Trevor Shand Volunteer Profile

Trevor Shand started his career here in Charlottesville at a small technology company that taught Microsoft certification. He has spent more than two decades working in customer experience, customer journey, and now customer success. He has worked in small and large organizations and both directly with the customers and more recently on the operations side, helping build GE’s Customer Success team from the ground up. When not working, Trevor enjoys spending time with his two sons and racing 24 Hours of Lemons.

A friend of Trevor’s, Melanie Dorion, took CIC’s Entrepreneur Workshop and spoke highly of the experience. Trevor was interested in being involved with start-ups again so Melanie suggested he volunteer. He explains that he “was excited to meet local entrepreneurs, volunteer as a Workgroup Leader, and share the knowledge I had compiled during my career”.

Trevor explains that he really enjoys when the entrepreneurs in his workgroup gain traction on specific ideas and concepts. He feels the Entrepreneur Workshop is designed to teach skills that can be applied not only to the entrepreneur’s specific businesses but skills that can be applied to any business and even their current jobs. He “loves when the entrepreneurs take the concepts from the workbook and discussions and use them on their own”.

One thing Trevor explains that he was not expecting, but has been hugely rewarding, is the relationships and friendships that he is building with the entrepreneurs. He feels he is amazed by the support his group gives each other and the feelings they are willing to share. Trevor shares that, “often we feel we need to have all the answers, or we are the only one stressed or feeling alone, but once we learn that it is OK to ask for help and that we all feel the pressure at times, it is extremely powerful and energizing”. Trevor is grateful that his group has laughed, cried, and supported each other in ways he would have not thought would ever be possible.

Thank you, Trevor, for your support of CIC!