Active Obsession
Long-distance swimming
Inspiration
Eccentric people with deep passions
Ideal Meal
Fresh seafood that I catch and prepare myself
Words I Live By
“I wished to live deliberately.”
—Henry David Thoreau
My Other Dream Job
Professor of Business & Entrepreneurship
You can immediately tell when you’re using a product that was created by founders with a clear understanding of the customer's needs and incredible passion. Well-crafted products reveal the founders and creators behind them through their novel and often non-obvious approach to solving a problem and attention to detail in that solution.
I’m energized by working with product visionaries, so I always knew that I wanted either to be a startup founder or invest alongside founders. After my start in investment banking and early-stage venture, I joined Drobo as head of product marketing—a role that deepened my empathy for founders and operators alike. Together, these experiences revealed that my heart was in venture—where my passion for technology and my passion for people intersect. If I can speak with customers and feel their passion for the product and company I’m evaluating, that gives me an incredible amount of energy and conviction.
While I’m a generalist at heart, I gravitate toward companies with distinct, identifiable technological advantages. I’m compelled by understanding why now—what has shifted or changed in the world that allows this opportunity to exist at this specific moment in time. When that advantage is paired with a striking sense of urgency and determination from the founder, you get the feeling that together you can not only see the future but also shape it.