We help founders navigate early-stage challenges so they can focus on growing with purpose, securing funding, and building something that lasts. You bring the vision. We’ll help you find the way forward.
Accelerate the impact of visionary founders with big ideas and bold missions.
We met in 2022 when Ashley was hiring for her startup, Clymb, and Brian was the first hire. In his interview, he didn’t just talk about skills—he promised to bring value. Over the next three years, that’s exactly what we did, scaling Clymb from a scrappy team of two to a thriving company with fifteen employees, securing funding, and positioning it for its next chapter of growth beyond us.
Beyond business, we share a mindset of endurance. Brian is a runner. Ashley is a long-distance backpacker. In both sports and startups, we’ve learned the same truth: success isn’t just about talent. It’s about grit, strategy, and the drive to go the distance.
We believe that the way you do one thing is the way you do everything. We live our values at work, at home, on the trail, and in every challenge we take on. They’re how we move through the world.
We bring our best to everything we do because it feels good, and let’s be honest, we look good doing it.
We’re here to do good and make a difference. We’re totally uncompromising about it.
We keep moving, learning, and evolving, not just for the end goal but because the journey itself is where the magic happens.
We do the right thing, even when no one’s watching. We stay true to our North Star of integrity, authenticity, and putting people first.
We take the time to reflect, refine, and adjust because real progress isn’t just about speed, it’s about going in the right direction.
We show up fully, embracing each moment with focus, excitement, gratitude, and deep purpose.
Yogi. Optimist. Problem-solver with a big brain and an even bigger heart.
In third grade, I won the Always Smiling Award. That little boost of dopamine reinforced something I’ve carried with me ever since: I like bringing the energy of a smile into everything I do. It makes challenges a lot less challenging.
I also talk—a lot. Whether I’m speaking about the neuroscience of resilience or startup culture-building, I believe the right conversation can spark hope and real transformation.
Human happiness is one of my deepest passions. We all deserve the chance to live out our innermost joy. Everything I do aligns with this belief.
Here are some fun facts: I’ve climbed the tallest mountain in the continental U.S., won literary awards for my short stories, and been consecrated as an acharya—a spiritual teacher.
I’m a mom and wife who sings at the top of my lungs in the shower (and out of the shower too). I train for big hikes and mountain climbs, and meditate and exercise daily. I’m a creature of habit but I’m always open to change when something isn’t working.
Along the way, all the smiling, talking, and joy-building led to a few awards. I’ve been honored as an Echoing Green Fellow, a Roddenberry Fellow, and a Black Ambition Prize winner. I received the Social Justice Innovation Award from CentriTech & Morgan Stanley, an Impact with Heart Award from the American Heart Association, and was named Culture Builder of the Year for Baltimore. I’ve been featured on the BJJ’s 2024 40 under 40 list. My work has been featured in NPR, The Baltimore Sun, Technically, EdPost, Callaloo, and academic journals at Cornell, Howard, and Southern Illinois University.
I give my best to everything I do. I’m ready to bring that same energy to helping you build something great.
Co-Founder | Business Sherpa & Excellence Officer
Triathlete. Meditation Warrior. Serial Entrepreneur.
I believe in failing fast and learning faster. Design thinking, goal setting, and living by principles guide everything I do.
Proud girl dad x2. Dedicated to the pursuit of excellence—in life, in business, and in the long run.
Some of my favorite books? Survival to Thrival, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Millionaire Mind, The Jolt Effect, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Good Strategy Bad Strategy, The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass, Traction, Hope on a Rope, Talking to Humans, and Growth IQ—to name a few.
If I were an animal, I’d be an eagle.
I love discipline, and I have the metrics to prove it. I’ve put in 10,000 hours on guitar. I’m on my second consecutive year of 100 days of meditation. I’m a 200-hour YTT-certified yoga instructor. In the last year alone, I ran 500+ miles, played 1,700 games of chess, completed 70.3 Ironman races and marathons for fun, boxed weekly, hiked, and rock climbed. Why? Because pursuing greatness is what drives me. In everything I do, I’m learning, pushing, and growing.
My favorite quote? “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
I’m a proud Morgan State alum, an E-Fellow from the University of Baltimore, and an MBA candidate at The Merrick School of Business, specializing in AI and Machine Learning.
What I bring to every organization: operational excellence, financial storytelling, and tangible strategies to reach big goals.
I want to see you go the distance.
With Startup Compass, you’ll have the tools, guidance, and mindset to overcome challenges and turn your vision into reality.
Don’t let the journey overwhelm you. Let’s go the distance together.
