In life, the path to success is rarely a straight line. It comes with obstacles, setbacks, and moments of doubt. In 2024 I was a finalist for both the Pahara Fellowship and the Camelback Ventures program. I got into neither. Add the countless “no’s” from investors, and it would have been easy to let all of that derail the journey. Looking back, those weren’t closed doors. They made room for wins I hadn’t even envisioned.
When I applied to those programs, I believed they were the next step in my leadership journey. When I wasn’t accepted, it stung. I questioned my readiness and asked myself, “What don’t I have?” I’m sure many of you can relate. The investor rejections hit the same way. We were pitching our app with a business structure most investors don’t see often (REACH Pathways is an L3C), and hearing “no” over and over isn’t fun when you’re all in on the vision. But instead of giving in to discouragement, I let the setbacks push me to get clear on my purpose and my approach.
The rejections forced me to refine my ideas and strengthen my resolve. Those programs and those investors might not have seen the value in what we’re building yet. I leaned into the “why” behind my work anyway. My belief in the vision got so strong that the no’s became fuel. Each one was a chance to adjust, evolve, and make space for the right opportunities.
As I entered my 44th year of life (no coincidence, given the connection to the 44th President), one of those opportunities arrived. I was selected as an Obama Leader USA. That recognition affirmed the passion I’d carried all along, even when others didn’t see it. When certain doors close, bigger ones open.
Not long after, I was named a Crain’s Notable Black Leader. Another reminder that leadership isn’t defined by the programs we join or the investors we attract. It’s defined by the impact we create and the people we uplift along the way.
I also had the privilege of attending the Master of Scale Summit, in the room with some of the world’s most innovative minds. Leaders who had taken their own share of setbacks and kept building. Their stories of resilience stayed with me.
To top it off, I was selected as a Black Ambition finalist. Black Ambition backs Black and Latinx entrepreneurs, a mission deeply aligned with my own. That one affirmed my place in a community that is redefining success on our own terms.
Looking back, the no’s weren’t barriers. They were stepping stones that made me available for the opportunities actually meant for me. We see the shiny parts on social media all the time. Nobody talks about the stings. I’m sharing both because I want you to see your no’s differently. Not as rejection, but as space being made for the right opportunity. Every setback taught me resilience, clarity of purpose, and trust in the process. In the end, they made room for wins that were uniquely mine and my team’s. Wins that continue to shape me as a leader.
Update: In 2025, REACH Pathways closed a $1.99MM seed round.
A no isn’t always the end. Sometimes it’s the perfect setup for what’s to come.
