Here we go again - Thank you for the good things in 2024!

2024 kept me very busy: A new job in a new industry mostly in person at our Silicon Valley headquarters (~30 min commute), while being a mom of two under five with Lucas in German preschool and Francesca at Spanish daycare, never ending construction... Overall, there are many things to be thankful for and I'm excited about what 2025 holds in store. Therefore, per tradition, I want to share this year's highlights with you.

JANUARY

I reconnected with a few long time friends who passed through San Francisco. Reconnecting with my network and meeting new people was definitely the bright side of my job search. I invested the time not knowing which conversation would lead me where... 

You can see my old Mission apartment in the background...

FEBRUARY

As I navigated my job search, I started a LinkedIn series inspired by the #NeverSearchAlone theme to share insights, inspiration, and recommendations to empower and uplift fellow job seekers. I am extremely grateful to my friends Giulia and Anne-Sophie for co-working sessions, motivational support, and accountability checks.

I used AI to illustrate my social posts

MARCH 

I volunteered as an election poll worker during the California primary elections. It was a long day and not many people voted in person, however, some dropped off their ballots with us and I enjoyed being a part of the process. At this point of the race, I was still hopeful for the election outcome and had no idea how tumultuous the 2024 campaigns would turn out to be... 

APRIL

My parents were visiting us to spend time with Lucas during spring break and meet Franci for the first time. Due to our construction they couldn't stay with us but luckily found an Airbnb in walking distance. 

Enjoying gluten free pizza at Piccolo Forno in North Beach for Oma Schlingel's birthday

MAY

I turned 40 and spend a weekend with friends in a beautiful Airbnb in Sebastopol. Highly recommended!

Cannot wait to come back here for my 50th or sooner...

JUNE

After a three month long interview marathon, I joined the Program Management Office at Zoox to make cities safer, cleaner and more enjoyable with our autonomous ride-hailing service. 10 years ago I moved to Silicon Valley to work on groundbreaking technology that has a meaningful positive impact on people’s lives. And now I get to work on building the future… of urban mobility! 

It's not a car - it's a robotaxi

JULY

In July we spent more time off in Sonoma enjoying the hot weather, beautiful Redwood trees, healthy California cuisine, old school mini golf, local swimming pools and more!

Spain, France, Brazil and Germany represented at the pizza table; 

Airbnb brought us together many years ago.

AUGUST

The reward for good work is more work: When two coworkers left Zoox, I inherited the company wide quarterly planning effort while immediately starting to recruit for the role. It feels good to be on the other side of the job search again. Zoox is hiring across teams. Please, reach out if you're interested in joining us and you find a role that is a great fit: zoox.com/careers.  

SEPTEMBER

After recovering from COVID, I spent a weekend in Carmel Valley with some close friends - the first time in more than four years spending a night away from the kids with good conversations, food and hikes - definitely worth repeating on a more frequent basis. 

OCTOBER

Lucas and I went on a whirlwind trip to Germany for my niece's 2nd birthday and baptism. It was fun to see him engage with his cousins, aunts, Oma & Opa and experience Kirmes and other attractions in my home town.

Welcome committee at Münster's small airport.

NOVEMBER

After the election results left me in shock, I turned to what matters most: spending time with friends and family on Thanksgiving and beyond. I vouched to be back for the fight for democracy but needed some time to come to grasp with reality first.

 Happy holidays!

DECEMBER

Frohe Weihnachten - feliz navidad - happy holidays!!!

I wish you all happy holidays with your loved ones and hope to see you in 2025! 

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Here we go again - Thank you for the good things in 2023!

2023 was full of change: A promotion, a layoff, interesting consulting projects in the generative AI space. A new family member, Francesca, a transition from Spanish immersion daycare to German preschool for Lucas. A major construction project... Overall, there are many things to be thankful for and we're excited about what 2024 holds in store. Therefore, per tradition, I want to share this year's highlights with you.

JANUARY

When I moved to San Francisco in 2015, the Sushi Girls were born: A group of smart German women who network over Sushi. 

 On Jan 24, we met at the German specialty store Lehr's for a get together.

FEBRUARY

Baby moon with a toddler: We spent the long weekend over Presidents' Day in Tomales and Tomales Bay. 

We love the gluten free food and public pier at Nick's Cove.

MARCH 

After almost a year of data gathering and pitching a robust business plan, I got promoted to lead Course Hero's international expansion. Little did I know that my team would be impacted by layoffs after just a few months... 

