Hey, I’m Tarek
I’m a DC-born, SF-located guy in my late twenties, living my own version of the California dream: sci-fi and startups, sunshine and surf.
Above all else, I value family. So it’s hard to live all the way across the country from them. But there’s a beautiful paradox in that I wouldn’t be here pursuing my dream and working to make an impact on the world without all of the love and encouragement they’ve given me.
I love reading sci-fi books and learning about the tech behind sci-fact startups, and I wrote a newsletter for a bit that talked about the latter (on hiatus for now).
I’m currently focused on learning about neuromodulation, personal nutrition, how not to go all in (some things need a tapered entry, e.g. running), and how best to set up feedback loops for quick learning.
I’m the BizOps guy at Octant Bio, where I’m lucky to be able to have fun, learn something new, and move the needle pretty much every day. I take on projects across ops, finance, investor relations, HR, marketing/communications, IT, and more– the perfect training environment for me considering my ultimate goal of becoming a founder in the mental health space.
I’m an ENFP on the Myers-Briggs scale and an enneagram Type 7. I’m an optimistic extrovert with a tendency to be slightly more silly at times than I probably should be. I’m scrappy; I’ll use sticks and stones if that's what’s needed to get the job done, but usually I’m also creative enough not to need to go that primitive. I like to push limits and dance along the line, mainly because it’s a great way to discover what’s possible but also because I think it’s an energizing way to live life.
A contrarian belief I strongly hold is that the common advice of “don’t tell people your plans, show them your results” actually handicaps anyone actually working towards a goal– if you don’t tell people where you’re going, they can’t help you get there. Not talking about the future also ruins the ability to answer one of my favorite no-small-talk ice breakers, which is “what are your hopes, dreams, and fears.”
So there you have it, a smidge of me that’s hopefully a good introduction to the whole of me. I’d love to meet you, please reach out and say hey!