Welcome to Citrine, Dawn Myers!

We’re excited to spotlight our new Executive Director, Dawn, as she shares her perspective on investing, women in finance, and the importance of creating greater access to wealth-building opportunities.

In this interview, Dawn offers thoughtful insights on what it takes to build confidence as an investor and why increasing women’s participation in finance matters. Her experience and perspective bring an exciting new voice to the Citrine community—and we’re thrilled to have her leading the way.

So, Dawn, what first sparked your interest in investing and finance? 

I got a job in college at UBS wealth management. Mind you, I was pre-law at the time and all of my classes and internships had been focused on politics and language, but there was something pulling me towards business and finance. My new boss, now a great friend, Erik Holton, showed me a stack of resumes filled with MIT and Harvard finance applicants, and he told me I had beat those kids out because I had a genuine curiosity and hunger he hadn't seen elsewhere. I had always been intimidated by finance and business – it just wasn't where my natural ability lied – but at that moment I started to understand that motivation and a proactive posture could compete with natural ability. And it did.

I shadowed Erik relentlessly, gave everything I had, and found myself in rooms I couldn’t have previously imagined holding my own with top talent in the Northeast. I went on to do a summer semester at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of business and started studying for the GMAT, but I got a scholarship to Howard Law before my B-school pivot took shape. Ultimately, my path led me back to the business world where I found my professional calling. That’s why I’m so passionate about organizations like Citrine. There are so many women who are socialized to believe that business and investing is for someone else, but we belong here also. I love the concept of opening this space up to more women through education, mission, and mentorship.

How has your approach to leadership evolved throughout your career?

I started my career on the Hill, on political campaigns, and in Big Law. None of those spaces are known for their thoughtful approach to leadership. I left my last Big Law position determined to build environments marked by respect, innovative thinking, and compassion, but I had never seen it done well and immediately found myself making the same mistakes I’d seen managers make in my former life.

I understood I would have to be intentional about cultivating a healthy leadership style and started reading books and seeking out mentors who embodied what I wanted to be. Mitch Brooks, Managing Partner at High Street Equity, and Jeff Cherry at Conscious Venture Partners were two mentors who helped cultivate my understanding of how to lead with both conviction and care.

Over time, I’ve learned that compassion and accountability have to work together. People deserve clear expectations, honest feedback, and the support and authority to do their jobs well. I’ve also become more comfortable admitting when I’m wrong, asking for help, and making room for people to approach a problem differently than I would.

I’m still learning, but I’m much more conscious now of how my own behavior shapes the environment around me, especially under pressure. I want people to feel comfortable bringing me a bad idea, challenging my thinking, or telling me something isn’t working. Creating that trust takes consistent effort, and I’ve come to see that effort as a central part of my job.

How do you stay current on changes in financial markets, investment trends, regulations, and emerging risks?

I trade! I try to spend an hour each day trading, which pushes me to start my morning reading and listening to news about the markets and what’s driving them. Then I get to put what I’ve learned into practice. I enjoy the challenge, but beyond the opportunity to make money, trading teaches me discipline, patience, and emotional restraint. It keeps me engaged and reminds me to question my assumptions, weigh risk, and avoid letting emotion drive my financial decisions.

Was there a particular investment that changed the way you think about money and investing? 

My first two investments changed how I think about money in very different ways. The first was my own real estate project. Throughout the rehabilitation and re-zoning process, I was mostly following directions. The significance of what I was doing didn’t really hit me until I sold the property and held the check in my hand. That made the potential of investing tangible, and I wanted to do more.

My next investment shortly thereafter was $70,000 in a close friend’s venture, which in retrospect was wildly irresponsible. I trusted the relationship and was excited about the vision, but I hadn’t done enough diligence to fully understand what I was investing in. I ultimately recovered my money, but the experience taught me to look closely at how a business would actually be built and what it would take to deliver on its promise. 

Those experiences still shape my approach. One showed me what was possible; the other taught me how much diligence has to follow the excitement.

What is a lesson about investing that took you years to learn—but that you wish you had known from the beginning? 

Emotional restraint. It took me years to understand that you can feel strongly about an opportunity without needing to act on that feeling. Excitement can make you overlook risk, fear can make you abandon a sound strategy, and pride can keep you committed long after the facts have changed. I’ve learned to slow down, question my assumptions, and be willing to sit with discomfort without immediately doing something. Sometimes the most disciplined investment decision is to wait.

We’re grateful to Dawn for sharing her perspective and insights with us. We look forward to the conversations, ideas, and impact she’ll bring to Citrine as we continue working to expand women’s participation in investing and finance.