Startup Board Advisor & Growth Partner | Angel Investor | Founder Mentor - Building & Scaling Pre-Seed & Early-Stage Ventures | Strategic People Consultant | Culture Architect | Governance | Fractional Executive

A Career Built on Execution and Building Culture

For over two decades, my professional identity was defined by the "build." As an MBA and M&A professional, I specialized in the high-velocity world of "buy-and-build" strategies—scaling startups and creating growth from raw innovation to successful exits with a healthy culture. I thrived in the operational connective tissue of business, turning complex problems into streamlined successes.

But in 2022, the nature of the "battle" shifted from the boardroom to my own life.

The Three-Year Cancer Battle: A Life Altered

I spent three years navigating a grueling journey through cancer. It was an experience that was, in every sense, life-altering. It stripped away the noise and forced me to confront the most fundamental questions of existence.

Coming out the other side was about more than surviving a diagnosis—it was about finding the clarity to lead a life of intentional impact. That period of my life forced a profound shift in my purpose. I realized that while scaling businesses is a skill, scaling impact is a calling.

A New Mission: Designing for What's Next

Now, my work as an investor and mentor is an extension of that transformed purpose. I no longer just invest in companies; I invest in people and the breakthroughs that move humanity forward. My battle gave me a unique perspective on resilience, integrity, and the preciousness of time—values I now bring to every founder and team I support.

I am now focused on:

  • Realizing Dreams: Helping founders navigate the "struggle" to break through barriers and see their objectives become reality.

  • Meaningful Impact: Focusing on life sciences and agentic technology that can provide the same early diagnostics and breakthroughs that save lives or transform work and society.

  • Empowering the Underrepresented: Bridging the gap for those who have the vision but lack the traditional access to the "connective tissue" of the venture world.

The Work Today

As a Partner at Tech Ranch Austin and Founder of Cortes Global Equity Partners, LLC, I serve as an angel investor, startup mentor and board advisor. I also co-host the conversation YouTube/Podcast series Next by Design with Joel Granoff, where we explore how leaders approach their next step with intention.

My journey taught me that the next step matters more than the last one. Whether I am mentoring a founding team or architecting a strategic alliance, my goal is simple: to have a positive, meaningful impact on the lives of others and to ensure that no breakthrough is left behind.