Deanna Lyn – Head of Commercial Sales, Descartes Labs

I met Deanna playing beach volleyball at the Malibu pier when we were 19. Despite our very different backgrounds, we became fast friends and spent much time after work playing volleyball. Through the years, Deanna continues to impress me with her creative approach to technical enterprise sales, her ability to close deals no one considers possible, all while maintaining strong relationships and building camaraderie on her teams. She works hard and plays hard and I’ve learned so much from her.

meesh pierce May 24, 2021

Susan Natland, Sr. Partner Knobbe Martens

I’d never given much thought to intellectual property law until one of our investment portfolio companies ran into lawsuits by trademark trolls. I’ve since learned about the subtle nuance of protecting and defending your ideas. Susan Natland is a partner at Knobbe Martens, a law firm specializing in intellectual property and also serves as Vice Chair of the USPTO Trademark Advisory Committee and we had a fantastic chat about staying true to yourself.

meesh pierce October 19, 2021

Fred Croshal – Music Industry Sales & Marketing Exec

Fred Croshal is one of the most positive and nurturing people I know. His energy immediately permeates any room environment, making fast friends. Fred was head of sales at the WORK Group at Sony Music and he wrote one of my recommendations for my business school applications. When I opened my acceptance letters, he blasted Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” in his office at volume 11 as we danced and laughed our hearts out in celebration!

meesh pierce April 14, 2021