Career Path of an Investor Relations at Right Side Capital Management

In college, I always knew I was interested in finance, though I wasn't sure which area. There were so many different realms to explore. My accounting teacher offered a program called VITA, a volunteer income tax preparer program for the IRS.

This program aligned well with accounting, though not as much with my finance interests. It allowed me to work with low-income individuals in my community, helping them get their taxes prepared for free. It was a rewarding volunteer experience, and I believe a similar program exists in most counties, making it accessible for college students.

This experience led me into tax preparation, offering a different perspective on accounting. It was a really fun program to be a part of. However, I quickly realized I didn't want to be a CPA or work in accounting.

My sophomore year of college, I interned as a financial planning intern at Ameriprise Financial. Ameriprise is a brokerage firm with independently owned offices staffed by financial advisors and planners. I worked at one of these offices for about nine months.

My daily tasks were basic, like updating calendars and reviewing clients' RMDs and financial plans with advisors. This internship was a great stepping stone to learn fundamental finance concepts, including different investment account types and what a brokerage is.

After this internship, I pursued another with an RIA (Registered Investment Advisor). Brokerages and RIAs are different types of firms that offer financial advising and planning services, each with its own licenses and client management structures.

Working at the large corporation Ameriprise, I realized I preferred a smaller office environment. I then took a job at an RIA in my hometown as an assistant client relationship manager. While still in college, I also worked as a server and babysitter to earn money, as the RIA position was only a few hours a week.

Working at the RIA gave me a great feel for a small financial advisory office. I collaborated with the portfolio investment team, financial planning team, and advisory team. Each had distinct skill sets, including communication and organization.

This experience solidified my interest in financial planning, particularly analyzing retirement plans, calculating retirement timelines, and assessing risk levels. As I approached graduation, I had several job offers. I knew I wanted to continue working for an RIA, which my internships had helped me clarify.

I'm glad I experienced the accounting side of things, as accounting and finance are closely related. This leads into my postgraduate experience. After graduating, I had multiple job offers, including one from my internship, which is often a goal for interns who enjoy their roles.

However, I accepted another role, even though the company had only four advisors and fewer than ten employees. I wanted a small scale but a slightly larger office. Graduating students can benefit greatly from absorbing as much information as possible by experiencing different environments.

I found another RIA with about $2 billion in assets under management and around 50 employees. While still small-scale, and all in one office, they were larger in terms of clients and advisors. I started as an associate and moved up to a senior client services associate.

In this role, I handled a lot of financial planning tasks under the advisors. Our team of associates was divided by the number of clients we supported. I managed about five financial advisors and approximately 500 clients directly.

This experience significantly improved my communication skills and professionalism, working with various advisor personalities. It also involved collaborating with a larger team of associates who performed similar duties, allowing us to share ideas and support each other.

After about two years as an associate, I was promoted to a senior role. I then trained new associates and helped manage new office openings and onboarding for advisors and associates, focusing on our operational processes, client communication, portal, and CRM.

I was with that firm for about two and a half years before being recruited by Manhattan West, a venture capital firm. They aimed to be a one-stop shop, offering in-house accounting, real estate investments, business management, financial advising, private equity, crypto, and venture capital.

Working in venture capital has been the best experience for me so far. Networking within this industry is crucial, as it's a relatively new and niche area of finance. Venture capital involves investing in privately owned companies to fund their growth as they prepare for a potential public offering.

I worked at Manhattan West for nearly two years, experiencing a very different company culture. It was fast-paced and competitive. Last summer, about a year ago, I began actively searching for a new job, being more selective about my next step.

Due to COVID, my previous role was hybrid, requiring three to four days in the office. I sought more flexibility and the ability to work remotely. My current company is fully remote, which has been a positive change.

Adjusting to remote work required some changes in communication styles, as interaction is different compared to being in person. I now work in investor relations for a venture capital fund.

At Manhattan West, I managed operations for an SPV fund, focusing on late-stage venture capital. We invested in one company at a time, typically well-developed companies preparing for a public offering within three to five years. These companies often go through multiple funding rounds, like Series D, E, or F.

A Series A round, in contrast, is when a company is just starting to receive funding in its early years. Impossible Foods and Canva are examples of companies that completed late-stage funding rounds.

My current fund invests in pre-seed and seed-stage startups, identifying companies raising funds before their first million dollars. We invest in thousands of companies simultaneously. Our current fund is raising about $150 million.

Once the fund is closed, we will deploy that capital over the next two years, investing in these thousands of companies over the following three to five years. This contrasts with SPVs, where fundraising and investing occurred within a three-month period, making that environment much faster-paced.

Investor relations is my favorite role yet. It's a great company with founders and teammates I truly admire. There is significant potential for growth in my position, and I am constantly exposed to new investors and deals. I wear many hats, and my previous experiences have provided me with the necessary foundation to succeed in this role. It has been quite a journey, and I am happy to be in my current position and hope to stay here for a long time.