Team Growth: Get to Know Denecia and Yassine
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At CampusGroups (CG) our team is our biggest strength. We believe in the importance of bringing people together to activate our collective potential. Our outlook is global, with teams in the US, Canada, France, the Middle East, and India.
We trust in the strength that a diverse team brings. This vision is reflected in how we:
Develop our product.
Work with clients.
Build our team.
Our belief is that by embracing diversity, we can foster a better world for our team, partner campuses and students. In this endeavor, we are consistently growing as a company. In 2021 we welcomed 17 unique professionals to the CG team.
This growth continued in 2022 and will continue to do so now that we have joined forces with the leading mobile-first student engagement platform in higher education- Ready Education (Ready).
This post introduces Denecia Charles and Yassine El Mane. Below, Denecia and Yassine tell us about their professional background, what brought them to CG, and what makes them tick.
Denecia Charles
Denecia joined CG as a Product Support Specialist. Living in the Bronx, New York, she holds a Master in Humanistic/Multicultural Education from State University of New York (SUNY), New Paltz.
Denecia is passionate about student success and experiential learning. She has over 6 years of experience working in student development and has held several roles in this space. This includes Student Life (Mercy College) and Student Development and Campus Life (Berkeley College).
Outside of CG, Denecia who is super creative, owns and runs Sincerely Dee, an amazing party décor and treats business. She also works at her local community center and loves learning about her Black roots.
Yassine El Mane
Yassine joined CG as Product Manager. Based out of Paris, France he holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Abu Dhabi University and has over 6 years of experience in higher education.
Prior to joining CG, he worked in Student Affairs at his alma mater. Within the Student Affairs Department he served as Information and Communication Officer. He also held the role of Student Information System Administrator (Student Support Services Office).
Aside from high education and technology, Yassine is a huge history buff. He loves to visit museums and historical sites. Having recently moved to Paris, he is reveling in all the cultural offerings and ease of travel to neighboring countries.
Tell us about your professional background. What does your unique experience bring to the team and company?
Denecia:
I have had the opportunity to work in both retail and Higher Education for many years. At 18, my first job was working at the Sony/Apple counter at Toys R Us in Times Square, NYC (right next to the huge indoor Ferris Wheel).
By the time I graduated from SUNY New Paltz, I knew I wanted to work in Higher Education so that I could help foster experiential learning. As I figured out my next steps in life, I worked at several retail stores including Best Buy, Geek Squad, Radio Shack, and Apple.
Once I graduated with my Master’s, I got my foot in the door working with Student Development, creating, and facilitating experiential activities for students. I was lucky enough to serve in this and similar roles for about 6 years.
With a love for technology combined with my love for higher education, CampusGroups allowed me to blend two parts of me into one. I bring my unique experiences to the team, especially having been a part of both education and technology in different ways.
Yassine:
Coming from an Electrical Engineering background, I started my career in Higher Ed in Student Affairs technology, where I was responsible for managing all systems and data for all the divisions of Student Affairs at Abu Dhabi University.
I have also worked as a product and process automation consultant for tech companies, and Higher Education Institutions in North America & MENA regions.
Tell us a fun and surprising fact about yourself!
Denecia:
I love crafting and have my own business called Sincerely Dee. It started off with customized box cards but now focuses around creating party decor and treats.
Yassine:
Like many of my colleagues, I come from a diverse background. My parents are from Morocco, but I was born and raised in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. I am currently based in Paris, France.
What made you decide to join CampusGroups (CG)?
Denecia:
With my love for technology combined with my passion for higher education, CampusGroups allows me to feel like I’m involved in both simultaneously.
As a Product Support Specialist, I not only help folks with their technical issues but sometimes offer suggestions that can significantly improve the way our clients connect to their students. I may not be heavily involved in Student Affairs like I was once but working with clients who are truly passionate about it, certainly makes me feel just as connected.
Yassine:
The innovation drive that this company has! I met the tech team and Yorick (Founder & General Manager) during my time as the lead for the CampusGroups platform implementation project at Abu Dhabi University. From that day, I had the opportunity to work closely with them to introduce improvements and new features to the product.
That experience made it clear to me. Therefore, when I was offered the chance to join the team, it was difficult to say no to joining a growing and passionate company with an amazing work environment.
What is it in this new adventure that drives/excites you?
Denecia:
I am excited for growth in all aspects. It’s exciting to see how the platform becomes better each day, how our team grows each month, and knowing that the company wants us as individuals to reach our career goals.
Yassine:
The reaction that we get from our users when we introduce a new feature or an improvement, makes me love what I do!
What is the app or software you can’t live without?
Denecia:
Currently, I can’t live without Slack and Canva. Slack allows me to keep connected with my team and Canva allows me to design my party favor templates wherever there’s internet.
Yassine:
WhatsApp! It’s the main app that I use daily to stay in touch with family and friends. I can’t imagine going a day without it.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Denecia:
When I’m not assisting our clients in the day, I am working on making party favors at night! I have my own business, called Sincerely Dee, that focuses on custom/personalized party decor and favors. It allows me to be creative and crafty.
Yassine:
I am a huge admirer of history, so I love to visit museums and historical sites. I also must admit that I enjoy playing strategy video/board games.
What steps have you taken at your current (or last) employer to create an inclusive work or learning environment?
Denecia:
Considering I work with so many different people with different cultural backgrounds, I try to be as mindful, patient, and open as possible.
As a Black woman, diversity, equity, and inclusion are also very important to me. I do my best to make sure that I share my thoughts on the subject, and I feel comfortable doing so with our team.
Yassine:
I believe that knowledge sharing is a key element of team growth. We currently conduct a weekly meeting to share ideas, solutions, and lessons learned within the product team to improve on our knowledge base.
We are grateful for the expertise, hard work and positive attitudes that Denecia and Yassine bring to our team. In the coming weeks we will be introducing more of our wonderful and unique colleagues. Please stay tuned.
Not yet a CampusGroups client? Connect with a product expert today so that we can start talking to you about using the platform to support your student engagement goals. We’d love to hear from you!
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