Born and raised in Long Island, NY, I grew up in a blue-collar family with two amazing parents who instilled a work ethic that still shapes how I operate today.
At Penn State, I didn't just earn a degree. I learned how to research and analyze human patterns through data. That training in seeing what the numbers are really saying became the foundation for how I evaluate markets, products, and later, investment opportunities.
My career started in financial services, making collection calls during the 2008 recession. Speaking with thousands of people facing financial hardship taught me the psychology of money in a way no textbook could, how people get trapped by credit card debt, what fear does to decision-making, and why some people stay stuck while others find a way through. It also reinforced a belief that's guided me ever since: long-term success is built on how you understand and manage relationships.
From there, I moved into financial technology, building products that serve millions of people and process billions in annual transactions. Since then, I've led digital transformations, turned around underperforming products, and delivered new solutions that create real value for clients. In parallel, I went deep into human nature, behavior, and psychology on my own, and that work shows up every time I'm navigating complex stakeholder dynamics or designing products that have to work for real people, not just in a deck.
I also became an investor along the way, first syndicating real estate projects, and later shifting into other asset classes. The same pattern-recognition skills I built at Penn State and in financial services now shape how I analyze opportunities and risk.
Outside of work, I spend my time mentoring, coaching, and educating people on personal finance, career development, and health and wellness, helping them understand the patterns that keep them stuck, and the moves that help them thrive.