Where did you grow up and what was it like?
I grew up in the suburbs of New Jersey. I adored ‘everything’ bagels with cream cheese and my best friend Renee who lived down the street from me.
Outside of work, what are you irrationally passionate about?
Indian food, ‘Euphoria’, burning hot showers, the color ‘blush pink’, Stacy’s pita chips, SKIMS, napping
Sometimes the road to working in business development or account is off the beaten path. Walk us through the process that you went through to get into your current role.
I started watching “The Profit” when I was in high school with my dad — I was hooked. I knew that one day I wanted Marcus’ job — to wake up every day and equip hungry entrepreneurs with resources (tangible and intangible) to bring their companies to life. I went on to the Marshall School of Business, where I studied Business Administration with a concentration in finance. I immediately got involved in the start-up space after I met Brian (CEO, Emotive) and Zach (CPO, Emotive) at an engineering club fair. I worked as both their first employee and their business development manager for 5 months. As a full-time student I took up independent pro-bono consulting gigs on the side — a vegan food company, a skincare line — because I loved it. As an extension of my finance background, I dabbled in asset management, pivoted, and ultimately landed in technology consulting at the Big 4, specifically implementing SAP S/4 Finance module for Fortune 500 companies in the healthcare and transportation sector. Ready to return to the start-up space and merge my background in tech and business, I joined Sidebench in a Strategy and Partnerships role.
We talk a lot about our jobs being the opportunity to imagine the future and then make it real. What vision do you have for the future and want to make real?
I envision a world where minority groups are equipped with as many resources and opportunities as non-minority groups, especially in the VC space. I’d like to personally work with entrepreneurs from underrepresented and underserved communities.
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours?” (Borrowed from Tim Ferris’ “Tribe of Mentors”)
I signed up for a Broadcast Journalism class during my freshman year of high school — I admired the grace and confidence of TV anchors I watched on the news every evening. As a lifelong dancer and performer myself, I wanted in.
Week 1, I walked into class to audition for an anchor role. I sat behind the news desk, the lights turned on, the camera and teleprompter started rolling. About 10 people were watching me intently as the producer called “action!” As I started talking, my throat went dry, my voice was shaking, and I was sweating — I flopped the next (what felt like excruciatingly long) 4 minutes.
I didn’t get the role and that stung, but it lit a fire inside me. I started as a camera person that year, worked my way up to becoming a reporter my sophomore year, lead interviewer my junior year, and finally — lead sports anchor my senior year. I learned how to navigate fast-paced/ high-pressure environments, speak/improvise on a live camera feed, and the value of repositioning failure as ammunition.
What’s been the most exciting part about joining Sidebench so far?
My work laptop is a Mac! My previous work laptops were all PCs. 🙂
I’m excited to be working at a dynamic company with bright, driven people. Everyone I’ve met so far at Sidebench is cool/ talented in their own regards and there is a very palpable energy directed towards social impact.
We love to find people that ADD to our culture vs fit into our existing culture. What are some cultural aspects that you’ve experienced that you hope to bring with you?
I understand what it feels like to be an outsider; growing up in caucasian town as a child of immigrants, as the only woman in male-dominated boardrooms, as usually the youngest person on teams I join. I understand very well what it feels like to be underestimated, to have to work harder to prove myself, and to sacrifice parts of myself to fit into a box.
I hope to empower an inclusive culture around me — where I show up as my authentic self and encourage others to.
Describe your super power or describe what unique skill/perspective you bring to the team here.
Empathy. I care about how people on my team are feeling above all else. It energizes me to connect and build trust. Intimacy drives me.
What skill, practice, behavior, hobby or habits are you currently working on?
- NOT reading my email first thing in the morning when I’m in bed
- Prioritizing hot yoga — it’s the first activity I drop when I’m busy
- Asking myself what I need, listening to my body, and acting accordingly
- “Saying yes to something means you’re saying no to something else”
Bonus Question: What book, publication, or podcast have you most recommended lately and why?
Call Her Daddy — Alex Cooper is a trailblazer and her podcast is both funny and thought-provoking.
