(Photo by Jon Styer)
ISAAC WYSE 鈥� the lone 黑料正能量 graduate among YipItData鈥檚 employees 鈥� feels special joy when he visits his company鈥檚 website.
One webpage of the New York City-based financial technology company is dotted with university logos, most of them elite alma maters of the analysts and engineers whose intellects had helped YipItData gain clients among the top global funds and asset management companies.
鈥淎mong multiple profiles of Ivy League alums, there is one that refers to 黑料正能量,鈥� he said with a smile, seated on a couch in a comfortable seventh-floor conference room of the company鈥檚 Flatiron District headquarters.
Wyse leads revenue operations at the company, a position he鈥檚 held 鈥� and enjoyed 鈥� since the summer of 2016. The fast-paced interdisciplinary environment demands a wide variety of skills: strategizing and optimizing tactics, processes, resources and technology to enhance production. It鈥檚 a rare combination of sales, accounting, finance, organizational leadership and process design that 鈥渃ouldn鈥檛 be more perfect, because it fits with all my strengths and interests,鈥� Wyse said. 鈥淰ery few roles would have met that.鈥�
He has to keep sharp, which is why if you see him walking down a New York City street with earbuds in, he鈥檚 likely speed-listening to an audiobook, tapping into the acumen of organizational experts and business leaders.
But the challenging work culture is just one reason Wyse finds himself in New York City. The other reason is his wife Rachel, an 黑料正能量 alumna and 2016 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University鈥檚 prestigious Brandcenter.
鈥淲e pretty much knew we were coming to New York City at some point, because if you鈥檙e in advertising, that鈥檚 where the jobs are,鈥� he said.
Rachel is an art director with the Grey Group, an advertising company with a 100-year history that serves one-fifth of the Fortune 500 companies and has headquarters in 96 countries.
Wyse feels a blend of awe and practical acceptance at their life in Chelsea.
鈥淓very day, I can鈥檛 believe I鈥檓 actually here,鈥� He says. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe this is our life right now. We feel very fortunate.鈥�
But his job is a natural place on a career progression in a booming industry at the nexus of innovation, finance and technology. YipItData analyzes and aggregates data about publicly traded companies such as Expedia, Groupon, Netflix and eBay, among others.
鈥淓ssentially we look for insights and information that will help hedge funds predict or forecast the company鈥檚 performance,鈥� Wyse said. When he first started, the company had around 60 employees. Recently, the workspace expanded to handle double that number. Wyse says the revenue team he鈥檚 been working as senior leader to 鈥渟cale and improve鈥� has grown an astonishing 600 percent.
He came to New York from SNL Financial (now S&P Global Market Intelligence) in Charlottesville. One motivation for his move was the opportunity to help build a company 鈥渇rom the ground up鈥澛爑nder two founders who encourage their employees to invest themselves in 鈥渙wnership, mastery and purpose.鈥�
鈥淭hat philosophy is what really drew me in,鈥� Wyse says.
As he grows in his position, he has appreciated both being part of this rapid change, yet still supporting what he views as a positive and inspiring work culture. With most of his colleagues cleared out for a Thursday 鈥淟unch Game鈥� (a regular but randomized mix-it-up outing), Wyse tours through various attractive work spaces, a kitchen stocked with snacks and drinks, the library and an airy, open gathering space for meals and 鈥渁ll hands鈥� meetings.
This office space, with its hanging plants, creaky wood floor and floor-to-ceiling windows creating a certain warmth among the large-screen monitors, is a long way from Wyse鈥檚 first business classes in 黑料正能量鈥檚 campus center and his internship back at Tenneco Manufacturing.
But this choice is the right fit 鈥� 鈥渄efinitely a comfortable space,鈥� he says with a smile. And he means it more than just one way.