I shared a few thoughts about tech layoffs with German media:

• HR2 DER TAG: LEBBE GEHT WEITER
• WDR 5:  HIRE AND FIRE IM SILICON VALLEY  
• HANDELSBLATT RETHINK WORK: SCHWANGER, JOB WEG – UND FROH: KATI SCHMIDT AUS SAN FRANCISCO ÜBER IHRE ENTLASSUNG
• HANDELSBLATT: ENTLASSUNGEN DER TECHRIESEN TREIBEN DIE INNOVATION
• DEUTSCHE WELLE: VOLATILITY IS AN ‚OPPORTUNITY‘ FOR STARTUPS

Painting class with my former coworkers - sponsored by Course Hero's LatinX and Women ERGs

APRIL

It is fun to explore cultural holidays and traditions through the eyes of a child, so we didn't think twice when Carlos' colleague invited us to his family's annual easter egg hunt at his Hillsborough farm. Turns out I still know how to spot some colorful eggs. 

At Mike's Easter Egg Hunt.

MAY

Welcome to the world, Francesca! We're so excited - and exhausted - now that you are here.

Born May 23, 6:28 am, 3,735 kg, 49 cm

JUNE

The future is here: Five years ago, I first experienced a self driving Waymo ride. Back then, there was a human as a backup driver who had to interfere a few times as we got stuck in traffic. This time the robot was in full control. The ride felt almost boring and safe.

Thanks to Stephan I got early access to ride a self driving Waymo.

JULY

Lucas turned three. We're impressed with what a gentle big brother he is, enjoy his fun mix of Spanish, English and German and are proud that he (almost) mastered potty training.

Happy birthday, Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Feliz cumpleaños!

AUGUST

Lucas started at Kinderhaus, German preschool. He enjoys being part of a small group of nine children and four teachers, started speaking German to me, enjoys the arts, craft and baking, soccer on Tuesdays and socializing with his new friends.

Baby shark...

SEPTEMBER

After a long winded process, the Building Department approved our permit and green lit our major remodeling project. Finally! Carlos couldn't wait for the construction to start, I cannot wait for it to be done. 

Future livable space

OCTOBER

Francesca started at daycare with Mony & Lily. They have been like family to us, Lucas had a great time there, picked up his Spanish and manners, potty training and spent the night when Francesca was born. She will be so spoiled.

After a half day strike, she decided to take the bottle. Phew!

NOVEMBER
Since I moved to the US, fall is my favorite time of the year thanks to Halloween, Thanksgiving and pumpkin patches. Per tradition we celebrated Friendsgiving with our closest German friends in the Bay Area. Earlier in the month, a delegation from my alma mater, Hamburg Media School, was in town and I was happy to host them here in Silicon Valley. 

At the German Consul General's Residence in Hillsborough

DECEMBER

December was a busy month with all the festivities around Nikolaus, St. Martin and Christmas. Despite the job market cooling down towards the end of the year, I am helping You.com with their initial outreach and actively interviewing at a few tech companies. And I finally got around to getting my right ear (otosclerosis) operated on - with success: My hearing has already improved tremendously. My good friends Kerstin & Henry got married in SF City Hall asked me to be their witness, which I happily accepted.

New Year's resolution: Fit everyone in one photo

I wish you all happy holidays with your loved ones and hope to see you in 2024! 

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Here we go again - Thank you for the good things in 2022!

Almost three years into the global COVID 19 pandemic, life has returned to a new normal including socializing with friends, family reunions, traveling and yes, getting COVID. There are many things to be thankful for. Therefore, per tradition, I want to share this year's highlights with you.

JANUARY

We knew it would hit us sooner or later, so we were almost expecting it when we tested positive for COVID 19 in January. Luckily our symptoms were cold like and manageable. However, we experienced the struggle as working parents with a toddler at home during quarantining.

Going for a beach walk at Fort Funston

FEBRUARY

On the bright side, having just recovered from COVID 19 allowed us to travel without quarantining afterwards, so we booked a spontaneous trip to Maui's West Coast in February.

Lucas glasses only stayed on for the duration of this photo

MARCH 

The German and French Consulates hosted a joint panel in celebration of International Women's Day. I left the audience with some pragmatic tips of small things everyone can start doing right away to promote gender equity: 

• call out BS
• don't accept lame excuses like "there are not enough female speakers/candidates/etc"
• celebrate women and female role models (not only on 3/8)
• seek out female networks of peers, mentors and role models or start one
• recruit/promote/fund women and URM whenever you have the chance - it will be worth it

After addressing the ongoing frustrating lack of representation of women in tech, 

we ended with a positive outlook 

APRIL

It is fun to explore cultural holidays and traditions through the eyes of a child, so we didn't think twice when Carlos' colleague invited us to his family's annual easter egg hunt at his Hillsborough farm. Turns out I still know how to spot some colorful eggs. 

