About
Creating transformative experiences for herself and others is Nydia’s jam. She designs spaces where entrepreneurs and leaders can thrive without burning out. She partnered with Cinematica Labs to design and implement the Black Ambition Prize national mentorship program, supporting 200+ Black and Latinx startup founders. She trained 30 mentors in trauma-informed approaches, offered office hours for founder well-being, and helped shape a model of inclusive entrepreneurial support. She also created and facilitated energy workshops for the Michigan Founders Fund’s Retreat, which became a cornerstone program for resourcing Michigan tech founders.
Through Cardenas Coaching and The Energy Takeback series, Nydia helps mission-driven Individuals and teams reclaim agency over their energy, align with their values, and feel energized more often than burnt out. As your energy bestie, she will challenge you, experiment with you, and cheer you on.
Community impact has always been central to Nydia’s career. As a Senior Analyst for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, she met hundreds of entrepreneurs who inspired her to pursue an MBA and bring tools to small businesses driving economic opportunity. She taught business planning in English and Spanish in Detroit and served as VP of Customer Success at CrowdSmart, an AI-powered startup improving decision-making and collaboration.
Nydia holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. She is an alumni fellow of the Just Economy Institute and a Trauma of Money certified practitioner.