Ana Pinczuk
Tell us about what you're doing with your life
I have been living in San Francisco with my husband Shams, and have been COO of an AI robotics start-up called Dexterity.ai. I'm engaged in various other activities, including participating in 2 public boards and being a Cornell Board Trustee.
A lot of my life revolves around my family. My son Arman (Cornell '19) works for Ramp, a fin-tech startup, and lives nearby with his girlfriend, two dogs and 1 cat, and we do a lot of grand-puppy-sitting. My other son Alex (Cornell '22) lives in Seattle and works for Expedia, which allows him to travel back home inexpensively (good perk).
When not working, I like to travel and visit with Cornell friends. Most recently, I went to a Cornell wedding in Egypt and to the Futbol World Cup in Qatar with Cornellians. Cornell is ever present in my life.
What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found most useful?
My favorite class was Robotics and Control Systems. It was relatively early days for robotics, and I found it fascinating to look at 6 degree of freedom robots, and understand the theory behind how they moved. Truth is, I don't remember much from the class now but when people at work talk about the theory, I can follow along even now.
Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
I keep in touch with a large variety of classmates. As a Board Trustee, I have been very privileged to interact with many Cornellians and classmates both at Cornell (during Cornell/TCAM events) and in the Northern California region. Social media has been great for keeping in touch with many classmates, and getting updates on life events. And then several of us participate in a monthly call (which started during Covid) and has continued every month.
How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
Cornell has been a foundational part of my life and who I have become. First, I've always loved Cornell's Every Person, Any Study philosophy, and this idea of democratizing an institution for the betterment of more people has influenced my business career. Second, Cornell taught me the value of continued education and not resting on old knowledge, and so I endeavor to always study and gain new experiences. And finally, Cornell enabled me to develop amazing friendships and that continues to influence what I do and how I think about my legacy, giving back to others.
What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?
Having lived in the International Living Center, I feel like I can visit most countries and meet Cornellians. Most recently, I went to Turkey and Egypt, and met up with Cornellians at a wedding - about 10 of us got together and it was great to party like it was 1999 :-).
If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
It was not easy to be a female engineer in the early 80s. I remember taking a class where the professor would read out loud and shake hands with the person that got the highest prelim grade. When my name was read, the professor told me "no, I'm looking for Pinczuk" and I told him I was Pinczuk. He was shocked it was a woman (btw, he later gave me a TA role). Since I have left Cornell, I have worked to impact female representation at Cornell.
What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
It means that I have a responsibility to represent Cornell well in the community, and I have to give back so that others can benefit from the Cornell experience.
What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell?
Above all, spend time building relationships on campus and with other students. Take advantage of the breadth of experiences that Cornell offers. You will remember the people and the experiences about any particular class.