My passion for founder-led businesses started at an early age. My fondest childhood memory is of walking the family coffee farm in El Salvador with my dad as he patiently answered my every question.
I loved having his undivided attention while he loved to pass along the stories his father and his grandfather (“el abuelo”) had passed on to him. Growing up in a family business cultivated in me a desire to understand the challenges of growing a business and the people behind them.
Prior to Stride, I was a Partner at Castanea, where I joined in 2002 and have had the pleasure of working with brands such as Urban Decay, FUZE, Yasso, MacKenzie-Childs, and Brew Dr. Kombucha. The common thread throughout those great experiences has been working alongside smart, passionate, and visionary founders – founders who saw an opportunity to better serve consumers’ needs and had the courage to do something about it. I am motivated by working with such talented people and helping them fulfill their dreams.
Prior to Castanea Partners, I spent three years working in the Atlanta office of Bain & Company where I focused on clients in the consumer products, manufacturing, and distribution industries. It was there that I started to develop my love of brands and to embark on a journey to understand consumer behavior.
I received an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and an MBA from Harvard Business School. I now live in the Boston area with my wife and two kids.