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Who I learned from

The people who taught me the job.

Nobody does this alone. These are the people who hired me, backed me, partnered with me or told me the truth when I needed it, and what each of them taught me. Written by me, from my own records.

In the order I met them

Each one has a page, because each one earned it.

  1. 2011–nowAdam ArifFriend since 2011My oldest friend, the first person I ever made a deal with, and the one who pushed me toward my potential.
  2. 2015–nowOpe OdumakinFounder and CEO, DailyRapFactsMy partner since I was eighteen: the brand builder to my engineer.
  3. 2015–nowAman MurbaSenior Associate, Centerbridge PartnersMy classmate from first-year business, Limelight’s first CFO, and still the person I check the numbers with.
  4. 2015–nowEli CavanData scientistMy first shareholder, at $100 for 10%, and the friend who has believed in me through the bad times and the good.
  5. 2017–2018Alex SimmsDirector of Operations, TrackemThe manager who hired me in four days, believed in my ideas and took the heat while I worked things out.
  6. 2017–2022Vince PoloniatoFounder, TrackemMy first boss: Trackem’s founder, who believed in me as a student and gave me the opportunity that shaped my life.
  7. 2018–nowDaniel SnowFounder, RapTVRapTV’s founder, Limelight’s launch partner, and the person who showed me that you do not hope for success, you make it happen.
  8. 2019–2020Darren LopesMusic and social marketerThe marketer who told me, before I had a product, that organic reach would not carry it.
  9. 2019–2021Athina VandameSoftware engineer; Limelight co-founder and CTOThe engineer who taught me what is right and wrong in software, and whose skill in design I have always admired.
  10. 2020–2021Zied EtlebCo-founder, CuriatoCuriato’s CEO, who taught me to build for a result rather than for passion.
  11. 2023Grace MinBack-end developer, StreamlineA developer I admire, who taught me to write testable, organized code and to build as part of a team.

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