Meet Our New Ridge-inforcements: Susan Stella & Kamil Saeid!

Is it unusual to hire in the midst of a global pandemic? Perhaps. Though unusual has taken on a different meaning in the past few weeks as pants have become optional, Zumba classes have turned into Zoomba classes, and meetings now resemble an episode of “Hollywood Squares.”

It’s only right, then, that our two newest Ridgeteers are unusually experienced, talented, and equipped to help our firm — and extraordinary founders — navigate these strange and trying times. Everyone, please unmute yourselves and let out a huge w00t! w00t! for our new Head of Investor Relations Susan Stella, and new Principal Kamil Saeid!

Susan is the Xena Warrior Princess of the LP relations world. Her sword is forged from 20+ years of venture comms experience — from emerging firms to multibillion-dollar private equity funds — and her armor is battle-tested for any surprises thrown her way. Susan’s resume reads like an epic poem, but her greatest hits include serving as Director of the Thunderbird Global Private Equity Center, followed by her post as Principal and Director of Investor Relations at Knightsbridge Advisers. Did we mention she speaks Mongolian and German? Beeindruckend!

Raised in the City of Brotherly Love, Kamil embodies the patience and persistence of “Trust the Process” big man Joel Embiid and the founder-first approach Ridge prides itself on. He was previously an investor at Aspect Ventures, the firm’s first outside hire, where he worked with the likes of Chime, Exabeam, and Gusto. He also cut his teeth as a consultant at Bain & Company, after landing both his BS (Biomechanical Engineering) and MBA from Stanford. Aside from his interest in backing traditionally overshadowed industries, Kamil is passionate about developing Africa’s tech scene, particularly in his native Sudan.

The addition of Susan and Kamil is a welcome reprieve from our Zoom-and-gloom reality. Two more Ridgeteers can only mean good things for our companies, and the founders we have yet to meet who are changing how the world interacts with data and code.

For more on this fabulous news, check out the official press release here. Susan and Kamil, welcome to the Ridge Familia!