Meet Mike Bueno: Associate Consultant & Data Analyst at Holistic

We’re excited to introduce Mike Bueno, our new Associate Consultant & Data Analyst! Learn more about his background, current role, and hobbies in this interview.

Tell us about your role at Holistic. What do you do? Who do you work with?

I’m a Data Analyst and Associate Consultant at Holistic. Being on both the data side and the client side allows me to work with almost all of the awesome folks here at Holistic. On the client side, I mainly work with Cynthia Rodriguez, our Director of Client Services, and our other consultants like Sheila Shenoy and Kathryn Williams. Sometimes I'm visualizing data for a report they need, sometimes I'm joining them on a client call, and more.  On the data side, I support our powerhouse data analyst duo of Sunny Li and Leah He in maneuvering data for use in our various products.

Tell us about your background. How did you end up here?

Home for me is The Bronx, even though I love Chicago and see myself here long term. I went to school, played rugby, and was involved in a variety of student organizations at Haverford College. I ended up in Chicago when I chose to pursue my PhD in Astronomy at Northwestern University in 2018. Between the stifling nature of academia and my desire to find more purpose in my work, I felt compelled to look for other career paths.

Holistic was a great fit for me because I get to combine my analytic skills, critical thinking skills, and desire to help make people’s lives better all within the DEI space.

What’s something you are proud of since joining Holistic?

I'm proud of my role in getting a (virtual) weekly happy hour started at Holistic. I had been here less than a week so I was feeling shy about asking for more space to connect with others. I spoke up asking for a space and folks were down!

In your mind what does a great employee experience look like?

A great employee experience is one where employees feel both safe and empowered. Not only empowered to do the work we're charged with, but also empowered to help shape our future work and work environment. Feeling safe to speak up about our experiences (good, bad, and anywhere in-between), to hold our leaders accountable, and to just be our imperfect selves are crucial too.

Who is someone you admire?

I admire Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese buddhist monk. Two of his Tibetan Buddhist books, “No death, no fear” and “You are here”, helped me get through a tough breakup and the loss of my beloved paternal grandmother in 2019. I’m no monk, but his books have definitely helped me sit with and process hard emotions and grief better. I admire and aspire to his level of self-love and equanimity.

If you had one extra hour each day, what would you do with it?

It’s extremely tempting to say “I would do nothing.” I vividly remember laying on my couch once in my second year of grad school thinking to myself “wow, it’s been a minute since I’ve done nothing.” Either that or go for a walk along Lake Michigan. Below is a pic I took of a sunrise along the lake!

What do you do for fun?

One of my favorite things to do for fun is dance salsa and bachata, especially with my friends at dance socials here in Chicago! Other things I like to do include reading, listening to podcasts (5-4 is my latest obsession), biking along the lake, and doing the NYT crossword puzzle with friends and family.

What’s a hobby you adopted in quarantine?

I started playing Call of Duty Modern Warfare on PS4. I’m really awful at it, but since one of my best friends (who lives in NYC) plays it all the time it feels like we get to hang out way more.

Thank you for everything you do, Mike!