Steven came to Lightspeed with a specific conviction he wanted to put to work: That AI could reshape huge parts of the services economy.

As he developed that thesis, a friend of a friend introduced him to Amish Desai. One conversation led to many, and ultimately Steven joined the firm’s Applied AI team. Today, he focuses on the intersection of AI and services. He develops theses around the industries most ready for change, finds businesses he believes can lead that change, and works with founders to rethink from first principles how the work gets done.

Before Lightspeed, Steven was an investor at Lead Edge Capital, where he sourced and evaluated investments across software, internet, and tech-enabled services. Earlier, he worked on M&A and operations at Fidelity Memorial Group. He graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a B.S. in Economics.

Steven grew up watching his dad build a business, which gave him an early appreciation for what entrepreneurship demands. It’s part of why he has so much respect for founders and shapes how he shows up for the companies he works with.

Steven describes himself as “relentless” when he believes something is worth pursuing. He’ll pound the phones looking for the right company, build AI tools for his team, or keep working at a difficult bouldering route until he figures it out. He enjoys the process of failing, learning, and trying again.

Outside of work, you’ll usually find him running along the Bay, bouldering, or building agents to automate the boring parts of his life.