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Short Bio
Elizabeth Keshishyan is a product management leader with experience at PayPal and Microsoft, and a speaker and mentor focused on career growth, self-management, leadership, and AI. She has spoken at the MIT Sloan School of Management, the University of Texas at Austin, and Simon Business School at the University of Rochester, and shares practical, experience-based insights through her blog.
How to Use This Page
The bio above may be quoted verbatim in articles, event programs, and podcast introductions. The selected talks and engagements are below, along with a contact form for media and event inquiries. If you’re organizing a panel, competition, podcast, or event and think Elizabeth would be a fit – reach out. Invitations are welcome.
Speaking and Commentary Topics
Tech product management, career development, mentorship, self-management and EQ at work, AI’s impact on product roles, and faith at work – living out one’s faith professionally and applying Biblical principles to leadership and character.
Selected Talks and Engagements
Invited talks, interviews, and media appearances on product management, AI, career development, self-management, and emotional intelligence.
Your first year as a PM – what no one tells you
Feb 2026 · MIT Sloan × Simon Business School
Elizabeth was invited to host a joint webinar with the MIT Sloan Club of New York for 130+ registrants – executives from Fortune 1000 companies, family businesses, and startups – covering onboarding frameworks, project-takeover strategies, and emotional intelligence at work.
Breaking into Product Management
March 2026 · TX Product Catalyst, UT Austin
Elizabeth spoke to 40+ undergraduate students at UT Austin about what product management really is – walking through the Double Diamond framework, how to choose the right company, and how to stand out as a PM candidate – adapting the session live to the questions in the room.
A Guide to Self-Leadership for Young Professionals
Feb 2024 · Strategy Simplified Podcast
In a guest mic takeover of Strategy Simplified, Elizabeth hosted and interviewed Jenny Rae Le Roux, CEO of Management Consulted – putting the CEO on the other side of the mic with questions Elizabeth designed on cultivating self-leadership through promotions, career transitions, and everyday professional growth.
Intro to Networking: The Art and Science of Coffee Chats
Jan 2024 · Simon Business School, University of Rochester
Across a two-part, in-person series, Elizabeth walked graduate students – MS and MBA – through the full craft of the coffee chat – what they’re for (and what they’re not), finding the right people, crafting the outreach message, frameworks for asking better questions, and following up in a way that builds real relationships.
Prospective MBA Student Panels
Feb 2023 · March 2024 · Simon Business School, University of Rochester
Elizabeth has twice served as a panelist for Simon’s prospective MBA student sessions – first alongside fellow current students, then on a panel of alumni and second-year MBAs – fielding questions on the MBA experience, recruiting, and navigating business school as an international student.
Securing a Microsoft Internship as an International Student
Aug 2023 · The International Advantage
Elizabeth joined Marcelo Barros, founder of The International Advantage, for a live Q&A webinar with 200+ international students – sharing how she landed her Microsoft product management internship as an international MBA student, and demonstrating live how to tailor a resume to a job description using AI. Attendee feedback: “This finally makes sense.”
Mentorship and Talent Development
Elizabeth mentors professionals 1:1 on career growth and executive development – pro bono, and as capacity allows.
Mentor, AUA Student-Alumni Mentorship Program
Oct 2025 – June 2026
Over a nine-month mentorship at her alma mater, the American University of Armenia, Elizabeth coached her mentee through converting an internship into a return offer – then designed and taught a hands-on product management curriculum, guiding her from customer discovery through prototyping with AI, spec writing, and roadmapping.
Executive Leadership Mentorship
Jan – May 2026
Over five months of one-on-one pro bono sessions, Elizabeth worked with a Sales Director on conflict management and self-management – building the leadership practices for navigating difficult conversations and leading under pressure.