Back from maternity leave... again!
It's been a while...
Last time I wrote an update, I was 8 months pregnant with Emilio "Lio" Naz (now 16 months old). Today, a year and a half later, I’m returning to work after welcoming Tiago "Tito" Kai into the world this spring.
Baby pics, you asked? I post plenty on Facebook and Insta (mostly in my stories), and the very occasional (and very adorable) video on TikTok. Here are a few shots of the fam from a wedding in Georgia last month:
In other news, I started a new role at Capital One building out a ventures team within our Card organization. I’m not quite sure what it will look like yet (I started right before going on leave) but the gist is that we’ll be identifying potential new startup ideas to incubate internally, as well as commercializing existing internally-developed software products. I’ll also be starting an Executive MBA at Darden in the fall, thanks to the generosity of Capital One and my wonderful support network. To make time for work, my EMBA, and my family, I’ve decided to step back from teaching – I had a wonderful time serving as an adjunct at American University’s Kogod School of Business last semester, and I hope to reclaim my “Professor DeSorrento” title sometime in the future.
We have a busy summer ahead with work, trips to Rehoboth Beach, a vacation to Costa Rica (“vacation” is a strong word when traveling with 6 kids), weddings, and a week in Charlottesville to kick off my MBA. (We already fit in a trip to Capri/Rome and a week at the beach this month... feeling very fortunate!)
What’s your latest? I’m always so thrilled to see replies with updates :)
Awesome reads (and listens)...
(I’m still on my presidential memoirs kick, but I did fit a couple non-memoirs in over my mat leave!)
For those of us with tweenage girls at home, my friend Christine Virgin just published her debut middle age novel, The Beautiful List. The story follows a young girl as she identifies what’s beautiful and what’s not, learning about herself along the way. For those of us with young girls, this book can serve as a conversation starter on body positivity and self-confidence.
For those of us who are looking to challenge our core assumptions, The Address Book by Deirdre Mask led me to question how I think about place and privilege. She explores the role of physical addresses in the past and present, and the many implications of having not having one (e.g. favela-dwellers, the homeless, folks living in the middle of nowhere). It’s one of those nonfiction books that couldn’t be effectively shortened into a Sparknotes – it was compelling all the way through.
For those of us who are looking for deeper dives into today’s hot button issues, I’ve recently started listening to a podcast called Left, Right, and Center. The moderator is a political centrist, and they bring in two thoughtful panelists (one conservative and one liberal) to discuss the week’s most newsworthy political issue. I appreciate that they spend at least a half hour really drilling into one area so that I can better understand it from both sides, and (hopefully) be more empathetic towards people who think differently than I do.
For those of us spending wayyy too much time in cars with kids, check out the podcast How to be an Earthling, a fun pod for both kids and their grown-ups. Congrats to my baby brother Joaquin for his hard work on it :)
Brilliant stuff my friends are building...
For those of us with chronic headaches or migraines, try out the Allay Lamp, Ajay Kori's latest venture. It uses a narrow band of natural light that helps soothe headaches, increase focus, and promote better sleep.
For those of us who are into skincare, check out Omi. After filling out a survey on my skin needs and sharing my current skincare product list, I received extremely detailed feedback on my current routine, as well as helpful advice on what products to cut and what to add. They also have a dermatologist on retainer that answers all my skincare (and haircare!) questions via email… all for $30 per quarter. (Yes, I’ve told the founders that they need to charge more!)
For those of us who enjoy the occasional drink out, test your drinks for drugs with a Knope testing kit the size of a stick of gum (if only our COVID tests were that simple!). Congrats to Danya Sherman on a thoughtful pivot to get there!
For those of us passionate about innovation in talent and HR, check out SHRMLabs WorkplaceTech Accelerator's Demo Day on Thursday. David Wilson has been hard at work bringing this accelerator to life for a couple of years now, and I'm looking forward to checking out the first cohort of companies.
For those of us who care about sustainable fashion, look out for brands leveraging the New Norm Fabric, made from Red Solo Cups and other previously non-recyclable materials. Lauren Choi started experimenting with the idea while at Hopkins, and is now piloting the product.
For those of us with a bit of a shopping problem, download Beam Impact so that your favorite brands donate to your favorite nonprofits every time you swipe. Viveka Hulyalkar just closed a $13M round to grow this awesome company - congrats!
Sending some love...
To Arvin Ahmadi, Kelly O’Malley, Christine Virgin, and my brother Joaquin for being so generous with their feedback on my latest writing project (stay tuned!); to Rebecca Yarbrough and Lisa Valverde for helping with my B-school app; to Alaina Breton, Anita Fiori, Abbey Gibson, Katja Heini, Lindsey Shields, Katie Toste, Christine Virgin, Kristy Wilmer, and Caroline Zorc for helping me better understand myself; to our au pair Laura Jimenez Londono for loving our kids (and even FaceTiming them every day from her vacation); to my totally insane parents for watching our kids (incl. a baby that’s not sleeping through the night!) while Tonio and I traveled solo in Italy… and then volunteering to “vacation” with all eight of us three more times (Rehoboth Beach, New York, and Costa Rica) this summer; and to my husband Tonio for being unfailingly supportive as I pursue the many parts of my identity (student, professional, writer, parent and wife).
Thanks for skimming this email and being a part of my journey!
🚀Onward and upward,
Amelia
