About me

A life story in five chapters

The following section is inspired by Graham Duncan’s blog. Dan McAdams at Northwestern has studied people’s life stories, and has instructions on how to outline one:

Chapter 1: “Want to be her” (1-18 yrs)

I was born on Long Island on January 22, 1993. My mom told me I would wake up every day asking, "Mommy, what are we doing today!!!" I'm still this way. I had a moment of ignition in 6th grade when I learned about a neighbor who spent a summer volunteering before heading off to Yale. Her future seemed limitless. I thought, "I want to be her." I put my head down and didn't pick it up until I got into Penn.

Chapter 2: “College” (18-22 yrs)

Penn was a wild place. I worked hard, met amazing people, and made lifelong friends. I even traveled abroad to Israel during my junior year. However, as the years went on, I felt lost. Finding myself at Penn was challenging. I took time off during my senior year to focus on my mental health and to soul search. I interned for Peloton, working there for 7 months in 2014 as the company grew from 20 to 60 people. I also road-tripped through the American Southwest with 30 emerging artists, and most importantly, I came out of the closet. 

Chapter 3: “Rediscovering-self and The Goldilocks Years” (22-28 yrs)

Taking time off taught me that some risks are worth taking. When I graduated from college, I opened my own art gallery. I knew the artists from the Land Art trip were exceptional and under-appreciated and that they were apart of niche networks, with more artists like them. I also noticed a gap in the affordable art market on Long Island. At the time there were so few art spaces and so many potential buyers, (the pandemic was ultimately what pushed gallerists to the east-end) so I set out to capture some of the market potential. I discovered that I was right about the market. I also discovered that my talent was in sourcing and supporting emerging talent and community building. After a few years I learned my picker was great. A number of artists I showed and supported have since broken out, with work values increasing by 10x.

I spent the next few years skill-stacking and becoming a creative swiss-army knife. I joined a startup to help build mobile apps for brands, studied design, produced films, managed creative teams, and helped a number of friends launch their own brands and startups. I even started one of my own, GayJoy, to reach thousands of queer people with visibility and connection. Over those years, I kept saying yes to opportunities but I was missing a north star. I was creatively satisfied, but intellectually, I needed more.

Chapter 4:  “‘You Reading this, Be Ready’* — Nicole-career fit and hockey stick growth (30+)”

Last year, something perfect happened: I unlocked the space where my skills and interests could be met with deep intellectual satisfaction. While in business school at NYU, I found my north star, or what I like call “Nicole-career fit,” when I embarked on an early stage investing career with Dorm Room Fund. At DRF, I threw myself into the venture ecosystem and studied the business avidly. I led a number of deals into student-founded companies. I connected with role models, colleagues and new friends. I discovered that my keen eye for talent, my proficiency in fostering long-term relationships as well as rapidly establishing connections, coupled with my innate desire to serve others, makes me as an asset to a team. As I write this, I am exploding with energy and enthusiasm for the work of early-stage investing and building.

*Section title explained: One striking feature of the poem William Stafford’s career is its late start. Stafford was 48 years old when his first major collection of poetry was published. One of his poems is titled “You Reading this, Be ready’” It goes: “What can anyone give you greater than now, starting here, right in this room, when you turn around?” 

Chapter 5: “Nicole joins a team. Maybe yours?”

I’m endlessly curious, hungry to learn, teeming with energy, empathy, and grind. I’m eager to continue to support the best founders and go above and beyond for a team. I like to travel where no one else goes and find diamonds in the rough. I’m particularly passionate about creative software and weird industries. I’m looking for a permanent investor or operator role and to work from NYC.