Our daycare surprised us with this hilarious photo

MAY

My parents were visiting us for three weeks in May, spending a lot of time with their grandson and exploring California as well. 

Lucas with his German Oma & Opa

JUNE

While I am no longer hosting my own podcast, I really enjoy being a guest on other's. Here are some of my 2022 highlights:

• Wunderbar together podcast: Wie gründet man richtig, Kati Schmidt?
• Deutsche Welle interview: Volatility is an 'opportunity‘ for startups
• Elpha Spotlight: How to build a thriving remote work culture

It was great to meet Felix and reconnect with Ollie whom I have known since 2016

JULY

We spent our summer break close to Almería, Spain, right at the beach with Carlos' family. Lucas turned 2 during that time, which earned him his own seat on the plan (and the full fare). Just an hour after our return, my cousin Anja and her family visited us for a week as their last stop of their California road trip. We enjoyed having the house filled with people and laughter.

We rented a boat to fish and swim for an afternoon

AUGUST

My employer Course Hero has become a virtual first company post pandemic. Field Day was one of the occasions for the team to get together, volunteer and socialize. 

Here are some other causes I supported in 2022:

• When We All Vote
• ACLU Foundation 
• Weave Incorporated
• Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Fund
• Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund

Marketing team picture

SEPTEMBER

We got some great news in September - stay tuned.

We're expecting a little girl in May 2023

OCTOBER

My sister Nina and her high school friend Jessica visited us for two weeks in October. We enjoy having people around and Lucas makes sure to keep them busy. My other sister Susi gave birth to her second daughter Nora, my goddaughter.

Nina, Lucas and Jessica in Dolores Park

NOVEMBER
Since I moved to the US, fall is my favorite time of the year thanks to Halloween, Thanksgiving and Pumpkin Patches. Per tradition we celebrated Friendsgiving with our closest German friends in the Bay Area.

Another beautiful shot by our daycare

DECEMBER

We closed the year out with Course Hero's holiday party at the Exploratorium and a trip to Germany where I caught COVID 19 again - coming full circle. 

There's a lot to be thankful for this year. Aligned with one of Course Hero's values 'Always Learning' I want to give a shout out to my coach Cindy Greig and the Reforge community. I highly recommend investing in personal and professional growth via coaching and taking the Growth Series and Finding Product Market Fit classes - even if you're not a product manager. Hopefully your employer is as supportive as mine.

Silly photo booth shots with my team at Course Hero's holiday party

I wish you all happy holidays with your loved ones and hope to see you in 2023! 

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Here we go again - Thank you for the good things in 2021!

As I am reflecting on 2021, despite the roll out of a vaccine against COVID-19, we're still in the middle of a global pandemic. We've shown resiliency and become used to the new normal. This year wasn't easy but there are still many things to be thankful for. Therefore, per tradition, I want to share this year's highlights with you.

JANUARY

I love California especially in winter. On the holiday in honor of Martin Luther King, we were able to spend a day on the beach with friends. You can read my thoughts about the Capitol insurrection on January 6 here or listen to my Clubhouse interview here (both in German).

Enjoying the beach at Fort Funston

FEBRUARY

Carlos turned our outdoor jungle into a useable patio with a hammock and a fire pit. I helped a tiny bit by laying a few bricks myself... 

Having an outdoor space allowed us to host small gatherings during the pandemic.

MARCH

Lucas took his first steps around 9 months. 

Enjoying the weather in the South Bay with friends

 APRIL

Carlos and I were eligible to get our first vaccines against COVID-19. I got the Pfizer BioNTech shot - celebrating German-American collaboration. 

Thankful to the scientific community and healthcare workers

MAY

Lucas nannies spoiled us with guest passes to the zoo and the aquarium. To Lucas all animals are wauwaus. 

Some wauwaus in the water

JUNE
With less than a year, Lucas took his first flight to Europe to meet his Spanish grandparents for the first time.

Lucas was a trooper on his first flight

JULY

We celebrated Lucas' first birthday in Madrid. My alma mater Hamburg Media School interviewed me for their alumni podcast series. You can listen to it here.

Happy Birthday, Lucas

AUGUST
We toured the beautiful Stanford Campus with Lucas and friends. Whenever I go there, I am as in awe as I was when I was writing parts of my MBA thesis in Stanford's library in 2010. 

Future student?

SEPTEMBER
Being at Course Hero, a virtual first company, allowed me to work remotely for six weeks from Europe. We took Lucas to the beach in South of Spain and he met my parents and sisters for the first time. We were thankful that we were able to spend so much quality time with our family especially as Lucas grandmother passed away.

