The story so far

I’ve never been one to take the path of least resistance. And it has served me well. When I am pushed outside of my comfort zone, I perform to my highest ability - and making the move into venture has been no different. The grind for founders is real. I’ve been there. Today I am part of a team in North America looking for founders who simply can’t do anything other than building the business they’ve chosen to build. Because that drive and passion is part of their DNA.
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Although technically my first finance-related role out of university was a hedge fund accountant, it’s been clear from the start that building businesses is where my passion lies. Whether it was creating a Bluetooth-based application at University that encouraged real life interaction between people, building software to transform how asset managers communicate, or rolling out a tool to better help everyday athletes make data-driven decisions about their health and performance…I am at my best when I am building. Now that my role in building is less hands-on and has shifted to supporting with capital, my past as a founder can’t help but influence my interactions each day.
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The foundation that underpins every part of my life is the fuel that competition provides for me. Both in sport (I competed for my country in both rugby and athletics, where I still hold the record for 400 m hurdles) and in business, I thrive in a performance culture that rejects mediocrity. When I fail (and I do – in 2018 I walked away from a business I co-founded and was very passionate about) I learn from it. And I move on to my next chapter armed with that wisdom and greater determination to be (and back!) the best.
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I suspect these core personality traits have been nurtured by my parents - both high achieving entrepreneurs with incredibly high ethical standards. When they experienced a conflict with their values in our home country of Zimbabwe, they made the decision to uproot our entire family and their business and make the move to Canada, where we have all thrived. They have shown me that the ‘right’ path is often not the easiest, but staying true to your beliefs will always be the right move.
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What should founders know about you?
I guess the most important thing is that when I believe in something I don’t quit. I will do anything other than quit - and that applies to supporting founders. When I’m in, I’m all in. So the sooner we can get real in our interactions, the better.
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What's something you wish people knew about you?
I’m open to new ideas, new experiences - things that challenge the status quo. I’m not afraid of the unexpected. When my family moved from Zimbabwe to Canada and I started university at St Mary’s in Halifax, I had the opportunity to play Varsity football. I had never played the sport in my life (and despite what you may think, it’s very different from rugby). I took the challenge, worked my socks off and ended up being pretty good at it too :)

‍And hey, I love getting to know founders while doing a workout. I tailor it to any level, from a walk to a full-on boxing session. I call it Hiit.VC (high intensity introductions to VC). If you like the sound of it or know a founder who would, get in touch.