Startup Storytelling:
Build Your Fundraising Story

My career as a startup founder and product leader began after earning my PhD in Game Theory and Behavioral Economics from Caltech. In 2008, I founded my first startup, Crowdcast, and successfully exited the company in 2012. Following Crowdcast, I helped lead three more startups: Spigit (SVP Product), tenXer (Head of Product), and Swerve (Founder, CEO).

After my four startup experiences, I ventured into the enterprise world and joined Salesforce (VP Product), where I helped ship the company’s first AI product. But it was through my involvement in Salesforce’s M&A process that I ultimately realized I wanted to return to startup life.

Each chapter of my career was chosen based on where I’d find my next challenge. I’m a problem solver at heart, and I take pride in repackaging all that I’ve learned throughout my career in order to effectively mentor the next wave of passionate founders.

I’ve worn various hats during my career - attorney, founder, CEO, advisor, investor, and executive. Above all else, I love building companies and being surrounded by founders and creative risk-takers. And never, ever taking myself too seriously.

I began my career as an attorney and left Google’s legal department to become an entrepreneur. I ultimately founded three venture-backed startups, the third of which was Headnote, a legal payments company. Under my leadership, Headnote was acquired twice by two separate private equity firms over a 5 year period, Alpine Investors and Francisco Partners respectively, for a combined exit value of over $400M. Over the past ten years, I’ve also advised and invested in dozens of startups across a variety of stages and sectors.

Notably, I have a special advantage when it comes to Enjoy The Work - while serving as CEO of Headnote, I was an ETW client. The ETW partners were my most trusted advisors, from seed stage through exit. I am the first former client to join the firm as a General Partner, and it is my ultimate pleasure to serve our startup founders on their journeys just as the firm did for me not long ago.

When I’m not helping founders, you can find me in San Francisco trying new restaurants, adventuring with my husband and kids on the Marin County coastline, and planning family trips to faraway places.