I never set out to follow a traditional career path. In fact, I’ve spent most of my career doing the opposite—questioning the way things have always been done, stepping into stretch roles, and making bold career moves that didn’t always make sense on paper. Every defining moment in my career happened because I ignored the typical playbook.
I started in CPG manufacturing, where precision and execution weren’t just valued—they were essential. When you’re producing food at scale, consistency and safety come first, and the systems built around them are designed to minimize risk. I grew and developed so much at these companies, learning discipline, operational excellence, and the power of strong teams. But over time, I found myself drawn to something different—the chance to build, to challenge assumptions, and to move fast in a way that wasn’t always possible in a large, established company.
That’s what led me to startups. I took a pay cut, left the security of a 100-year-old company, and joined a small team at HelloFresh to launch west coast operations, where we were moving at breakneck speed to scale an entirely new category. Everything was different. The constraints I had worked within before no longer applied as we had to build and respond to massive demand in real-time. It was terrifying. It was also the best decision I ever made.
Since then, I’ve worked across industries, from food to transportation to AI, and I have realized that success isn’t about having the perfect resume or the right background. It’s about stepping into the unknown, trusting what you bring to the table, and figuring out the rest along the way.
Through all of it, I’ve found three things to be true, no matter where I’ve worked or what role I’ve been in:
- The people around you matter more than anything.
Titles don’t build companies—people do. And most of them know more than you. I learned this early in my career on the factory floor, where the best insights always came from the people closest to the work, not from leadership. The same has been true in the tech industry. The best ideas come from teams that feel heard, empowered, and valued.
The strongest leaders aren’t the ones with all the answers. They’re the ones who listen, ask questions, and make sure every voice in the room matters.
- Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t mean it should be.
If you want to build something better, you have to be willing to break the old ways of thinking. I’ve seen this play out over and over again—from reworking factory processes to scaling a startup to pivoting an entire company. Innovation doesn’t happen when people play it safe. It happens when they challenge assumptions, push boundaries, and rethink what’s possible.
- Growth doesn’t come from staying comfortable.
Almost every big step in my career started with feeling completely out of my depth. The first time I ran a factory. The first time I joined a startup. The first time I led a company through a major transformation. I didn’t have all the answers, but I learned to trust myself, surround myself with great people, and figure it out.
This mindset drove me to take on the challenge of leading Standard AI. When I joined, we were focused on autonomous checkout—an exciting vision, but one the market wasn’t ready for. We had to face the hard truth: we got it wrong. But instead of walking away, we found a bigger opportunity. We realized that the real value of our technology wasn’t in replacing cashiers—it was in the data it could unlock.
Now, we’re reshaping how retailers and brands understand their customers, proving that in-store shopping can be as measurable and dynamic as e-commerce. We’re not just following industry trends; we’re defining them..
Looking back, I realize that I’ve never fit into a traditional career path because I never wanted to. I’ve built my career—and my company—by challenging the status quo, stepping into the unknown, and trusting that there’s always a better way.
And I wouldn’t change a thing.
