Home: Washington, DC. Birthplace: Alexandria, VA. Profession: Entrepreneur, Founder and CEO. Organization: Bluemercury, Evenly Technologies, Tower Systems. Title: CEO and Founder. Alma mater: Cornell University.
Recent recognition: Evenly Technologies was named a 2024 Top Startup by LinkedIn. Recent professional development: Named The 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year by Cornell University. Latest accomplishment: Advising students accepted into The Beck Entrepreneurship Fellows Program at Cornell University. Recent travel or adventure: Last spring I travelled to Dharamshala, India and spent two days with His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. Last book read: The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb, and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley Are Changing the World, by Brad Stone.
Personality profile: Detail orientated and rarely satisfied with “good enough”. What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Impulsive. And fun. How would you define an ideal business relationship? Long-lasting, built on communication, trust and complementary thinking – with a focus on long term value rather than short term profits. What is your greatest joy? Building businesses and building my family at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive. What is your guilty pleasure? Sneaking to the gym during lunch. What ingredient is essential to your perfect vacation? My boat and my family.
What was your favorite college course? Italian films. What was your favorite childhood toy or game? Monopoly. What book have you repeatedly read? Zero to One, by Peter Thiel. What movie have you repeatedly watched? The Godfather and Good Fellas. What’s the best advice you received in your career? Nothing’s great forever. Markets fluctuate, stock markets drop, and even whole asset classes can disappear. What personal circumstance has had the greatest influence on your life? Being inspired to be an entrepreneur by my grandfather, who lived a simple life despite his successful career as the original maker of Lacoste, the eponymous crocodile brand named for the famous tennis player. What modern technology innovation do you most appreciate? The iPhone, which changed the very fabric of our lives.
What is your big idea?
Big problems equal big opportunities. The bigger the problem you solve, the bigger the opportunity you have to create revolutionary change.
What change would you like to see in the world? Finding thousands more entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, to solve the world’s problems and make future decades more prosperous and peaceful than those of the past. What widely held belief do you reject? The “first mover” in any industry yields a competitive advantage. What mega-trend most excites you? Artificial intelligence.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? An astronaut. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? With my family on my boat trapped somewhere in the Mediterranean. What advice would you give your younger self? Don’t be afraid to break the rules. The history of the world has been written by surprises.
Favorite quote: “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so” (Mark Twain).
