What was/is your field of study or professional interest?
I have spent my career in the financial services industry, including time as a bank examiner for the FDIC, as an underwriter for the Private Bank at J.P. Morgan, and most recently as a partner at an early-stage venture capital fund, Ohio Innovation Fund. I have a deep interest in the future of work, fintech and all things personal finance. I am currently incubating a few start-up concepts in these fields.
Tell us about a mentor who has shaped your career/life.
When I was in my first few years of my career, I was accepted into a formal leadership program and was paired with a mentor. She and I talked a lot about the trade-offs that she had made between her personal and professional life in her career. She focused on the importance of making each decision with a goal in mind, because you can waste a lot of time saying yes to things that don’t move you toward your goals. I have found this advice to be extremely valuable, especially when you begin to have more things competing for your time and energy as you build your career, your personal relationships and your networks.
What has been a valuable life lesson you have learned?
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. You won’t always be right, you won’t always know the answer, and you might fail – take each new opportunity as an experience to learn a new skill and develop a new relationship. Take a chance on yourself!
Why do you choose to volunteer for Delta Zeta?
I volunteer for Delta Zeta because our relationships matter. The women I’ve been introduced to through Delta Zeta, both as a collegian and as an alumna, continue to shape my life in meaningful ways. My Delta Zeta sisters are some of my dearest friends, professional mentors and informal life coaches! This network of women has helped me navigate personal and professional challenges for the last 15 years, and I wouldn’t be who I am without DZ. I volunteer to provide those same meaningful experiences to our undergraduate women today.
Why do you give graciously to the Delta Zeta Foundation?
I give graciously because I believe in the value of Delta Zeta, and I want to be a part of its growth over the next generation. During 2020 I decided to double down on the things that are most important to me, and Delta Zeta is one of those things. I have seen firsthand the importance of every dollar raised at the Foundation in supporting the leadership and development programs of the Sorority.
