Lessons from Losing a Mentor: Omar Alvarez on Startup Success, Building AI-Powered Family Stories, and What Death Teaches Us About Life | #223 Kinnect

DedicationConnectionsOpportunities

Mar 13

Written By Samuel Donner

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Episode Description

In this episode, Omar Alvarez, founder of Kinnect, shares his incredible journey from growing up amid gang violence in Chicago to breaking into Nike’s ultra-competitive hiring pipeline—beating a 0.5% acceptance rate. He dives into his experiences as a Division 1 athlete, surviving a Twitter mass layoff before even starting his job, and eventually launching Kinect, an AI-powered platform preserving human stories.

Omar discusses:

His early life in Chicago and the unique challenges of being a first-generation Latino navigating two worlds.
How he broke into Nike despite having no elite school background or industry connections.
The pivotal moment at NikeTown Chicago that changed his career trajectory.
Why he left Nike for Twitter, only to be laid off before Day 1, and how he rebounded at Levi’s.
The personal loss of his grandfather and close friend that shaped his vision for Kinect.
The problem with modern social media and how AI can revolutionize memory preservation and deep connections.

Packed with actionable insights on resilience, storytelling, and startup building, this conversation is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, creatives, and anyone interested in AI’s role in human connection.

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