |
Sandeep Kowshik is a Senior Product Manager with over a decade of experience leading strategic product initiatives across cloud communications, fintech, retail, and travel. Beginning his career as a software engineer, Sandeep brings a strong technical foundation to his product leadership, combining systems thinking with a deep commitment to user-centric design. He has launched global products, led cross-functional teams, and driven data-informed decisions in fast-paced, growth-focused environments, making him especially effective at translating complex ideas into impactful, scalable solutions.
As a mentor, Sandeep offers practical, hands-on guidance rooted in real-world product challenges. He supports aspiring and early-to-mid-career product professionals in sharpening their product sense, building compelling strategies and roadmaps, and leveraging metrics to drive smarter decisions. His expertise spans agile product development, stakeholder management, ecosystem partnerships, and breaking into product management from technical roles. Sandeep is an ideal mentor for those looking to transition into product, level up in their current role, or confidently navigate the next stage of their product career.
Praise for Sandeep |
I had a fantastic call with Sandeep. He listened to my current reality and was able to empathize but also quickly cut through the noise and strategize. It’s clear that he’s a seasoned product manager. I was very grateful for his actionable insights and the great resources he shared with me. Thank you Sandeep!
Jasmine Yadeta |
Jasmine Yadeta is a Senior Product Manager for Mobile Apps at Ticketmaster, currently based in Los Angeles. Originally from Vancouver, BC, she began her career in iOS development before expanding into eCommerce and tech operations, ultimately transitioning into product management. As a first-generation university graduate and a woman of color in tech, Jasmine brings both lived experience and technical depth to her work, combining strong execution skills with a passion for building inclusive, user-centered products.
Beyond her role, Jasmine is a writer and advocate dedicated to increasing access to tech careers—particularly product management—for women and underrepresented communities. She is building a free, interactive resource hub designed to support new graduates and mid-level professionals breaking into the industry. As a mentor, Jasmine is especially well-suited for aspiring product managers, career pivoters, and early-career professionals looking for practical guidance, representation, and encouragement as they navigate the tech landscape.
Praise for Jasmine |
Jasmine has been such a fantastic mentor during our session! She really helped me grasp some key product management fundamentals. I especially appreciated how she guided me towards relevant learnings and made the sessions so relatable. I feel much more confident thanks to her guidance.
Dutch DeVries |
Dutch DeVries is a seasoned technology consultant, instructor, and interim strategic program leader (often serving as Head of Product) with more than 30 years of experience orchestrating complex, multi-stream initiatives across eCommerce, finance, education, healthcare, and enterprise platforms. A lifelong technologist, Dutch combines deep technical fluency with strong business acumen, aligning organizational goals with scalable technology strategies. He has led enterprise-scale programs including a $52B federal modernization effort spanning 17 organizations and seven product teams, as well as multi-billion-dollar strategic roadmaps and high-stakes transformations that preserved millions in revenue.
Dutch specializes in stakeholder alignment, KPI- and SLA-driven execution, risk mitigation, and influencing without direct authority in highly matrixed environments. He is particularly skilled at translating complex program data into clear, actionable insights for executive leadership while maintaining accountability across cross-functional teams. As a mentor, Dutch is an excellent fit for product leaders, program managers, and senior operators navigating large-scale digital transformations, executive communication challenges, or high-impact strategic initiatives.
Praise for Dutch |
I really enjoyed connecting with Dutch and appreciated his honest feedback on the positioning document I asked him to review as well as his willingness to share helpful and relevant resources!
Tal Berin |
Tal Berin is a Product and Business Advisor and Co-Founder & CEO of Stealth. With over 18 years of experience in tech product leadership—including Director, VP, and CPO roles—and a decade in consulting, Tal has led strategy, product, design, and engineering initiatives across multiple sectors. A two-time entrepreneur with a background in military intelligence, he brings a rare blend of operational rigor, product vision, and firsthand insight into how sensitive data risk manifests inside complex organizations—particularly as AI reshapes how information is created, shared, and governed.
Tal has worked closely with CISOs, security operators, and privacy leaders to understand where traditional security approaches fall short, especially in fast-evolving, high-stakes environments. As a mentor, he offers practical guidance, strategic clarity, and candid feedback grounded in real-world leadership experience. He is especially well-suited for founders, product leaders, and security professionals navigating data governance, insider risk, AI-driven transformation, or the challenges of building and scaling in emerging technology spaces.
Praise for Tal |
Speaking with Tal was incredibly helpful for me. He not only gave me actionable feedback, both tactical and strategic, but changed the lens through which I view my role and how I interact with stakeholders. Priceless! Thanks a million Tal. Can’t wait to put this toolkit into practice.
Yashar Ahmadpour |
Yashar Ahmadpour is the Co-Founder and CEO of Impressive, a platform built on a bold idea: the future of creation should not belong only to engineers. A serial startup founder with deep experience across AI, FinTech, InsureTech, and HealthTech, Yashar has spent his career turning complexity into clarity. He has led product and customer experience initiatives that helped companies scale from early traction to meaningful industry impact, always with a sharp focus on user journey and true product-market fit.
Impressive was born from his belief that AI has changed the rules. In less than a minute, from a single written request, users can generate a complete agentic business ready to sell—with monetization switched on from day one, their own brand, customers, and revenue. No prompts. No coding. Just idea → business → revenue. Yashar is building what he describes as a movement toward creative independence—where imagination, not technical skill, determines who gets to build.
