Google, Yahoo, And Facebook Ex-Employee’s Career Shows How Risk-Taking And Unconventional Choices Lead To Long-Term Success

Jennifer Dulski, founder-CEO of Rising Team and a management lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, has made unconventional career choices that have shaped her professional journey. Starting in 1999 with a marketing job at Yahoo, Dulski turned down higher-paying offers to pursue her interest in technology and business. Although her peers questioned this decision, it proved to be a pivotal move in her career.

Her willingness to take risks and accept temporary setbacks became a defining aspect of her journey. One such instance was when she transitioned from marketing to a general management role at Yahoo, taking a demotion in the process. Despite skepticism from others, Dulski saw this as an opportunity to grow. Within 18 months, she was promoted and eventually put in charge of six different business units at Yahoo. This move helped her pivot her career in a new direction.

After nine years at Yahoo, Dulski took another unconventional step by leaving her senior position to join Dealmap, a small startup. Although this decision was met with surprise, it paid off when Dealmap was acquired by Google. Dulski stayed on at Google for two years before making another bold move—leaving her high-paying job to become the president and CEO of Change.org, a petition platform. She later joined Facebook, where she oversaw groups and communities, further cementing her leadership experience in large tech firms.

After 25 years in leadership roles at companies like Yahoo, Google, and Facebook, Dulski founded Rising Team, a company focused on leadership development. Reflecting on her career, she emphasized the importance of taking less obvious or unconventional paths. For her, starting her own company in 2020 was the culmination of everything she had learned throughout her career.