This post is part of a weekly series in which we get to know Sifties.
Matt Cobette is our Front Desk Associate who has been with Sift Science for four months. If he could eat only one food for the rest of his life, it would be bacon. He explained that not only is it a gift of the gods, but it’s also probably one of the worst foods for us…but the worst things are always the best things.
If a movie was made of your life, what genre would it be and who would play you?
It would be a comedy. I’ve always had a fascination with Will Smith. We have the same type of ears, so he would definitely play me – but 1994 Will Smith, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air era.
If you could pick only 5 words to describe your life, what would they be?
The happiest place on earth.
What was your first car?
A 1996 Silver BMW 318ti. I call it Beamie. For a 5-6 month period, the driver side door didn’t work, so I had to slide in through the moonroof, which reminds me of the Batmobile. I’m tall, so sliding in through the top was easier than climbing in through the passenger side. I still have Beamie. It sits in my garage but doesn’t run. My goal it to fix it up and get it back on the road.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I’m an avid Disney fan, and I can probably sing every Disney song that’s ever been released in animated form. My first experience with Disney was when I was a kid and my mom would always put Dumbo on (going back to the ear similarity theme again). We have an annual pass, so we make a point to go down to Disneyland about five times a year for three to four days at a time. I have that place mapped out. I love the experience, the food, how you can be a kid and no one judges you — it really is the happiest place on earth.
You studied biomedical engineering in college. What made you want to make the switch to People Operations?
I’ve always been people-centric, whether it’s hanging out with my friends or meeting new people. When I first got to Cal Poly, biomedical engineering felt right as a major because I was decent in math and science and interested in the engineering side of the human body — such as prosthetic legs or pacemakers.
As I studied more, I realized that biomedical engineering wasn’t a people-centric role or industry, that I’d be mostly be working alone, with just data. I took a step back and realized that it wasn’t really what I was interested in. So I changed my focus and started taking more customer-facing roles in education, property management, and retail. Now, I get to be here at Sift Science and drive the culture. It has been a blessing.