I'm a third culture kid, born to Kiwi and Dutch parents in a town in the UK best known for its proximity to where The Office was set. I got sent to boarding school at 7 years old—learning to fend for yourself at that age gives you pretty thick skin. After studying History at Cambridge, where I satisfied my entrepreneurial urges by selling tickets to club nights, I started my career on the trading floor in London. While I loved learning how public companies succeed, moving numbers around on a computer screen felt too detached from real business-building. I left to join a then early-stage B2B SaaS startup (Kalo) as Chief of Staff in London, contributing to product strategy, ops and go-to-market.

In 2017, my husband and I felt the call to adventure and moved to the other side of the world, landing in Sydney late that year. I had no idea what VC was before joining Kalo, but once I learned more, it felt like a combination of everything I wanted to spend my days working on: chasing curiosity and exploring new industries and sectors, nurturing long-term relationships, and building a network that could help accelerate founders. Once I knew that, all I had to do was convince Airtree to take me on, and I joined in 2018.

Something I learned the hard way

The startup journey is a rollercoaster—the highs will pass, but so will the lows. I've learned to roll with the punches and focus on what to do next.

Advice I'd give my younger self

Only work with people you respect and believe are much smarter than you at something you want to excel at, whether that's your first boss or your first five hires as a founder.

Behind the scenes of my role

I see it as my job to have the best Rolodex in the region. When you choose to work with Airtree, everything gets easier for you, whether that’s hiring, future fundraising, or more.