My grandparents set the tone for our family: family first, and always show up for one another. Their butts were always in the bleachers, and they never missed a play, birthday, or sporting event.
Erin's grandmother was her best friend, and the values she instilled—of building deep community and keeping a house full of family and friends—shape both Erin's personal life and her approach to investor relations.
My husband won't let me live down the fact that I would have been the worst spy in the world. As an extroverted extrovert recruited by the CIA in college, let's just say covert operations weren't really my calling.
SNACK CENTRAL
Family members regularly let themselves into our house to raid our pantry. Between Pirates Booty, Justin's, and Nature's Bakery, we go through a lot of VMG brands—and I love a house full of family and friends, so that's fine by me!
I've been doing this for 15 years, and when you have great people, great returns, and a compelling investment thesis, my job is a blast.
Let's start way back. What were you like in fifth grade??
I was my elementary school's president, building a budding babysitting business, and channeling all my other energy into being a soccer star who stayed up late reading Nancy Drew. I was certain I'd end up as an ER surgeon one day—I still have my career day paper!
Do you think that was a genuine calling?
It was mostly driven by my mom letting us stay up late to watch ER. So...less "genuine calling," more "excellent parenting strategy."
Ha! So who in your family had the strongest influence on you?
My grandmother, hands down. She was my best friend. We spoke every day on the phone, often multiple times a day, while texting in between.
That's beautiful.
She and my grandpa really set the tone and expectations for our family—family first, and always show up for one another. Their butts were always in the bleachers. They never missed a play, birthday, or sporting event. In adulthood, they would even show up at my office every year, get a tour, and take me out to lunch. It is really fun to watch my kids build this same relationship with my mom and dad, who live 10 minutes away.
Have you kept up that tradition?
Absolutely. My family consistently has the largest cheering section at any graduation or game. Beyond our family, my grandparents built a deep community in their hometown of Fairfax—my mom's high school friends still stopped by their house until the very end.
And you're trying to replicate that?
Yes! My husband and I host 20+ people in our backyard regularly. Let's just say we go through a lot of cases of Spindrift every summer. It's not a stretch to connect that with what I love to do professionally: build deep relationships with investors and build community in the industry.
Speaking of careers, what did you study in college?
At Berkeley, my major was a cross section of Politics, Econ, International Studies, and French. The State Department and CIA recruited out of my major, and I was certain I'd end up there.
Wait, you almost became a spy?
As an extroverted extrovert, my husband won't let me live down the fact that I would have been the worst spy in the world.
That's hilarious. So how did you end up in finance?
It wasn’t easy. After the financial crisis hit, I had to hustle hard to break in. Lots of shoe leather and studying after late waitressing shifts, but 15 years later, I wouldn't change a thing.
Shifting to VMG: what's your favorite brand?
As a mom of two little girls, you would not believe the amount of Pirates Booty, Justin's, and Nature's Bakery consumed in my house! My oldest is thrilled that mommy works with snacks now, but she's going to flip when she's old enough for Drunk Elephant, Rare Beauty, and Necessaire.
Your house is officially a snack house.
Family members regularly let themselves into our house to raid our pantry, and something tells me being at VMG will only accelerate this. But I love a house full of family and friends, so that's fine by me!
What gets you most psyched about working at VMG?
I've been doing this for 15 years, and when you have the combination of great people, great returns, and a compelling investment thesis, my job is a blast. I'm excited to get out on the road to bring VMG to even more investors.
Sounds like you're finally putting those extrovert skills to good use.
Much better than covert operations, that's for sure.
