I’m a big advocate of diversity in experience, especially in the early stages of a career. This mindset stems from being an immigrant adapting to a new environment at a young age. After my time in private equity, while my counterparts were going back to school or entering hedge funds, I joined an e-commerce startup as its first finance hire. It was an amazing experience to learn how to build and scale a company firsthand. It also gave me the opportunity to deeply understand different functions within a business, as well as collaborate with people from a diverse set of backgrounds.
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How has your startup experience influenced your role at SoftBank Investment Advisers?
It has made such a positive impact. It forced me to become more open minded. I’ve developed a greater appreciation for the growing pains, challenges, and operational complexities that can impact a company in its early innings. It has also enabled more seamless and constructive collaboration with founders and entrepreneurs. Most importantly, I’m able to approach my job with a greater level of empathy. It has been invaluable to engage with companies on a deeper level and make a real impact on how they think about running and growing their businesses.
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What are your main areas of focus?
I focus broadly on real estate and consumer technology. We’re supporting initiatives and projects that use data to transform how physical assets are transacted and monetized. My consumer work has taken on several forms—from e-commerce and marketplaces to digital health and the on-demand economy. I enjoy working with companies that strive to have a direct impact on my community.
The best founders also foster strong partnership and collaboration, because they realize great companies aren’t built alone.
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What type of founders do you want to partner with?
There is no cookie-cutter founder. They’re all unique. We want to partner with entrepreneurs who are ready to take on complex challenges that will impact the world for years to come. Personally, I admire leaders who adopt a balanced approach—being bold but also methodical, visionary but also detail-oriented, and data-driven while relying on strong instincts. The best founders also foster strong partnership and collaboration, because they realize great companies aren’t built alone.
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What are some principles that have guided you in your work?
I have three. The first is data-driven decision-making. Uncovering unique insights to develop differentiated perspectives is the cornerstone of value creation in investing. The second is approaching every interaction with empathy. I find the most fruitful relationships are built on mutual trust and respect. The third is being a lifelong learner. There’s always a new sector, business model, or product out there. And behind all of them is a subject matter expert eager to share their expertise with you.
