In case you haven’t heard, we kind of love our jobs here at VFA HQ. We get to hang out with our incredible Fellows, identify the next generation of entrepreneurs, find founders and teams who are building something great, and proudly shout from the rooftops about our work in some of the coolest cities across the country. But the best thing about being part of Team VFA has to be spending every day with the talented, hard-working, epically hilarious crew that makes it all happen.
The Meet Team VFA blog series is back with none other than our vivacious VP of Programs, Eric Caballero. Known as “Dad” around the office (the fun dad that all your friends think is cool), Eric spearheads all things Fellow support, Training Camp, and programming here at VFA. With two engineering degrees under his belt, a decade of sales experience and an MIT MBA in his back left pocket, Eric’s regularly firing on all cylinders (and a couple you didn’t know existed). Read more about Eric and his life at VFA below.
Name: Eric Caballero
Position at VFA: VP of Programs
Department Name: Programs aka ‘Gramz
College or University: UCLA
Job before VFA: ED of Sales and Marketing, Manhattan Prep
What does your team do and why is it awesome?
Helping VFA Fellows take over the nation by making them smarter, faster, and stronger. We head up our legendary five-week summer Training Camp in addition to providing ongoing education, support, and mentorship resources throughout the Fellowship and beyond.
What do you do?
Oversee department operations while rolling up sleeves daily to get the job done.
How did you come to work at VFA?
I’ve worked with Andrew for 10 years now, including while he was taking over the test prep industry. I was motivated to join VFA by seeing countless young people lack direction in life, despite having world-class jobs that others would kill for.
What’s your typical day like?
(1) Respond to 50 emails that arrived overnight, (2) hold weekly staff meeting with the Team, (3) meet with potential summer camp trainers, (4) craft a piece of Programs content, (5) interview Fellow candidates, (6) cut through 50 more emails that arrived throughout the morning, (7) hold a career brainstorming session with a graduating Fellow, (8) speak with VFA supporters about how they can get more involved, (9) connect with VFA investors on upcoming joint events, (10) work on a side-project such as VFA’s proprietary Entrepreneur’s Assessment Exam, (11) send more emails, and (12) vodka soda (depending on how many emails I had to send).
One thing you do every day that you probably couldn’t do at another job:
Wear t-shirts.
What are you known for around the office?
Shaking things up, providing Fellows with meaningful advice, writing tough emails, and moving furniture.
One reason your friends get jealous about your job:
I work with the most talented, razor-sharp, caring, and fun Team in the world.
Favorite VFA tradition:
SkyZone trampoline park.
Favorite Training Camp memory:
One of our Fellows crying tears of joy at closing dinner because of the lifelong friendships we helped him build.
Most hilarious memory from a VFA road trip:
Cooking a Mexican feast holiday in AirBnb kitchens for 75 Fellows in two days.
Coolest thing you’ve done outside of work with VFA Team members in the last year:
Best tip or life hack for increasing productivity during the work day:
Chrome extension that pauses your inbox.
What newspapers, websites, or blogs do you kick off your day with?
Business Insider, Wall Street Journal, and Tech Crunch.
What are you reading and/or watching right now?
Thinking Fast & Slow, by Daniel Kahneman.