As a mentor, Yashar brings founder-level insight, strong product intuition, and a global perspective shaped by growing up between cultures and speaking four languages. He is especially well-suited for founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, and product builders who want to sharpen their thinking around product-market fit, AI-powered innovation, and building companies that make creation more accessible to everyone.
Praise for Yashar |
I had the pleasure of working with Yashar Ahmadpour as my mentor, and I was thoroughly impressed with his contributions. Yashar's ability to provide valuable insights and thought-provoking ideas helped me strengthen my business case and proof of concept. His expertise and guidance were instrumental in taking my project to the next level. I am extremely grateful for his mentorship and look forward to learning even more from him in the future.
Galen Takamura |
Galen Takamura is a Senior Technical Product Manager at Amazon Web Services and an Army veteran with over a decade of experience leading large-scale technology initiatives. Known for his ability to organize complex programs and align cross-functional teams, Galen has successfully scaled global projects and operations valued at over $100M across both the private sector and the U.S. Department of Defense. He specializes in digital transformation, operational efficiency, and translating strategic vision into measurable outcomes through strong collaboration, stakeholder alignment, and data-driven decision-making.
Outside of his work in technology, Galen is also a dedicated community advocate and accomplished B-Boy (breakdancer). As a former performer with the Seattle SuperSonics Boom Squad and a member of the renowned Seattle dance group Massive Monkees, he uses movement and mentorship to empower youth in his community. Galen is deeply passionate about helping others unlock their potential and is especially committed to mentoring veterans transitioning into civilian careers, as well as individuals from non-technical backgrounds looking to break into the tech industry.
Praise for Galen |
Galen was incredibly helpful in giving me insight into a career as a project manager. He shared his background in the field and provided valuable advice on how I can approach becoming a project manager myself. I am grateful for his guidance and look forward to scheduling another session with him to review my resume.
Victoria Kouyoumjian |
Victoria Kouyoumjian is a Fractional Product Marketing Executive at Clinker Brick Group LLC with a career spanning application development, product management, technical marketing, and product marketing. Beginning her career as a developer, Victoria built a strong technical foundation that has shaped her work across B2B cloud environments, including SaaS and IaaS solutions for mid- to large-enterprise organizations. Over the years, she has contributed both as an individual contributor and a people leader, helping organizations translate complex technologies into clear, compelling market strategies.
Victoria has spent much of her career championing thoughtful leadership and representation in tech. One of her proudest milestones was becoming the first female technical product manager to deliver a keynote at a former employer’s international user conference attended by more than 13,000 people. As a mentor, she brings a well-rounded perspective on navigating careers across product, marketing, and technical roles, and is especially valuable for professionals looking to bridge the gap between technical expertise and go-to-market strategy.
Praise for Victoria |
I want to give a huge thank you to Victoria Kouyoumjian for an incredibly insightful mentoring session this week. Her perspective on product marketing — especially how to think about audience, value, and adoption — reframed how I’m approaching PromptliAI’s early branding and go-to-market plans. I left our conversation feeling both grounded and energized.
Josh Pepper |
Josh Pepper is the Head of Product, RCS for Business at Google, where he leads initiatives that enable businesses around the world to communicate with their customers through trusted messaging channels. Throughout his career, Josh has built and scaled impactful products across major technology companies. At Microsoft, he led teams that launched Cortana for Car, collaborating with research teams, applied scientists, and automotive partners to create multimodal in-car experiences. He later served as Vice President of Real-Time Operations at Axon, where he helped develop live audio and video streaming capabilities for police body cameras, and went on to lead Product at Panopto, where he built the company’s product management practice and introduced AI-driven capabilities in higher education.
Josh is known for putting the customer at the center of every product decision, often immersing himself directly in user environments to deeply understand real-world challenges. As a mentor, he brings a thoughtful, candid, and highly practical approach, offering guidance to entrepreneurs, product leaders, and executives navigating complex product challenges. His mentoring style is accessible and constructive, helping others strengthen their product thinking, leadership skills, and ability to build innovative solutions that solve meaningful problems.
Praise for Josh |
Josh is always amazing! I had such a great time during our session today and as before, he was very kind and generous in giving detailed feedback and insights on how to better reach our target clients. I'm always moved by his sincerity to help me and my business grow. I feel lucky and grateful to have found a life-changing mentor :)
Rina Segrud |
Rina Segrud is a Product Lead at AbbVie with nearly 20 years of experience across technology and product roles spanning hospitality, cultural heritage, payments, fintech, and biopharma. She specializes in leading enterprise product initiatives in complex, regulated environments, where clarity, alignment, and thoughtful systems design are critical to success. Throughout her career, Rina has stepped into ambiguous situations and helped teams move forward by establishing structure, strengthening cross-functional collaboration, and creating scalable processes that drive meaningful outcomes.
Her work has included initiatives in privacy technology, responsible AI, enterprise learning platforms, go-to-market web enablement, and platform modernization. Known for her people-first leadership style, Rina emphasizes psychological safety, empathy, and intentional communication to help teams make better decisions and deliver consistently. As a mentor, she is particularly well-suited for early-career product professionals or individuals transitioning into product roles who are looking for guidance on navigating complex organizations, building strong product instincts, and growing into confident product leaders.
Praise for Rina |
I am truly grateful for the incredible session with Rina. I gained invaluable insights and have a clear set of actionable next steps to move forward. The guidance was both enlightening and practical, and I am eager to implement her advice. I look forward to our next meeting and the continued opportunity to learn from her expertise.
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