Kintsugi, a fast-growing Berkeley-based mental health startup, is scaling up across multiple roles and all levels of experience to help shape the future of mental healthcare.
We are a lean team of hard-working, thoughtful, and curious individuals. The work at Kintsugi is a mixture of highly independent and collaborative, where team members are excited about problem-solving and often take initiative for project ownership. At Kintsugi, members have an opportunity to create solutions and meaningful impact while being a part of a team that is passionate about scaling access to mental healthcare. We are excited to welcome ambitious and talented people into our empathic community. Today we highlight Vedaad Shakib, our Machine Learning Engineering Intern!
Vedaad graduated this past month from UC Berkeley with a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS); he will be returning to UC Berkeley in the fall for an MS in EECS. At UC Berkeley, Vedaad specialized in machine learning and researched novel ways of using synthetically generated data for computer vision in UC Berkeley’s RISE Lab. Having dealt with anxiety in the past, Vedaad is excited to be able to work on a product that has the potential to help people struggling with the same issue.
About Vedaad
University, Class, Major: UC Berkeley, Class of 2021, BS Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Job title: Machine Learning Engineering Intern
Fun Fact: My dad and I share the same birthday.
Why did you choose Kintsugi when on your job search?
When starting my internship search, I knew that I wanted to work for a small, early-stage startup for the chance to work on more impactful, end-to-end projects and contribute more directly to the company’s mission. I’m also interested in creating my own startup down the line, and I really wanted the chance to learn about what exactly goes into scaling an early-stage startup. Out of all the early-stage ML startups that I interviewed for, Kintsugi stood out to me the most. Everyone I met was really friendly and knowledgeable, and Kintsugi’s mission really resonated with me. The team culture is cooperative and welcoming, and having dealt with anxiety in the past, I resonated with Kintsugi’s mission to scale access to mental healthcare.
What kind of projects have you worked on in your time at Kintsugi?
I’m working on building out the first iteration of Kintsugi’s machine learning infrastructure.
How has working at a mission-aligned, diverse company like Kintsugi shaped your career path?
Honestly, I always knew that I wanted to work at a mission-aligned startup like Kintsugi! Working here has just made me more confident in that choice.
What words of advice would you give to new team members at Kintsugi?
Try to learn as much as you can in different areas of the startup, from engineering to ML to business.
What are 3 words you would use to describe the Kintsugi culture?
Welcoming, Collaborative, Enthusiastic
Share a favorite All-Hands/video conference moment.
When our previous head of operations showed us all the party tricks that his dog Matcha can do!
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