I’ve spent the last decade scaling venture-backed startups in operations roles, bringing order to early-stage chaos. Most recently, I served as the COO of Kard, where I helped grow the company from $0 to ~$10M ARR by standing up partnerships, scaling internal infrastructure, and building out teams. Before that, I was Head of Operations at Upwave, leading a small team and helping the company scale from seed through Series B.
I studied computer science and Russian at Duke, where I now stay involved as a mentor in the entrepreneurship community. After living in both New York and San Francisco, I currently call Florida home.
REISSUED: Doing behind-the-scenes magic to support my brother’s growing YouTube channel focused on finding and 'reissuing' thrifted finds with incredible design.
Chad Zessin Designs: My boyfriend builds incredible pieces in sinker cypress, so I built something small to showcase his work.
Patriot Primer: A running list of resources I use to keep learning and tracking what’s happening in defense.
Avoiding Delegation Downfalls (Jan 2021)
On learning to let go without handing off the wrong things or micromanaging the process.
Creating Company Culture (Feb 2021)
Reflections on how to define, observe, and evolve culture in an early-stage startup.
Employee Appreciation Done Well (Feb 2021)
Five modern currencies of recognition, adapted from love languages and for startup constraints.
EOY Checklist (Dec 2020)
A year-end reset list spanning management, meetings, tools, finances, and time.
Evaluating Startup Offers (Feb 2021)
Questions to ask when weighing equity, growth, risk, and whether it’s time to leave.
Setting an Operational Cadence (Mar 2021)
Why rhythms matter in startups and how to build a cadence that supports focus and flow.
Writing a User Guide (Dec 2020)
Decision paralysis, personal branding, and the quiet courage of telling others how to work with you.
I live on the Emerald Coast and can be found flying, diving, playing tennis, and fan-girling fighter jets. If you're visiting the area and like those things too, reach out!
I check email most often but also hang out on LinkedIn and X.