Why I joined On Deck as a Fellow
Last week, to the surprise of my friends and family, I left my job at Goldman Sachs. If you’re looking for a story on why I left Goldman, this is not it. This is a story about why I joined On Deck to help launch the fin tech company I started called Tardi.
Why I Started Tardi?
I love creating and I believe in the power of small (“tardi” is actually named after the tardigrade, one of the world’s smallest yet strongest organisms). Just as I believe a novice writer has the potential to be a bestseller, I believe a small business owner can scale and a small investor can flourish with the right tools. I want to be a part of the movement to give business owners alternative ways to raise capital and investors the chance to gain exposure to a previously ultra exclusive asset class. I also firmly believe private equity is the final frontier for retail alternative investments as we have watched the world democratize investing in the public markets, art, wine, crypto and real estate. And finally, I believe that the buying power of women is huge but the investing power of women is untapped, so I am working to address this gap through my platform.
What is Tardi?
Tardi is a two-sided marketplace for retail investors to gain access to slices (equity) of private businesses. On the retail investor side, we intend to equip investors with the right tools to make good investment decisions and excite them about the value and importance of long term investing. On the private company side, we will provide businesses with an alternative way to raise equity. Historically, private companies raise funding through capital markets — debt, venture, and friends/family capital, but this can be exclusionary and difficult to access for diverse founders.
How Did We Get Here?
Six and a half years ago, I would have never imagined myself here. I was sitting in an apartment in Madrid, desperately trying to apply to jobs at about 2 am. I had studied Business and English at Wake Forest University, worked for numerous startups and like many of my classmates — had no idea what was next. My roommate at the time (sitting next to me, also up late applying) said, “Why don’t you apply to Goldman in Salt Lake City? Don’t you like to ski?” I did love skiing and anything outdoorsy, though that’s not the reason most people apply to work at Goldman. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d even hear back but ultimately submitted an application anyways. And to my surprise, I got the job.
I fell in love with Utah and stayed in the city for 2 years until I decided to move to San Francisco for another Goldman opportunity. I worked as a Relationship Manager for hedge funds in Prime Brokerage and as an Ambassador for Launch With GS — the firm’s $500m investment strategy grounded in the data-driven thesis that diverse teams drive strong returns. As I helped build the Launch ecosystem on the West Coast, I found myself incredibly inspired by the founders and investment managers. I just wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to take. Do I want to work in VC? Could I even get a job in VC? Do I want to be a founder? Do I actually have the grit to be a founder?
So, I took a step back and gave myself time (something I am not good at doing). I thought about what I wanted my career to look like, what I was excited about, where I wanted to be in the next 5 years, and what problems I wanted to solve. Oh, and I went through about 5 journals and all my iCloud storage writing notes about who I wanted to be. I even started a womxn’s magazine called Stuck in Notes to illuminate dreams, thoughts and ideas kept “stuck in your notes” in the midst of my own aspiration frustration.
After a few more months, I finally realized what I wanted to do and that was build Tardi — a marketplace for retail private equity investing. As I thought about how I would get from zine editing to the private equity space, I knew I couldn’t go it alone. Enter On Deck.
Why On Deck?
While I had a vision, I wasn’t sure how to take the leap. I had been saving, formalizing a business plan and growing a network but I wasn’t sure how to say goodbye to the company I had loved for over 5 years and the stability that accompanied it. Then, a friend introduced me to On Deck — a ten-week remote program that brings together an incredible group of founders who are in the early stages of building their next startup.
I spoke to different founders that had been through the program and repeatedly I heard, “You need to join,” “I regret not joining sooner,” “It will be one of the best groups of people you will ever interact with,” and “It is the best pool of founders out there.” So, I took the leap, quit my job and joined On Deck (this was my FIRST week!!) and could not be more excited for the path ahead. I plan to document my experience throughout the next 10 weeks, so be on the lookout for more to my story soon.
And to play on Tardi, don’t be late.
