Hi! I'm Amanda, and I'm always seeking to build something, both professionally and in my community. I've been heads down the last few years working with entrepreneurs in Mexico, both from the outside while leading an accelerator and a fund, as well as most recently trying to launch the fintech startup Oyster. Unfortunately, the venture failed, but on the bright side, that's giving me time to reflect and travel before I launch the next thing!

Outside work, I love rock climbing and salsa dancing, though I don't get nearly enough of it. I organize a monthly meet up for women in social enterprise. One of the best parts of my week is meeting up with friends to learn from them, and of course to eat and travel. I live in Mexico and it's an amazing place to explore from the butterfly-capped hills to the craters of extinct volcanos near town.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Around college I Couchsurfed in the US (Chicago), Mexico (Merida and Morelia), and Nepal (Kathmandu), and I've always enjoyed spending time with local people to get a taste of the town, even if I'm just there for a short visit. Lately, I've been hiking in Mexico City with visiting surfers and I love getting to know such different and interesting people from all over the world!

Interests

I practiced mostly Cuban salsa dancing from high school through college; rather than joining a sorority, salsa was my life and where I made my best friends. Even when I lived in Mumbai, India after college, my best friends there were salseros (yes, they dance salsa en India too!).

Then, while seeking a job on a low budget, back home in LA, I found a Groupon for rock climbing and it was love at first sight, I climbed all year and got up to about grade 11 on top rope, but then I got a job and moved to Mexico, and got head down in my work.

I still love dancing and climbing, I'm just not as intense as I once was. These days I make a lot more time for exercise, cooking, and spending time with friends.

• dancing
• cooking
• yoga
• traveling
• hiking
• languages
• climbing
• salsa
• startups

Music, Movies, and Books

Books: Born a Crime (Trevor Noah), Circe (Madeline Miller), Principles (Ray Dalio), The Hards Thing About Hard Things (Ben Horowitz), Thinking, Fast and Slow (Daniel Kahneman), Humankind (Rutger Bregman), Fear and Trembling (Amelie Nothomb), Temporada de Huracanes (Fernanda Melchor)

Music: Growing up in LA was all about underground hip hop (e.g. J5), and living in Latin America about rock en español (e.g. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs). I used to hate anything electronic, but Rufus du Sol showed me the way in. Now, I kind of like anything from Oldies to Mexican 90s pop.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Nahuelbuta, Chile. Hiked to the top of a mountain (Piedra de Águila) and across an endless landscape of Jurassic-Park-like trees, in the middle of a forest, saw the ocean in the distance. Also got nibbled by a llama while in northern Chile (Atacama desert).

Teach, Learn, Share

I have about 10 years experience in supporting startups, especially in financial technology in Mexico. Happy to jam on building businesses!

What I Can Share with Hosts

Come visit me in Mexico City! We have a plaza full of mariachis, lucha libre super hero wrestlers, Xochimilco party boats, gorgeous mountain hikes, and some of the best, most varied food on Earth!

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, England, Germany, Guatemala, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Poland, Puerto Rico, Spain, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Chile, Costa Rica, India, Mexico, United States