On Wednesday, Lindsay LoBue, BC ’96, discussed her previous work experience at J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, as well as her current work in her new startup company, Greenback Labs in an event in Cushing 208 hosted by Women Innovators Network and the Shea Center. Her startup aims to simplify complicated financial issues.
LoBue graduated with a B.S. in marketing and psychology. As a student, she interned with an advertising agency and with Converse Shoes. She credits these experiences with allowing her to discover what she’s truly interested in—consulting. Testing the waters in other areas helped her narrow her career search.
After graduation, she worked at J.P. Morgan, starting with its rotational program. She discovered her passion for finance on the trading floor. It was the energy, noise, and chaos that drove her.
Years later, she started a job at Goldman Sachs and has worked there ever since. About three years ago, she left her position in sales, transitioning to a position as an advisory director.
She assumed a new position to spend more time with her children. She took a break from her 9-to-5 job in the corporate world, but always knew she was going to come back to it and do something different.
She stayed on as an adviser at Goldman Sachs, enjoying her job facilitating communication between employees and management. This allowed her to maintain a position in the company, but at the same time would allow her other ideas to further develop.
In 2014, LoBue founded Greenback Labs, a company that works to simplify financial concepts so that the public can better understand them. Greenback Labs primarily creates 90-second explanatory videos, but it also has a gaming app called Trading Days. Trading Days is essentially a game version of trading stocks, and when the user decides to “buy” or “sell,” it gives him or her tips and explanations on what the ideal choice would be and why.
Many colleges and universities across the country don’t require students to take a finance class. The result is that adults have limited knowledge of financial topics. Lobue’s goal is to reach these adults and give them the tools to better understand finance.
“There are two things that are really important in business, and that’s research and networking.”
Unlike the majority of people on Wall Street, LoBue did not leave to create her own hedge fund or consulting firm. In fact, she wanted to do something completely different and ventured into technology.
“The power is in the decision,” she said. “Having options is where the power comes from.”
The options LoBue encountered while working, whether it was getting another offer from a different firm or receiving the invitation to work in a different position, led her to where she is today.
It allowed to her prioritize and see what she wanted in life and what she wanted from her career.
LoBue learned early on, especially from being a young mother, that balance is key and that it can always be found.
Juggling her job and family, she realized when she needed consistency and when she needed a change. Leaving her job to be around her children more was a change, and creating Greenback Labs was an even bigger change.
LoBue had dealt with the stigmas of being a working mother or not being at home enough, but she never let those get in her way. She continued her life the way she felt was right and knew people had their opinions, but that they didn’t have to affect her.
“There are people that feel very strongly women should be home with the kids, and there are people who feel very strongly women should be at work,” she said.
She could not please both of these types of people, but realized there were more important things to focus on.
LoBue also stressed the importance of networking. Networking is what has connected her with so many people and provided her with endless opportunities. Especially now, with the creation of Greenback Labs, her connections have never been more important, she said.
“There are two things that are really important in business, and that’s research and networking,” she said.
While she knows firsthand networking can be uncomfortable, she could not have stressed its importance enough. LoBue understands it may be tough for people to get themselves out there, but it is something they must get used to.
“Be comfortable with the fact that you’re going to be uncomfortable,” she said.
Featured Image by Savanna Kiefer / Heights Editor
