Beah Burger-Lenehan

From Rose Valley to Silicon Valley: Five Early Lessons on Which I Built a Career in Tech

In 2007, armed with a BA in anthropology and an open slate for a career path, I walked into Google Inc.—and stayed for five years. It was my introduction to the exciting world of tech, an industry that thrives on the creativity and ambition of its people to accomplish incredible feats. Working at Google felt like living with one foot in the future—a future where anyone can see the world from space, online publishers are compensated, traffic accidents are eradicated, and ignorance is a relic of the past.

Today, I’m the Vice President of Product at TicketLeap, a tech startup based here in Philadelphia. It’s thrilling to witness the culture of innovation and ambition that blossomed in Silicon Valley spreading across the U.S. and the world.

You might assume my path to Google and beyond was paved with computer science courses, but that’s not the case. I’ve never taken a computer science class. Instead, my comfort in the tech world stems from my values and approach to problem-solving—both of which were shaped at Rose Valley. If you overlook the material differences, the similarities between SRV and the tech startup environment are remarkable. Here are five key lessons I took with me:

1. Thinking is More Important than Knowing Facts are widely accessible in today’s world, often just a mobile phone away. But learning to think critically and communicate effectively can’t be reduced to a click. Rose Valley not only equipped me with the tools to think but also encouraged me to think creatively, to challenge assumptions, and to break through perceived limitations. In a tech startup, you won’t survive without the ability to think creatively and solve unique problems. Innovation, the heartbeat of successful tech, isn’t something you can memorize. Multiplication tables and spelling won’t carry you far.
2. There’s No Them, Only Us In challenging conversations, people often divide into allies and enemies. Rather than working together to find solutions, they pick sides. This mindset can be found everywhere, from Washington to workplaces and even schools, where teachers often become the perceived “them.” In a tech startup, however, there’s no room for such divisions. Everyone shares the common goal of the company’s success. Disagreements are welcome but always with the understanding that we’re in it together. At Rose Valley, I never thought of my teachers as adversaries. I learned early on that we could work toward shared goals, regardless of differing viewpoints.
3. There’s Rarely One Right Way Differences of opinion don’t equate to differences in intelligence or competence; they reflect different perspectives. In tech startups, where rapid decisions are the norm, it’s crucial to trust in others’ decisions even when they differ from your own. Rose Valley instilled this understanding in me. I arrived as a stubborn, opinionated child and left as a slightly less stubborn, but open-minded pre-teen with a foundation for valuing different opinions.
4. Work on Things That Excite You The tech world thrives on enthusiasm, which fuels vision and leads to successful execution. Rose Valley taught me that learning and working can be enjoyable. I discovered what I liked and directed my energy accordingly. My Rose Valley experience included creating a human-shaped goat in a bathtub from a stick of clay—a perfect example of freedom in expression.
5. We Are Great; Have High Expectations for Yourself and Others During a visit to Rose Valley, I introduced my now-husband, Dan, to Big Mike’s woodshop. He was surprised to see young children working with tools safely and responsibly. This level of trust and responsibility, a core value at Rose Valley, sets it apart. Building a community where trust is the norm takes effort, but the reward is a group of individuals who hold themselves accountable and strive to be good people.

Is there anything better?