Sitting by the pond at my parents'

OCTOBER

Fall is one of my favorite seasons in the US, starting with Halloween, spending time with friends during Thanksgiving and celebrating the holidays. 

Very proud of my pumpkin that lasted for 2 days

NOVEMBER

Hailey interviewed me about being a remote manager here. We hosted a small Thanksgiving with some friends at our place. 

Happy Turkey Day

DECEMBER
In December, we celebrated a major milestone at Course Hero Inc.—we raised $380M in Series C funding to help further our vision towards a rich and dynamic learning ecosystem to meet the evolving range of study needs for today's learners. We will be celebrating Christmas at home in San Francisco again this year.

Lisa and I met the new German Consul General Oliver Schramm at the German Mafia Christmas Event.

I wish you all happy holidays with your loved ones and hope to see you in 2022! 

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Despite everything - Thank you for the good things in 2020!

2020 was an unusual and hard year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and its tragic (mental) health and economic consequences, police brutality that led to social unrest, and a shameful last term of the Trump presidency. However, on a personal note, there are so many things to be thankful for. Therefore, per tradition, I want to share this year's highlights with you.

JANUARY

I became a US citizen in January. Together with 1,358 immigrants from 99 countries, I celebrated my dual American-German citizenship in Oakland's Paramount Theatre of the Arts. This formality allowed me to participate as a voter in the Democratic primaries and the historic presidential election.

🇺🇸🇩🇪 Welcome to America! 🇺🇸🇩🇪

FEBRUARY

After the big ultrasound, we officially shared the good news that a baby boy would join us in July. As a fourth of Course Hero's workforce are parents, my manager and colleagues reacted wonderfully when I told them. While this SHOULD be the case, I encourage all mamas and papas to be to share their news proudly. Bonding time is really important, and parents add new perspectives to their work upon return. 

👼🏼👼🏼 Hello, world! 👼🏼👼🏼

MARCH

Carlos' birthday was one of the last social gatherings with friends before the city, state, and the country went into a COVID-19 lockdown. While we didn't know it back then, it was good to see our group of friends and share many hugs without distance nor masks.

🎈🎈 Feliz cumpleaños! 🎈🎈

 APRIL

After getting a private showing, we made an offer for a Victorian single-family house in the Mission. After moving in we realized, that we have common friends with our direct neighbors and that Philipp who I know through the local German community lives on our block as well. Small world!

🗝️🏡 Home sweet, home! 🗝️🏡

MAY

Due to working from home and sheltering in place, most of my pregnancy passed by almost unnoticed. Our good friend and talented photographer Natalia took some incredible maternity pictures of us to capture the last moments of just the two of us.

 📸📸 by @nataliaborecka 🙏🏽🙏🏽

JUNE

Our friends threw us an outdoor baby shower with socially distanced small groups of guests in four shifts. Thank you, Olivia, Ana & Natalia for organizing this special day.

🍼🍼 The final countdown... 🍼🍼

JULY

After a neighborhood hike in Bernal Heights with my friend Katja, Lucas was born two days ahead of his due date. 

💛💛 Thankful to the hospital staff for taking great care of us. 💛💛

AUGUST

The three of us got to know each other better during my maternity leave. Despite what most Europeans think, California has a similar paid family leave policy and most tech companies like my employer Course Hero offer a parental leave of 4-6 months.

⚽🇩🇪 Honoring our German heritage ⚽🇩🇪

SEPTEMBER

My friend Christian Byza interviewed me for his OMR #SiliconValley Update on my journey from rural West Germany to Silicon Valley, Airbnb's IPO, Women in Tech, and Currywurst. Listen to the full episode here. While I stopped hosting my own podcast, it was great being back on air again.

🎧🎧 My Silicon Valley Update 🎧🎧

OCTOBER

Whenever the little guy allowed I volunteered with MoveOn texted undecided voters in battleground states. I also donated via Act Blue and took some time to review all local ballot initiatives and voted early by mail. 

💌💌 Voting early by mail 💌💌

NOVEMBER

Through my friend Vanesa, we found the best daycare for Lucas. His nannies are native Spanish speakers, pick him up and drop him off, send us many pictures of him during the day, and cook delicious meals. I got so much peace of mind, that I could jump right back into work (from home).

🍛🍛 Yummy home-cooked dinner 🍛🍛

DECEMBER

At 36 years this is the first Christmas I am not spending at home with my parents but with Lucas and Carlos in San Francisco. We even got our own Christmas tree. We hope that we can travel to Europe for Lucas to meet his European grandparents next year. 

🌲🌲 Natural born Santa Claus 🌲🌲

I wish you all happy holidays with your loved ones and hope to see you in 2021! 

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