On Formative Experiences

I grew up in Plano, Texas, and spent most of my childhood and early teen years training as an elite gymnast. It was a challenging but formative experience that proved the value of hard work and discipline, and taught me how to focus and perform under incredible pressure. Although athletics took up a lot of my time, my parents always stressed that academics were paramount. My dad’s constant mantra was “Understand the world around you” – a philosophy that I credit with instilling my love of reading at an early age. My husband and friends will attest that I still can’t be trusted to walk into a bookstore (Green Apple Books is my go-to) without bringing home far too many books...Lonesome Dove and Going Postal are recent favorites.

On Finding the Law

The prospect of being a lawyer always interested me. I saw it as an opportunity to continually use and refine skills that I valued, like analytical reasoning, negotiation, strategic problem-solving, and thinking on my feet. As I got older and learned more about the larger role of law in society, I was also drawn to its potential for effecting change on both a micro and macro level.

Both of my parents were entrepreneurs, and seeing them start, grow, and manage their own businesses had a profound impact on me. My resulting interest in the startup ecosystem is one of the reasons I chose to go to Stanford for law school, and then chose to work in startup and VC law afterward. At the beginning of my career, I worked at a law firm where I got to act as “outside general counsel” for hundreds of companies, which entailed advising them throughout their lifecycles – from formation to financings to exits, and everything in between. This experience gave me invaluable insight not only into complex legal issues, but also into a wide variety of strategic and operational concerns that founders grapple with on a daily basis.

On Working at Amplify

I wear many legal and operational hats at Amplify, which involves leading our internal functions surrounding new and follow-on investments, portfolio company exits, and Amplify fundraising. I also help our portfolio companies directly – I can serve as a sounding board for founders to talk through common issues (and their solutions).

On Advice for Founders

One of the best things founders can do early on is establish relationships with trusted and experienced advisors. Don’t ever feel shy about asking for help – I like to remind myself that people love being asked questions they know the answers to. Leverage the expertise of those people (including the Amplify team!) so that you can focus on what you’re most passionate about.

Also, it’s much cheaper, faster, and easier to do things right the first time. You’ll avoid lots of headaches by staying organized and nailing basic operations from the outset.

On Life Outside of Work

During law school, I had the opportunity to participate in the Criminal Defense Clinic, where I represented defendants as they navigated the criminal justice system. It was a transformational experience that strengthened my love for advocacy at the individual level. So, although my day job is corporate law, I still try to incorporate similar advocacy through pro bono work in juvenile immigration asylum, election protection, and clemency proceedings.

When I’m not doing “law stuff,” my dog Harper keeps me busy – we spend a lot of time at various SF beaches and parks. I also love sports - I’ve been boxing for over a decade now, and it’s a great cardio (and mental!) workout with endless opportunities to improve and learn. When I’m not boxing, you can find me doing ballet, or powerlifting in my prized garage gym while Harper cheers me on (aka naps) nearby.