Invested in fresh ideas.
Fun facts about me…
I won the mechanical bull riding contest at a 400-person corporate event
Luck or skill, you may ask. BOTH, actually. As an Irish person, I believe there is always a little luck involved. But I rode horses growing up in Pittsburgh, so it’s possible some skill stuck with me along with my loyalty to the Steelers.
I wanted to be an architect
But I chose Business at USC instead because I thought it was a safer bet. And it paid off – I was offered $27,000 by a New York-based investment management firm in Century City. While there, I attended USC again at night and obtained my MBA in Finance. I’ve worked in the investment industry ever since, which is over 30 years.
I was hired to build a division I’d never heard of
A bond firm in downtown LA was looking for someone to build an RIA (registered investment advisor) division. “What’s an RIA?” I asked. I am still surprised to this day that they hired me after that question, but it’s likely because I emphasized the importance of personal relationships to success. I spent almost a decade working there with some truly talented people who I still admire and respect today.
I started a division of a college
I was a founding board member of the Center for Investment and Wealth Management at UC Irvine, one of the only Wealth Management collegiate schools in the country. During the summer, the Center sponsored a Financial Literacy Program for underprivileged youth where the kids spent two weeks learning financial skills, including how to apply for student loans. As a result, many of these kids were the first in their families to go to college.
I ran the LA Marathon
Bucket list check! I’ve always enjoyed running, from my high school track team to the Manhattan Beach 10k to my morning runs on the Strand.
I impulse bought a condo in Mammoth
In 2011, a condo hit the market as a foreclosure in the morning, and by the evening it was ours! The first night we spent there, my daughter Ashlyn, our retriever Bailey and I huddled under one quilt because we couldn’t figure out how to turn on the heat. But since then, our family and friends have enjoyed many wonderful summers and winters in Mammoth. Our condo is frequently donated to community events for the schools such as the Wine Auction.
I worked for 14 investment boutiques at once
I joined a New York-based global bank where I represented 14 investment boutiques that managed everything from stocks to bonds to real estate and MLPs, as well as private funds in private equity, credit and real estate. Whew, that was busy! During my career, I’ve raised over $4 billion in investment capital. People use the returns on these investments to meet goals such as paying for college, buying a home, and securely retiring.
We are not exactly curing cancer, but…
About nine years ago, I helped my (now) husband Allan and his partner start a Life Sciences real estate development firm. We have eight major research universities in Southern California, and we were losing scientists and tax revenue to the life science hubs in San Diego, San Francisco and Boston because there was no lab space. Our company successfully partnered with some of the top bioscience firms, family offices, and institutional investors in the world. In 2022, we were purchased by the largest healthcare developer in the US and became their Life Sciences division. So we are not exactly curing cancer, but we are building lab space for the type of people who do.
I got engaged on a sailboat
Allan and I had been dating for eight years when we went sailing with friends off the coast of Marina del Rey. Suddenly he pointed to a plane trailing a banner in the sky. “What does that say?” he asked. I squinted into the sun. “Amazon Prime?” I asked. “No, the OTHER plane,” he said. BRENDA, WILL YOU MARRY ME? I literally cried.
I got married in Italy last year
While on vacation on the Amalfi Coast, Allan and I stopped for lunch at the beautiful Hotel Bellevue Syrene in Sorrento. After a few glasses of Italian wine, we decided to request a tour of the wedding space. It was stunning – an ancient villa built into the cliffs facing Mt. Vesuvius with a 180-degree view of the coast. We had planned to have a local wedding, but we spontaneously reserved a date! We got married in June 2023 in a five-day wedding with 60 of our dearest friends.
I come from a creative family
My father has a PhD in Physics and spent his career in medical research, including 30 years at USC. He plays piano, trumpet, guitar and banjo. My mother “Madame O’Leary” has a PhD in French and taught high school French. My sister has a master’s in creative writing from Columbia and works in tech. My beautiful daughter Ashlyn graduated from Costa last year and is pursuing a career in fashion! Meanwhile, our 3-year-old red headed nephew Dylan is following in his father’s footsteps as a rock musician and entertaining the community with his dancing at the Concerts in the Park.
My pets write a political blog
Archie and Finnegan started Picks & Poops when they got their teeth and claws into politics a few years ago. Archie is a small dog – a little Pomeranian mix rescue who came straight out of Compton as a puppy after eating rat poison and being abandoned at a vet. Finnegan is a Ragdoll cat. Ragdolls are like dogs trapped in a cat’s body and he insists on going everywhere Archie goes. Archie is goofy and liberal while Finnegan is crabby and conservative. They are guest commentators on my Candidate Facebook Page.
