There are moments in building a company that remind you why you started. Seeing my face on the NASDAQ Tower in Times Square this January, as part of the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center's Milestone Circles program, was one of them.
I joined Milestone Circles in 2025 — a nearly two-month, peer-powered program designed to help founders turn intention into momentum through structured accountability alongside a community of entrepreneurs working toward real, defined goals. My milestone: adding an Operations & Compliance Associate with banking and fintech experience to Susu Lend's team.
That hire wasn't just a hiring decision. It confirmed we'd checked the necessary boxes ahead of our lawyer engagement and strengthened our readiness for future banking and investor partnerships — the kind of operational discipline that early-stage fintechs sometimes skip and later regret.
To see that milestone recognized by NASDAQ, on their tower, alongside founders from across the country, was a full-circle moment. Susu Lend started with my father's susu circle. Now it's standing — literally — in Times Square.
Grateful to the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center for the platform, the structure, and the push to keep building.