California kid. Four winters at −20°. Made it out alive.

Game theory pointed at investment banking; two internships there were enough to know I wanted tech.

Forecasting models in R, pointed at cancer research.

Predictive models for the Helen Diller cancer center, in bioinformatics. Six months in, I wanted the start-up world.

Door-to-door sales to restaurants. The first, and last, time.

A Berlin food-tech start-up: restaurants ordering from suppliers digitally instead of by fax. Launched the Bay Area market, with Berkeley Extension night classes on the side. Then COVID.

Weekly GMV went from under $250K to over $1M while I was there.

COVID hit food the hardest. Laid off – and free to start something.

Everyone stayed inside, the restaurants emptied, and Choco let me go. Suddenly there was time: tinkering on Berkeley data-science projects turned into a start-up – a UIUC professor, grant money, angels, an iOS and web product for college students. Traction, then a raise that didn't close in the crypto frenzy. Fell in love with product, and made learning to be a PM the mission.

Raised $250K+ and built a team of five.

Joined at a very opportune time.

Marketplace was under twenty people when it became Walmart's number-one priority, with billions behind it. Launched LocalFinds from 0 to 1 before the 2022 holidays, on time – then two more years scaling it. Then, a second company.

The largest Marketplace launch in company history, 80+ teams in the room. Promoted twice on the way.

$1M+ raised to build hyper-personalised shopping.

An AI-driven eCommerce marketplace, backed by eCommerce-veteran angels and early-stage VC, Hyphen Capital among them.

5,000+ brands and 4M+ SKUs, with a team of four building the AI.