One in 40,000 pregnancies brings the unimaginable—a cancer diagnosis. Laura and I never thought we’d be part of such a rare and devastating statistic, joining a group no one ever wants to belong to.

Through it all, my wife Laura has shown incredible strength, facing each challenge with subtle courage. From navigating the highs and lows of pregnancy and miscarriage to enduring surgeries and a cancer diagnosis, she’s been our unwavering rock. As we continue her cancer journey, we aim to raise awareness about choriocarcinoma and molar pregnancies. Follow her cancer journey here. Laura’s resilience has anchored me through our toughest challenges, including my career shift.

Earlier this year, my time at SoFi ended due to company downsizing, bringing a wave of uncertainty. Yet, as I navigated this transition, I found a renewed sense of excitement for what lay ahead. The layoff’s hardest part was saying goodbye without a proper send-off. During our final gathering, I felt immense pride in our achievements and deep gratitude for the exceptional team that made them possible. Most of the team are in new exciting roles, which only adds to the pride I feel in what we achieved together.

Among those standouts were two exceptional female data scientists whose insights were game-changing, an analytics team that explored new frontiers, and a database/CRM crew that built a modern marketing infrastructure that won’t be easily replicated. I also want to acknowledge Mel and Oz, who weren’t pictured here but were key members of the team. While I’ve highlighted the team below, everyone deserves more credit than I can give. Please connect with them below—you won’t regret it.

The Sofi crew reunited for a proper goodbye!

Jessica, a seasoned marketer with extensive experience in hospitality and the wine industry, made an immediate impact when she joined Hollywood Park. Her deep understanding of the customer journey and technical expertise enabled her to implement a cutting-edge marketing technology infrastructure in the sports and entertainment sector. Under her leadership, customer persona development flourished, and our campaign effectiveness tripled compared to the previous year. Jessica’s dedication and collaborative spirit made her an invaluable team player.

Emily unraveled the complexities of customer lifetime value and text analytics, transforming these once-mysterious areas into actionable insights. Her technical skills and vision led our team to create a robust lifecycle model for Hollywood Park customers. Emily’s work, including analyzing millions of feedback pieces to extract key insights into the guest experience, stands as a remarkable achievement.

Alex is not only one of the sharpest data minds in the business but also an exceptional teammate. Drawing from his years of industrial engineering experience at Disney, he built Hollywood Park's inaugural analytics team from the ground up, delivering world-class results from day one. In just eight months, he grew the team from one person to twelve, setting a standard of excellence that has since continued in his current role overseeing analytics for the LA Clippers.

Josh, an expert in ticket pricing strategies, brought his expertise back to LA, where he led a three-person analytics team that had a significant impact across multiple departments. His strategic vision and leadership were crucial in refining our approach to dynamic pricing and revenue optimization. But Josh’s influence extended beyond technical aspects; his ability to connect with stakeholders and foster cross-functional collaboration made him indispensable. His work didn’t just crunch numbers; it reshaped our approach to customer engagement and long-term revenue growth.

Callan, a key contributor on Josh’s team, played a pivotal role in driving insights that supported operational needs and revenue-generating initiatives. Now, Callan has returned to the Bay Area, where he’s taken on a critical role in driving analytics at Oracle Park.

This year has tested us in ways we never imagined, but it has also prepared us for whatever comes next. Laura’s strength has shown me what true resilience looks like, and the support from our industry has reinforced the value of working with people who care deeply about what they do.

As we embrace new beginnings—which I’ll share on LinkedIn soon—and as we navigate the middle of Laura’s treatment, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our friends and family who have supported us over the last few months. Thank you for the meals, the beautiful flowers, adult coloring books, daycare, new blankets, movies on a USB, crochet items, toy trucks, homemade waffles, uplifting texts, lengthy phone calls about doctors, and all the thoughtful gifts that have made Laura’s cancer journey as comfortable as possible. And a special thanks to the exceptional care we’re receiving from Dr. Mirhashemi’s office and Torrance Memorial. Here’s to new beginnings and the continued strength to face whatever comes next.