Growth leader. Salsa dancer. Creator.

I’m Takeshi Young, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. My background includes SEO and growth work at Quizlet, Optimizely, and DiDi. I also founded Salsa Vida and have spent more than 20 years dancing salsa. I work at the intersection of technology and creativity.

Takeshi Young and a salsa partner in a dramatic dip

Growth Leader

I help companies get discovered and grow through organic digital channels, from search engines to AI-powered discovery. My experience includes Quizlet, Optimizely, and DiDi, working across marketing, product, and engineering. My background in web development means I’m comfortable with both strategy and technical implementation.

Takeshi Young speaking at Digital Marketers Organization Advanced

1B+Quizlet pages
Technical SEO lead800M+Annual organic visits
Quizlet SEO strategy0→100KMonthly SEO visitors
Helped grow DiDi Food

Speaking

I speak about SEO, growth, and business strategy, drawing on the projects I’ve worked on and the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

I have spoken at SMX, Opticon, Dreamforce, ClickZ Summit, and the Advanced Search Summit.

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Salsa Dancer

I have been dancing salsa for more than 20 years, as a performer, competitor, teacher, and choreographer. I founded Spartan Mambo at San Jose State University and Salsa Vida, where my work in dance, technology, and marketing come together.

Takeshi Young performing salsa at the San Francisco SBK Congress

Performance highlights

Takeshi Young and Dipanwita Ray performing a lift at the Euroson Latino World Salsa Championship

Competitor

I’ve competed at the World Latin Dance Cup, Euroson Latino, US Salsa Open and Ultimate Latin Dance Championships, among other international salsa competitions. I’ve also performed and competed with teams including Salsamania and Pretty Boys & Girls.

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Takeshi Young and his partner performing in red costumes at the World Latin Dance Cup

Takeshi Young performing a salsa duet at the San Francisco SBK Congress

Coach & Choreographer

I am the founder and director of Spartan Mambo, which I have coached for the past 16 years. Our team has won more competitions and championships than any other college salsa team.

2013World Latin Dance Cup
Collegiate Team champions
2023, 2025 & 2026Collegiate Weekender
Team champions
2023 & 2025West Coast Latin Dance Championships
Amateur Team champions

Takeshi Young celebrating with a large salsa performance team

A salsa team performing at the San Francisco SBK Congress

Takeshi Young holding a trophy with his salsa team at The Granada LA

Takeshi Young and Dipanwita Ray dancing beneath golden autumn trees

Takeshi Young and a salsa team performing in orange and blue costumes on a basketball court

Salsa Vida dance compilation video thumbnail

Creator

I am a digital creator who loves telling stories through movement and film. From cinematic sequences to sweeping drone shots, I use technology to capture the feeling of salsa and create experiences that reach beyond the dance floor.

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Let’s connect.

LinkedIn for growth and web development. Instagram for dance and creative work. YouTube for films.

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