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TELL US ABOUT YOUR CAREER PATH, WHAT YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR CURRENT ROLE, AND HOW YOU INNOVATE IN YOUR WORK.
When I arrived at Duke, I knew I wanted to build a career where I could make a meaningful impact. For a while, I thought that path would be through public policy or politics. At the same time, having grown up in my family’s hospitality company, I always imagined that one day I might return. I wanted to first learn from organizations transforming their industries, broaden my perspective, and earn the opportunity to help shape the future of our family company.
Growing up, I had a front row seat to watch my father build a company from the ground up. Long before I understood business, I understood the passion, resilience, and perseverance it takes to build something that lasts.
The biggest turning point was participating in the Ronald and Carrie Ludwig Duke in Silicon Valley program (DSV). During my sophomore year, I interned for an entrepreneur in Mountain View who I met through DSV and who became an incredible mentor. Experiencing Silicon Valley firsthand changed the trajectory of my career. I saw how technology and entrepreneurship could transform entire industries, and I knew I wanted to be part of that.
That experience led me to Walmart’s Global eCommerce team during one of the largest digital transformations in retail. Right out of college, I managed a P&L of more than $100 million and learned how customer insights and data could improve decision making, simplify processes, and create better customer experiences at scale.
I then joined Instacart, where I helped scale the advertising business through the company’s IPO, learning the importance of using data to tell compelling stories and, above all, being a true partner to your clients.
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I later pursued my MBA at the University of Oxford and interned with Intercontinental Hotel’s Global Strategy team, working on international market entry strategy and evaluating growth opportunities across global markets.
Today, I lead business development, strategic growth, and operational transformation across our portfolio at Pacific Pearl Hotels & Resorts. I partner with owners to expand our business while working alongside our teams to build better systems, leverage technology, and create a culture of continuous improvement.
What I enjoy most is bringing ideas from other industries into hospitality. We are implementing AI into our workflows, redesigning how we use data to make decisions, and I’ve gotten to build and implement an internal tool called Pearl 360. The centralized management platform gives our teams greater visibility across the portfolio and enables faster, more informed decision making.
My long-term goal is to help build the next generation of our family company while staying true to the values it was founded on.
WHAT WERE SOME HIGHLIGHTS AND BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM DOING THE INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP CERTIFICATE AT DUKE? HOW DID IT HELP SHAPE YOUR CAREER PATH?
The Innovation & Entrepreneurship Certificate fundamentally changed how I think.
Before Duke, I thought entrepreneurship meant starting a company. The program taught me that entrepreneurship is really a mindset rooted in curiosity, constantly asking questions, challenging assumptions, and looking for better ways to solve problems.
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It taught me to ask, “Why are things done this way? Do they have to be? What if we tried something different?” More importantly, it instilled a mindset of continuous learning, experimentation, and adaptation.
Just as impactful as the coursework were the people. I was surrounded by classmates with incredible ambition who challenged me to think bigger and push beyond what I thought was possible. Many of those friendships have lasted well beyond Duke.
Several classes continue to influence how I think and lead today. Strategies for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I&E 352) taught me to deeply understand the customer before trying to solve a problem, while Building Global Audiences (I&E 250) reinforced that great businesses are built on purpose, storytelling, and understanding the value you create, not just the product you sell. Learning from Professor Aaron Dinin reinforced the importance of becoming comfortable being uncomfortable, embracing uncertainty, and recognizing that setbacks are often where the greatest growth happens.
Looking back, the I&E Certificate did not just influence where I worked. It changed the kinds of problems I wanted to solve. Whether I was helping Walmart navigate digital transformation, partnering with brands at Instacart, working on global strategy at IHG, or now helping modernize our family company, the entrepreneurial mindset I developed at Duke has remained the common thread throughout my career.
IN WHAT WAYS DID DUKE PREPARE YOU FOR LIFE AT PACIFIC PEARL, AND WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ON YOUR OWN?
Duke gave me the confidence to embrace opportunities that felt bigger than I was ready for and the curiosity to never stop learning. Duke I&E taught me that leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about asking better questions, listening carefully, and bringing people together to solve problems.
One lesson that has stayed with me is the importance of surrounding yourself with people who are more experienced than you and willing to challenge your thinking. From my dad to my professors, mentors, classmates, and colleagues, some of my greatest growth has come from learning alongside remarkable people who pushed me to think differently.
Those lessons continue to shape how I approach hospitality. Whether we are redesigning owner reporting, implementing AI, or building internal tools, the goal is not simply to provide more data. It is to present the right information in a way that helps people make better decisions and solves real problems.
Perhaps the biggest lesson I have learned since graduating is that innovation is not about technology for technology’s sake. It starts with leading with empathy to truly understand people. Whether the customer is a shopper, a consumer brand, a hotel owner, or a guest, meaningful innovation comes from listening first, earning trust, and building solutions that genuinely improve people’s lives.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR CURRENT DUKE STUDENTS PURSUING THE I&E CERTIFICATE?
Do not worry if your career does not follow a straight line.
When I was at Duke, I never imagined my career would span technology, retail, global strategy, and hospitality. Looking back, every experience prepared me for where I am today.
Be intentional about collecting experiences, not just job titles. Put yourself in environments where industries are changing. Say yes to opportunities that challenge you, even if they do not fit the career path you originally imagined. Some of the most meaningful opportunities in my career came from stepping into something new before I felt completely ready.
I would also encourage students to invest in mentorship. Some of the biggest turning points in my career came from people who shared their time, challenged my thinking, and opened doors I did not know existed. Do not be afraid to reach out, ask thoughtful questions, and build genuine relationships.
Most importantly, stay curious and be authentic.
I did not leave hospitality because I wanted a different career. I left because I wanted to come back with new ideas, broader experiences, and a global perspective that could help shape the future of our family company. You do not have to have your entire career figured out. Focus on building a mindset, surround yourself with great people, and never stop learning.