Meet Weston Seid | Chief Executive Officer & Commissioner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Weston Seid and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Weston, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
An individual’s curiosity and creativity drives people to see problems and come up with new solutions – this is the basis of a business idea. At the core of a successful business lies determination and perseverance. Small problems can be fixed pretty quickly by individuals, while more complex problems need a large team to find a solution, thus a business is necessary. At Oppti, our mission is deeply aligned with my personal belief “to give everyone the right to find a career they are passionate about.” With only 1 out of 4 college graduates going into a job related to their major, and the trillions of dollars of national student debt, the future of our workforce is being threatened. I knew that this challenge was too large for an individual and that I would need a team to create a sustainable solution.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At Oppti, we are tackling a $1.7 Trillion problem: the increasing national student debt. Students are graduating with expensive degrees that do not lead to high-paying jobs, leaving students with huge bills they can’t pay off. We help students that want to find a career they can be passionate about. Working with industry leaders we have built career experiences that students can engage and learn about actual careers they might be interested in. Starting with high school students, we can provide crucial experience that students can make more informed decisions regarding their college major and career. Getting to this point was not an easy journey. It was daunting and required an immense amount of dedication to be able to leave a consulting firm after only 1.5 years out of college. I knew that leaving a job to start something from scratch would leave me without income for a while. I planned to forgo income for 5 years and in preparation I had to make consistent sacrifices to save as much money as I could by going out less with friends, living at home, renting out my car, and even eating canned chili (long story but only $1 per meal). Looking back, I’d do it all over again because having the pleasure to make the impact Oppti makes is well worth it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I enjoy sharing unique experiences with my friends and sharing places they don’t have back home. In addition to Disneyland, I like to have out-of-town friends experience the beach, particularly Newport Harbor. With a group of friends, I’d grab some wine and a charcuterie board from Let It Brie in downtown Fullerton. We would get a boat called a “duffy” that fits 6-8 people that we can drive around the harbor for about 2 hours. Afterwards, I’d take my friend to Little Saigon, the best place I know for Vietnamese cuisine. One of my favorite spots is Quan Hy on Bolsa Avenue in Westminster. Fun fact, one of the earlier Fast and Furious movies was filmed there. As an appetizer to share, I like to order the Banh Beo, a vietnamese steamed rice disc topped with shrimp. As an entree, I usually go with Bun Bo Hue, which is vietnamese soup containing rice vermicelli and beef.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my team! I am energized, happy, and thankful to work alongside such bright, passionate, and talented individuals who bring their best everyday to help the next generation realize their passions.

Website: https://getoppti.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getoppti/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oppti-corp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getoppti/