MY STORY
Growing up in the waning years of the Soviet Union, I was perceived as stubborn and persistent. In the rigid Russian society of that time, my character was seen as a detriment to my future. I didn’t mind—by fourteen, I already knew where I had to be to fulfill my dreams. I knew I had to go to America.
Any immigrant will tell you that success in the USA is based on tenacity. I arrived in the United States alone and with $140 in my pocket. With a strong sense of belief in myself, I was convinced I would succeed.
I needed a college education, but I didn't have the resources to pay for a $45,000/year tuition. I worked menial “immigrant jobs” for three years and applied for every scholarship and grant I could find, all to no avail. I sat in on classes as a “pretend” student to bring myself incrementally closer to my goal. When an engineering professor learned my story and saw my thick binder of scholarship rejections, he introduced me to an entrepreneur and venture capitalist he knew. The venture capitalist believed in my potential and offered to fund my education, asking only for my promise to “do something significant” for someone else in return.
I worked as Business Development Manager for Modern Times Group (MTG), a $2.5B media conglomerate, tasked with launching new ventures and ensuring the profitability of acquired media businesses in Europe. Having launched three new ventures for MTG, I left to earn an MBA at Harvard Business School. As an entrepreneur, I knew I needed an intimate knowledge of finance and the ability to raise capital. I made a conscious decision to develop that skill. At Allen & Company, a top-tier investment bank headquartered in New York, I served as Vice President, overseeing mergers, acquisitions and venture capital investing. My success in the entrepreneurial battlefield wasn’t guaranteed, of course. I had two successes (exits to Oracle and Bessemer)—and two failures. Over the years, I’ve launched new startups and new products as a COO, CEO, CFO and CRO across verticals (healthcare, entertainment, screen sharing, and e-commerce) - and across business models (retail, subscription, B2B2C marketplace, white-label, SaaS). Whether I’ve worked as an entrepreneur or intrapreneur, I’ve always welcomed the challenge to build something from nothing. As a founder, I have raised Angel and Series A rounds of financing. As a Managing Director of a startup accelerator, I have helped entrepreneurs bring ideas from concept to market validation to launch. I find great satisfaction in helping founders see clearer, try quicker, prevent problems sooner, and build startups faster.
I have not forgotten my promise to the venture capitalist who made my education possible. I give back by helping entrepreneurs succeed. I’ve been a mentor at several startup accelerators in New York and Boston, and have built a startup accelerator at a university. I like to make things happen. With both humility and a sense of satisfaction, I can say that I’m still as stubborn and persistent as that little girl in Russia.
