So many of us have privileges we can hardly see, let alone understand. That’s why I’m inspired by immigrants and entrepreneurs: they don’t let anything stop them.
Backstory
My parents embody the American dream. Our family fled Saigon when I was a toddler, after my father fought together with American troops in the Vietnam War. We left Vietnam with nothing, living in refugee camps in the Philippines and Arkansas before my parents finally made it to rural Pennsylvania. That’s where they made a new life for us. My father was a civil engineer, while my mother, who had run a motorcycle shop in Vietnam, became a seamstress in a factory, getting paid by the piece. She spoke no English, but she was fearless and endlessly curious. She started a string of small businesses and became a successful real estate investor. I’m still drawn to that scrappy, entrepreneurial spirit.
School
Attracted to the transformative power of business, I was fortunate to attend The Wharton School, where I earned a BS in Economics and Business. I spent a few years as a consultant, then pursued an MBA from Harvard. I graduated in 2000 and headed West, to be part of the booming tech industry.
eBay
My first job in Silicon Valley was in product at eBay, where I saw first-hand the impact a single product — even a single feature — could have on the lives of millions of people. My first project involved coming up with a solution to introduce a fixed price format on eBay without upsetting our seller community. After we introduced the “Buy it Now” button, small businesses all over the world told us they were able to increase sales and grow faster. At eBay Live! events, we had the chance to meet members of the eBay tribe and recognize that we were part of something larger than ourselves.
Oodle, Betfair, Stella & Dot, and Keaton Row
After five years at eBay, I jumped into the controlled chaos of startup life. I spent four years at Oodle, where I led product and took an active role in creating our culture. Similar roles followed at a few other startups: Betfair, Stella & Dot, Keaton Row. At Betfair, I brought my personal experience as a tournament poker player to the table.
Spero Ventures
In 2018, I became part of the founding team of Spero Ventures (formerly part of Omidyar Network, which I joined in 2016). I acted as a thought partner to founding teams, helping them incorporate design-thinking and user empathy into product development and corporate strategy. I also led our firm’s investments in diverse founders at the seed stage.
Swimply
In 2019, I became the Chief Experience Officer at Swimply, where my role is to maximize the success of Swimply’s hosts and guests, and build out the company’s internal operations to maximize the company’s success.
Swimply is an online marketplace that allows owners of underutilized swimming pools to monetize their pools’ downtime by sharing them locally by the hour. Think Airbnb, but for swimming pools. Our mission is to extend the sharing economy beyond the functional to the experiential. We envision a world in which anyone, anywhere, can access anything with the tap of a button—from their very own tennis court or swimming pool to home gyms and even music studios—regardless of their economic status. Swimply raised a $10M Series A led by Norwest Venture Partners.