A Buckeye leader shaping new investors

I am originally from Cincinnati and ended up at Ohio State through the Young Scholars Program. That program allowed me to build foundational relationships with students and faculty before I even stepped on campus. I also joined the Minority Engineering Program to study mechanical engineering and participated in their summer program, PREFACE, which was instrumental in preparing me for the engineering curriculum.

During my time at Ohio State, I joined Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., served as president of the National Society of Black Engineers for two years and was a member of both the Multicultural Understanding through Nontraditional Discovery Opportunities initiative and the Black Students Association. I also completed an entrepreneurship minor and much of the business minor. Ohio State changed my life in terms of what I viewed as possible; it provided a new trajectory and a network of great relationships. And, of course, it doesn’t hurt that the football team is very good.

My connection with OSEIN was somewhat serendipitous. Given my work at Amazon and being based in New York, the alumni association reached out to me frequently. In the summer of 2022, they mentioned a new program they were developing. I was brought in as part of the initial group tasked with designing the governance, investment and membership committees. Given my professional background, they asked me to join the investment committee and, eventually, to serve as its chair. It all stemmed from staying involved with the alumni association and finding opportunities to give back over the last three years.

Education is vital for emerging investors and established alumni alike because people typically invest in what they know. If someone works in real estate, they invest in real estate; if they work in the markets, they invest in stocks. If you haven’t worked in the startup world, you may not understand the risk profile, which makes you less likely to invest. This lack of knowledge is the biggest hurdle for potential investors. 

By starting the education piece earlier, you provide a full view of what it means to invest in a company, including the risks and limitations. That is the exciting part of the Early Investor program. It grows our membership while ensuring investors are educated enough to ask the right questions and apply a critical lens to the companies presenting to them. 

Success depends on your definition, but from a business perspective, I rely heavily on the Amazon Leadership Principles. One key aspect is “ownership” — owning a process entirely and delivering on it. “Diving deep” is also essential. I also have a “bias for action”; if you see a problem, you fix it. It’s the difference between being the driver of your success versus being a passenger. 

“Thinking big” is another one. It’s difficult, but you must think outside your own domain and look at the bigger picture of your life and work. Finally, “customer obsession” is critical. Whether your “customer” is a buyer, an internal stakeholder, an alumnus or a startup founder, you must do right by them and build the processes that help them succeed.

Membership is always key. I want to “uplevel” our current and prospective members by giving them the confidence to invest. People are often nervous about asking “dumb” questions, but in this space, every question is helpful. 

I also want to bring in more subject matter experts. We need people who deeply understand specific fields—like medical devices, small molecules or cancer treatments—to help us discern which opportunities are viable. Finally, I want to increase participation. We are looking for ways to keep people actively engaging, whether through in-person events, pitch sessions or committee meetings. The more involved you are, the more you learn and the more confident you feel in your investments.