About

I grew up in Maryland, raised by parents who led by example in the truest sense. They showed me — not just told me — that women lead. That belief became the foundation for everything that followed.

From middle school through high school, I was in the pool nine times a week as a national competitive swimmer. That kind of discipline doesn't leave you. It teaches you that consistency beats inspiration, that showing up on the hard days is what separates good from great, and that the work is never really about the race — it's about who you become in the training.

I carried that into every room I've walked into since.

I went to Drexel University to study Film. My plan was to become a producer — specifically, I wanted to make Westerns. There's something about that genre that speaks to me: the landscape, the stakes, the idea that every story is ultimately about who survives and why.

I didn't make Westerns. But I did graduate in 2008 — right into one of the worst financial crises in modern history — and land an internship at Sony Music Entertainment. I took it.

I turned that internship into a full-time role and stayed for 13 years. Most of that time was spent in New Technologies and Operations in Digital — which, in 2008, meant I was one of the people taking down your YouTube videos for using Sony property without a license. Yes, really.

Over those years I evolved into a Product Owner, earned my Agile certification from the Project Management Institute, and found myself managing two analytics reporting tools owned by the IT team — I was somewhat of an honorary member. My operation peers were my customers. And something clicked: I was really good at working with engineers. I was really good at translating complex technical concepts for non-technical people. I was, it turned out, a product person — I just hadn't had the word for it yet.

I was hitting a wall. I knew I needed to grow beyond what Sony could offer me. So I did what I'd learned in the pool: I didn't wait for the right moment. I made the decision and I committed.

After the pandemic I joined Payitoff — a fintech startup helping student loan borrowers actually save money. It was the best job I have ever had. Not just because of the mission, though helping real people navigate one of the most stressful financial situations of their lives is deeply meaningful work.

It was the team. Engineering, design, marketing, leadership — an extraordinary group of people who pushed me, trusted me, and built with me in the way I'd always believed product should be built. Because of that team, I became the leader I am today. I don't say that lightly. I mean it completely.

That experience crystallized everything: the importance of psychological safety, the power of cross-functional collaboration, and the fact that the best products come from the best teams — not the best roadmaps.