I’ve lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for nearly my whole life.
I am a rising Sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania in the School of Arts and Sciences. I am currently pursuing a dual major in Computer Science and Economics with an Econometrics concentration, Computer Science, and a minor in Data Science.
I love to play tennis and played in a 4.5 USTA League this summer. Besides tennis, although I’m no good at shooting, I spend a lot of time playing basketball with my hometown friends. When I’m too tired to play sports, I enjoy watching sports movies/TV shows (like the new series Ted Lasso) and am a huge Detroit Lions fan. Since I was a kid, I’ve also loved playing chess with friends and have spent much time learning new songs on the cello or piano.
I can hit a tweener—a backward, between-the-legs shot—in tennis.
After expressing interest in the fintech space, my mom, one of the VC investors for Crowdz, connected me with Payson. From there, I talked with other team members, and we found a role that would be a good fit.
The first thing that drew me to Crowdz was my curiosity about the fintech space. As a college freshman, I had never had any professional exposure and wanted to learn more about this growing industry. So when the tokenization project became an option for me to work on, I got really excited about working in such a new space.
The main project that I’ve been working on for Crowdz is the launch of a blockchain-based token solution for the invoice financing platform. I was involved with brainstorming structures, researching various blockchain topics, working with the marketing team, and managing work progress.
More recently, I have begun working with the product team to improve the development process by introducing a new product management tool.
I love the team structure at Crowdz. Even as an intern, it enabled me to engage in discussions and contribute ideas. It was also really cool to be involved in creating a blockchain platform like no other before.
Besides a newly found passion for the blockchain and decentralized finance space, my biggest takeaway from working at Crowdz is the importance of reaching out and taking the initiative. The best conversations or results happened when I asked more questions and engaged with the team members.
I’ll be continuing at Crowdz into the school year on a part-time basis and would really like to be part of the tokenization launch. As I head back to school soon, I am excited for my first in-person year of college! Post-graduation is still a while away from me, but I am leaning towards a role that involves some Computer Science.
I was initially surprised by the sheer amount of work going on around the company as a whole. I think it’s easy to feel lost, but as Steven Lee helped me develop a scope for my involvement and I took on more specific tasks, work became much more manageable. I would say don’t be afraid to ask questions both about content and how you can help the team. Defining your role early on is also essential.
There are actually three people I’d like to shout out: