Exciting news!

Hi everyone! For those of you who know me, or have taken the time to visit my Twitter, you know that I recently decided to quit my cushy job in investment banking and make the switch to venture capital. I decided to make this switch because I realized that while my work in IB was contributing to the creation of wealth through real estate ownership, my boss didn’t have a black client once in my 4 years at JPM. That realization made me wonder how I can use my skills and platform in finance to help more women and people of color access the capital they need to scale companies and build wealth. After some introspection, I decided that given my skills and interests, venture capital is the best career path for me to make a meaningful, lasting, and positive impact on my community.

Once I made that decision, I started looking for opportunities that would allow me to turn my dream into a reality. First, I applied (and was accepted!!) to Columbia Business School because of the school's amazing reputation for supporting entrepreneurs in a diverse and inclusive environment. I will be starting at CBS this fall (2021) and am excited to learn from amazing practitioners and meet so many amazing people. Although I hear from everyone that the 2 years in business school will fly by, I also know that my 2 years in business school will change my life. I have already met so many incredible alumni, faculty, and peers through the Columbia network and I can't wait to grow with this community.

After I was accepted into business school, I immediately starting networking / applying to internships and fellowships with firms/platforms that have a demonstrated history of promoting diversity in VC. I know that VC is an extremely hard industry to break into, so getting as much learning experience and exposure as possible is very important to me. Especially as a former athlete, I like to overprepare for everything. When game time comes, I want to be ready to go.

After getting flat-out rejected from the first VC fellowship that I applied to, I kept applying and trying to get my foot in the door. So *drum roll* I am SO EXCITED to share that I was accepted to my first VC fellowship (!!) and also got an offer for my first VC internship (!!).

This spring, I will be joining the Republic team as a Venture Associate and will be joining Harlem Capital Partners this summer as an intern! I am so grateful to both of these teams for believing in me and am so excited to start my VC journey alongside so many amazing investors and individuals.

And for those of you reading this who are pursuing passions or following dreams, just a friendly reminder not to give up! Keep believing in yourself until other people start believing in you too.

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