Jennifer Ok, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of 150 Bond is one of the smartest, gutsiest and best-networked people I know.

Watching her rise within the corporate world over the last 10 years, before finally co-founding her own global advisory firm, has been impressive and also provided many of us with a master class on the power of connections (and seeing them as a two-way street, Jenn does more for people in her extended network than anybody I know). She also exudes a well-earned confidence and works harder (and travels more) than most people I know.

Before founding 150 Bond, she was the CMO and Global Head of Venture Development at BCG Digital Ventures (BCGDV) for whom she still serves as a senior strategic advisor overseeing global marketing strategy.

Jennifer also spent over a decade in a variety of roles at Nasdaq where she was Corporate Vice
 President overseeing the Global Corporate Client Group’s programs, directed the client
 relations team and led the Nasdaq Market Site. Prior to joining Nasdaq, she was with 
the National Football League (NFL).

Oh, and she loves dogs and yoga!!

 

Read on below for her inspiring and very intriguing Q+A.

 

What are some of the events in your life that made you who you are?

• Living abroad allowed me to be independent and growing up with my grandparents allowed me to be an old soul. 

When people come to you for help, what do they usually want help with?

• Assessing a situation or negotiations. 

What are some of your personal “rules” that you never break?

•  I don’t work with people I don’t like.
• Never go against my gut feelings.
• My friend Halah told me once I generally follow Maya Angelou’s rule of “when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time” 

What do you regret not doing or starting when you were younger?

• Not learning to speak more languages while my brains were still spongy. 

If you had to choose only 3 adjectives to describe yourself, which would you choose?

• Witty, authentic, loyal

What could you give a 20-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?

• The art of turning skeptical strangers into your new best friends. 

What do you wish you knew more about?

•  Blockchain, blockchain, blockchain!  I have learned a lot recently, but I would love to be a Blockchain genius!

Three people alive or dead that you would like to have dinner with?

• Dave Chappelle, Trevor Noah and Melissa McCarthy altogether – we would have the best laughs.  P.S. As a host, I always plan for last-minute drop offs so I would have also invited Betty White and Obama just in case!

What’s the first career you dreamed of having as a kid?

• An international spy.

What’s one thing about you that surprises people?

• That I am an international spy. Just kidding. That I am like an Easter egg – hard on the outside, but soft on the inside. I am a total softy, and yes, I am a sucker for stray animals…

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

• Stop asking for permission and never seek someone else’s approval.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

•  You avoid shit not because you are scared but because it’s dirty (credit to my very wise mother)

What did you have to give up to achieve your current level of success?

• Not sure if this counts as “giving up,” but I had to swallow a lot of pride throughout my career.  I was told once by Joe Browne (my bossman at the time) “we are all assistants to someone – we are never above anyone.” Yes, I gave up a lot of pride and I am glad I did because it made me a better human.

Who are your role models or mentors?

• Joe Browne (NFL) and Bruce Aust (Nasdaq). They were both the toughest and the kindest bosses I know. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to learn from them.

What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?

•  Not taking enough risks.