This as told essay is based on an interview with Seun Phillips, the 42-year-old founder of Los Angeles-based Stemnetics. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I was always interested in technology. My family got our first computer when I was in third grade, and my four brothers and I always played together. I was good at math and science, and my father told me I should think about becoming an engineer.
In 2006, I graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in electrical engineering. We had a career fair on campus. I remember my next class was about to start, but I saw Motorola. I decided to drop one more resume. They called me and I went through the interview process. I became an electrical engineer and focused on accessory compatibility for Motorola in Illinois.
I became an entrepreneur, with a stint at Amazon in between, where I learned lessons that I still use in my business.
I founded a non-profit organization with one of my Motorola colleagues
In March 2009, I launched Project Syncere in Chicago. Its mission is to create pathways for underrepresented students to pursue their studies careers in STEM. This was my first experience running a business other than selling CDs in high school. I’m still on the board.
I met my wife and moved to Detroit to be with her. We weren’t planning on expanding Project Syncere to another state, so in January 2014 I launched Stemnetics in Michigan, which runs hands-on STEM programs for kids.
When I became a father, I stopped full-time entrepreneurship
I got a job as vice president of education and engagement at the Michigan Science Center. I took the job because I had my first child and needed more financial stability.
I hired a full-time teacher and a part-time teacher through Indeed and Craigslist so they kept the program running while I used my science center income to start the business. I wanted to keep Stemnetics going because I saw the potential.
In 2022, my wife’s job took us to California
I started looking for new positions and a former colleague told me he had a job at Amazon Robotics. The role involved identifying companies and startups developing technologies that can improve fulfillment, logistics and supply chain operations. I understood the startup ecosystem and I love bringing people together. I was interested.
I had six consecutive interviews via Zoom, each focused on a different Amazon leadership principle. The things that stuck with me were customer obsession, frugality, ownership and a tendency to take action. I still use them at Stemnetics: stay focused on who you serve, act quickly, and find a resourceful path forward without sacrificing quality.
I remember starting the interview at 6am because I use Pacific Time. The last interview was with the person who eventually became my manager. I was hired with a six-figure salary.
In June 2022, I became a senior partnerships manager for Amazon’s $1 billion Industrial Innovation Fund
My role focused on building partnerships with companies and startups.
I worked remotely, but often visited the office and a fulfillment center. The Amazon environment was very different from other Big Tech offices I heard about: there were standard work stations and labs where you could see the technology being tested.
I wanted to see the robots in action in a fulfillment center so I could understand how everything moved. I’m very interested in the why. I’m looking for partnerships, but why is that important? It was fun to see.
Amazon taught me to work backwards from the customer
One thing I found very useful at Amazon was working backwards. You start by writing a future press release describing the customer benefit you hope to create. It gives you a North Star for what you build.
Another cool concept at Amazon was a Wellness Day. You are not supposed to use that as a vacation day; you should use it for professional development, catch-up, anything that might support your mental health. My manager’s manager made sure there were no meetings scheduled, so it was really about wellness.
I stayed for 1 year
After about a year at Amazon, I was watching football at a sports bar when I started talking to a school principal. He told me he was trying to build a STEM lab. I told him I was running STEM programs, and we decided to meet.
I demonstrated the program at his school. Then the neighborhood heard about it. That was the moment I realized Stemnetics was ready for my full attention.
When you leave a six-figure job, you’re always going to feel some panic
I had a very close relationship with my manager at Amazon, and there were opportunities there, but I think it was more about me betting on myself.
I used some of the Michigan curriculum to expand in California, and I packed the containers of learning materials I bought on Amazon until the early hours of the morning. My wife came over, and our entire living room was full of teaching materials, and I would drop off the boxes at different schools. I also taught the students and trained the other instructors.
Today we have an office with storage facilities for teaching materials and program managers to assist in the training process. I have surpassed my Amazon revenue, we have over 35 employees and we have over 30 programs running in Michigan and California. The impact we make is very satisfying.
My favorite part of my job is visiting the classroom and seeing students screaming with excitement. We’re really focused on sparking kids’ interests and finding ways to help them become great problem solvers, think critically, be resilient and have self-confidence.
