Savor Every Moment
I am passionate, generous, enthusiastic and optimistic. I am a natural leader who sees the very best in people. My teams believe in me.
I have called San Diego, the Bay Area, New York City, and Kauai home. I have also lived internationally in Florence, Italy and Dublin, Ireland. My passport needs new pages, and I am very grateful to adventure all over the globe.
My natural inclination is found in ideas that can change our world for the better. We can do good and well at the same time.
I am the Founder of three startups and two clubs: PlantBaby, LQD WiFi and LiquidTalent, and GoogleCaresSF + The Crypto Club. I have worked for two Fortune 50s: Google and Verizon.
I make sh*t happen. I am an investor, advisor, philanthropist and non-profit board member. I manifest, connect and create. I add value.
I care deeply about Planet Earth, the human experience, love, connection and spiritual development.Experience
I started working on my fourteenth birthday.
I value integrity, creativity and tenacity.
I vibrate with big visions and game-changing ideas.
I approach my career as a marathon, not a sprint.
I go by the motto: anything is possible.
UC Berkeley
2001-2005
I graduated UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. During my time at college, I worked for Berkeley's publication center, interned at the San Diego District Attorney's Office and NBC, studied abroad in Florence, Italy and served as my fraternity's President. It was a dream four year experience.
Google
2005 - 2013
I spent my twenties at Google. I felt like I received a PhD in business, technology and organizational behavior. I spent equal time between the Sales and Policy departments, and worked in four different Google offices. I opened the Google San Francisco office; founded GoogleCaresSF, a local philanthropic club; worked abroad in Dublin, Ireland; served as New York's first-ever Public Affairs Manager; invested in 80+ non-profits; and spearheaded eight public-facing WiFi networks. I made my mark inside and out.
Startups: LQD WiFi and LiquidTalent
2013 - 2016
I turned 30 and the entrepreneurial calling got loud. I set out on my own and co-founded two promising companies: LQD WiFi and LiquidTalent. LQD WiFi re-imaged public spaces through cutting-edge street technology. LiquidTalent connected vetted tech and design talent to project-based opportunities, all through local and social connection. LQD WiFi was successfully acquired by Verizon in late 2016.
There is nothing like building a big idea from scratch - the hustle, gumption and grit required changes you at the core.
Verizon
2016 - 2019
Through the acquisition of LQD WiFi, I joined Verizon's Smart City Division as Urban Affairs Manager. My two plus years at the company provided an education from startup acquisition to corporate integration, hardware manufacturing, government relations, and Smart City strategy and development.
Investor + Advisor / Husband + Father
2019
Lauren and I moved from New York to Kauai in March of 2019 to plan our dream wedding. We brought our baby boy into the world in November 2019. We are living on the North Shore and are focused on our family and well-being. From the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I invest in and advise companies that have aligned missions and values.
PlantBaby
2020 - Today
A few months after Alakai was born, we discovered a major gap in the infant formula market: there was no plant-based, soy-free and dairy-free option. As new parents, we became frustrated; as entrepreneurs, we got curious. We started researching the entire food and beverage category for infants, toddlers and children. The opportunity to enhance the nutritional journey became very clear to us. We decided to take action!
Lauren and I founded PlantBaby as a future-forward nutrition movement. We are developing a kid-friendly inspired portfolio of healthy food and beverages that is plant-based, dairy-free, scientifically-backed and medically approved. We are launching with Kiki Milk, the first plant-based, dairy-free milk designed specifically for children.
Through PlantBaby, we are now working harder and smarter than ever to make tomorrow's world better for our son's generation.Media
Featured Articles
TechCrunch
Verizon buys LQD WiFi to expand its IoT strategy into “smart cities”
TechCrunch
LiquidTalent Launches On-Demand Marketplace For Designers And Developers
New York Daily News
Free WiFi comes to Chelsea thanks to Google, making it the largest hotspot in NYC
WSJ
To Be Successful, Make Your Own Luck
