What is your story?
I am originally from Memphis, TN. I was raised in a family of four, and I am the oldest of two kids.
I attended an all-girls private school, and I graduated with a B.A. from Wellesley College in MA (yes...I spent 8 years at all-female institutions).
I majored in Sociology and Economics, became president of my sorority, and have helped launch a couple of charity and diversity organizations.
I have investment banking analyst experience on Wall Street, at a boutique advisory firm in California, and at a middle-market investment bank in Tennessee.
I returned home to TN for family reasons, and I am living in CA for the second time in my life. I now work for an ad tech startup as a business development and product management generalist.
My geographical roadmap goes something like this: MEM--> BOS-->NYC-->LA-->MEM-->SF
How did you get into technology?
I saw the movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley" when I was around 11 years old.
After watching that movie, I became inspired to start (or help start) a business centered around technology.
I learned HTML while in middle school and began college as a computer science major.
I learned early in my college career that programming was not my forte, and subsequently I decided to pursue business.
I strive to become "bi-lingual" on both the business and technical sides.
What have you started?
I started two businesses in college: a cheerleading camp and a loan origination company (both failures).
I served as co-founder and business development manager of a B2B film rights marketplace startup in 2009.
I made my first angel investment in 2012.
What can you bring to an early stage company?
People, Numbers, and Scrappiness:
I am an excellent salesperson, communicator, connector, and relationship builder.
I have an excellent understanding of corporate finance (modeling, accounting, and data analysis).
I am a generalist who can wear many hats (I can do HTML, e-mail marketing, cold-calls, event planning, and more).
Moreover, I am flexible, I don't need lofty titles, and I have great comedic timing!
Why did you major in sociology?
I wanted to major in something that I found personally interesting. Moreover, I realized the study of groups of people could prove beneficial in any career path.
My two favorite classes were 'Celebrity, Fame, and Fortune' and 'Sociology of Conservatism'.
What inspires you?
BIG Ideas
Family
Women in power
Overcoming adversity
Future generations
Technology
What do you do for fun?
Explore business ideas
Watch trashy reality tv
Spas
Shopping
Reading
Discovering new music
Finding cool new "brunch" spots
What are you reading these days?
Mostly business books. Here is my current reading list:
Lean In
The Best of Guerrilla Marketing
Venture Deals
Rocket Surgery Made Easy
Lean Analytics
Casual Vacancy
Invisible Man
Game Change
The New Jim Crow
What types of companies do you like?
I love companies trying to solve BIG problems.
Companies with a B2B revenue model and enterprise companies with a consumer flare.
Consumer companies that provide traditionally high-end services (i.e. personal assistants, maid service, etc..) for everyone.
Here are a few of my favorites:
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What other stuff do you do / are you a part of ?
Business Development Consultant for start-ups
Member of Startup Chicks (a network for women in tech)
Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (a service organization / sorority)
Board Member of Remix Education (an education non-profit focused on first generation college students)