David began his career on Wall St, in sales and trading. After a brief stint, he went to Stanford for his MBA. He then became a Venture Capitalist, focused on consumer goods and services. His interest in becoming an operator led him to join what became Ascena Retail Group, a retail holding company for women’s apparel brands. He worked his way up to CEO, and then began an acquisition strategy that transformed the company and enabled it to grow into the Fortune 500. In addition to acquiring 8 brands, he also developed a shared service model which was unique in the industry. After 17 years leading Ascena, David retired and went to Harvard as a Fellow in the Advanced Leadership Initiative, a program that helps senior executives pivot their career to making social impact. He now leads a startup that is at the intersection of climate change and education. He also mentors entrepreneurs and is an Angel Investor.