We all have the power to make the world a better place

I believe in the power of positivity.  Maybe that is why I have earned the nickname “smiles” – or maybe it's the constant smile on my face!  We all have the power to make the world a better place.  As investors, we have the opportunity to accelerate this positive change.

Outside of venture investing, I spend time on two things I am passionate about: athletics and helping others. I helped establish and am Chairman of the Drive For Freedom Foundation looking to address the “poverty of the carless”.  I am a competitor and Board Member of The D10 Decathlon raising money for pediatric cancer research.  I am an advisor of Girls Club Capital, a global network empowering women founders & investors.  I am a mentor at The Resolution Project, working with a student to successfully launch a pre-school in Zimbabwe for students who would otherwise not have access to education.

In the summer of 2023, I will be taking a submarine into the ocean with a PhD-bound friend to further understand a microorganism that removes carbon from its surroundings.  We hope to understand how this process works and – ultimately how it could contribute towards the removal of carbon from our environment.

Prior to venture investing, I was a private equity investor at Palladium Equity Partners.  Before this, I was at Credit Suisse where I had the opportunity to work on the sale of Keurig Green Mountain, buyout of 1-800 CONTACTS, initial public offering of Performance Food Group and numerous debt financings for the likes of Kraft Heinz, Arby’s and more.  

I graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Economics with a double minor in corporate strategy and financial economics.