Title: Executive director of the 1717 Innovation Center, a new business incubator in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom that has received major financial backing from Capital One Financial Corp. She is an employee of Capital One.
Born: November 1977 in Richmond
Education: Spelman College, bachelor of arts in English, 1999; University of Michigan Law School, 2002
Career: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 2002-03; Capital One, 2004-18
What part of the metro area do you live?: South Richmond
Best business decision: “Being willing to take a risk even when it seemed crazy. I left a promising career path in procurement to explore my options. In doing so I was blessed with the opportunity to do something that merges all my passions — directing the 1717 Innovation Center.”
Worst business decision: “There isn’t a specific decision that stands out, but anytime I’ve ignored that quiet whisper leading me down a wiser path, it has led to undesirable results. Over the years, I’ve learned to pay very close attention to that voice, and it has never steered me wrong.”
Mistake you learned the most from: “Undervaluing the importance of ‘being a customer of analytics.’ When I was first given that feedback from a manager, who was an analyst, I didn’t invest as much time as I should have on that development opportunity. I’ve since learned that, understanding analytics can bring a tremendous amount of credibility to any conversation and presentation.”
What is the biggest challenge/opportunity in the next two to five years: “Richmond continues to show up as a growing and influential entrepreneurial ecosystem. Our biggest opportunity is ensuring that we not only support the entrepreneurial ecosystem with resources, but that we also bring those resources to community organizations to ensure they are not left behind in this constantly changing and innovative environment.”
First job after college: Clerking for Roger L. Gregory, then a judge on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently: “I’m a firm believer that you grow from every experience in life, and I work hard to live my life with no regrets, just lessons learned. There have been lots of lessons learned, but I wouldn’t change a thing because each experience has helped me become the woman I am today.”
Movie or book that inspired you the most, and why?: “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” The thing I love about the movie is how Richard Dreyfuss’ character, through following his life’s passion and joy, inspired others. It doesn’t matter what you do, but if you find joy and passion in it, that becomes contagious. I seek to live my life with purpose and hope that I inspire others as well.”
Favorite/least favorite subject in school: Favorite: English. “I love writing and this is the sole reason why I studied English in college.” Least favorite: science. “It was always massively confusing to me.”