My Journey to Chingona Ventures
I am excited to share that I have joined Chingona Ventures!
Since a very young age, I have always been passionate about entrepreneurship. Whether it was running a gift shop out of my basement with my older sister, or figuring out the best way to monetize a lemonade stand — I knew that I someday wanted to run a business of my own.
Fast forward to high school, I founded a small resale business in my neighborhood via Facebook Marketplace. I began selling all types of items — from household furniture to children’s clothing — earning a 10–20% commission. Through this endeavor, I learned critical skills such as effective marketing, negotiation, and communication and found myself energized by operating my own little enterprise.
As an undergraduate at Northwestern University, I participated in entrepreneurial competitions through The Garage and had the opportunity to lead the sales vertical of a student-run tutoring business on campus. I also competed in a pitch competition at Chicago’s startup hub, 1871. This transformative experience solidified my love of innovative business ideas and crafting a strong pitch.
So, Why Venture Capital?
While studying Economics at Northwestern, I was first exposed to the world of investing the summer following my sophomore year. I interned with a boutique asset manager in Los Angeles, specifically on their Private Credit team. It was there that I learned how to diligence private companies. I found myself intrigued as I researched specific industries and markets, including a range of niche topics — from the autonomous trucking industry to the aerospace aftermarket.
The following summer, I joined Goldman Sachs as a Summer Analyst. I returned to the firm full-time upon my graduation in 2021, which is where I spent the last 2+ years. During my time at Goldman, I worked in sales within the Asset & Wealth Management Division. Funny enough, this is the same team that our Founding Partner, Samara, was on many years ago. In my previous role, I pitched Goldman’s market outlook and high conviction investment ideas to financial advisors throughout the U.S. Working in sales taught me how to understand a client’s needs and position a solution to solve a problem.
As I learned more and more about the investment vehicles I was selling, I became increasingly interested in the investing side of the business. While I loved working with my clients, I began to yearn for a chance to sit on the buy-side, particularly in the private markets.
At the start of 2023, I became an ambassador for Launch with GS, Goldman’s $1 billion investment strategy grounded in a data-driven thesis that diverse teams drive strong returns. Being a woman in a male-dominated industry, this incredible opportunity deeply aligned with my interests of allocating capital to those who are often overlooked. Through the ambassador program, not only did I learn about ways the firm invested capital in companies with diverse and gender-balanced leadership, but I also learned about its investment in fund managers with at least one diverse GP across venture capital, growth equity, and private equity. In addition, the program gave me exposure to the startup ecosystem as I learned about the early-stage tech companies that were involved in Launch’s entrepreneur cohorts. Learning about such companies piqued my interest, and I soon knew that I wanted impactful VC to be a part of my future.
Why Chingona Ventures?
Chingona Ventures had been on my radar for quite some time after researching venture capital firms across the country. As an advocate for women in business and finance, I was inspired by Samara’s vision for the fund to invest in founders that didn’t fit the traditional mold (and, not to mention, the firm’s all-female investment team!). A few months after sending a cold email inquiring about open roles, I was thrilled when I came across the listing for the analyst position.
As I met individually with Samara, Grisel, Lori, and our two advisors, Stella Garber and Sonia Nagar, I knew that Chingona Ventures was special. Samara, referred to as a “rockstar” in the industry by a female mentor of mine, and I immediately clicked over our shared experiences at Goldman Sachs. When I received an offer to join the team, I jumped at the opportunity.
Chingona Ventures’ impactful focus on supporting diverse, uniquely positioned founders greatly aligns with my own values and interests. Our focused portfolio of pre-seed companies excites me as we’re able to “go early” and “go big” when presented with an exciting business idea. While I am eager to meet with founders within all five of our focus sectors, I am particularly interested in exploring fintech and health/wellness.
Being born and raised in Chicago, I am incredibly excited to begin my career in venture capital at a Chicago-based firm like Chingona Ventures. I look forward to being a part of the Chicago and Midwest VC communities and am excited to support our portfolio companies, LPs, and future founders!
