Bearlights
NICOLE
Jarbo
Position:
Goalkeeper
Grad Year:
2008
Major:
Anthropology
Favorite Berkeley Eats:
La Burrita
Favorite Study Spot at Cal:
The Stacks
Favorite Watering Hole While at Cal:
(Old) Bear’s Lair
Favorite Cal Soccer Memory:
Freshman year 11 v 11 scrimmages where the entire squad of 11 was my class!
On the field, you’ll remember Jarbo as the fiercely competitive and tough goalkeeper from the class of ’08. Off the field, you’d find her eating at La Burrita (La Bu for the real ones), enjoying a beer with friends at Bear’s Lair, or pulling all-nighters at the Main Stacks library.
After graduating in 2008 with a degree in Anthropology, Jarbo’s post-college journey began in New Orleans, where she taught various grade levels through the Teach for America program. After several years, Jarbo moved to Washington, D.C., to explore entrepreneurship and business development by working with her growing network of philanthropist friends and colleagues. With that experience, she ultimately moved back to Oakland to create her own non-profit consulting firm, Goodbets Group. Goodbets Group is founded on the mission of providing value and support to entrepreneurs who need help with fundraising, revenue planning, systems and process development, content strategy, and program design. In addition to running Goodbets, Jarbo is currently working on a tech start up called Boost. Boost will be aimed at entrepreneurially-minded Gen Z’ers who need the tools to grow their “side hustles” into money-making businesses.
Jarbo currently resides in Oakland with her fiancé Eva and their Frenchie fur baby, Charlie. When she is not busy building businesses and brainstorming ways to conquer the world, she enjoys reading nonfiction books. She reports that she is tapping back into the soccer world while reading Megan Rapinoe’s book, “One Life.”
Jarbo believes that “you will be at your happiest when you are living your true authentic self.” Guided by that principle, she has never been one to avoid the hard conversations that some of us may shy away from. Through those conversations, she instead seizes the opportunity to educate others to do their part and be part of the solution.
That is why she jumped at the chance to moderate a recent Bear alumni panel discussion centered on the Black Lives Matter movement. She felt that it was absolutely vital to drive the discussion and push for all of us to challenge our own conventional thinking. An inspiration and advocate for social change, Jarbo states, “It is extremely important that we recognize and highlight the diversity in us all and within this program. There is still a lot of room for growth and improvement. We must recognize the diversity in the ranks and encourage others to support a group that is different than you. We have to make a conscience decision to be better. Listen better. Ask about challenges. Realize it is a long journey and we are all in it together. Choose to participate.”
Written By: Amy Minicilli ‘04
Jarbo is one of those people that leads with heart and tenacity. On the field, I saw her step up when the team needed her and fiercely protected that goal like her life depended on it. Off the field, Jarbo is a leader, role model, and incredible advocate for equity as she tirelessly amplifies the voices of people from marginalized, underserved communities. Every day, Jarbo puts herself above others and fights passionately and empathetically for those in need. Jarbo is the embodiment of a Cal Bear and I’m grateful to call her a teammate and close friend.
Courtney Hooker Heldreth ‘08
Much like Jarbo’s resilience and confidence to scaling the fence at Bear’s Lair, her dedication and passion towards her work is unmatched. Simply put, she knows she can bet on herself. Her integrity, her confidence when faced with the unknown, and her ability to inspire has made me a better person. I’m lucky to call her one of my best friends and teammates for life.
Tracy Hamm ‘06
Jarbo is unapologetic in who she is and what she stands for. I have always loved and admired her for that.
Caroline Lea Coble ‘08
I’ve never met another human like Jarbo, and I’m not prepared to do so either. Jarbo’s character has experienced a beautiful evolution since I met her Freshman year at Cal. The woman I am honored to know today is forever selfless, as evidenced by the work she does to grow her community today, and similarly she is always pushing her own personal limits to learn more, to do more, and to stand for something bigger. Being around Jarbo, hearing her speak, you can’t help but be influenced in the best of ways—to be better, to want more from yourself, and to search for the good in the company you keep. I just wish Jarbo was more fun... =)
