The Story of My First Startup: Tortus
I was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after graduating college during a recession, I decided to take a leap and move to Dallas, TX, to kickstart my professional life. I packed my Honda Civic with all my earthly possessions—my iMac being the most prized—and drove solo from NYC to Dallas. It was one of the scariest things I had ever done, but it was also exhilarating. I was moving in with my best friend and embarking on adulthood.
For the first nine months, I lived on a mattress on the floor because I couldn’t afford furniture. My first job was rough, and while I won’t dive into the details, the experience taught me one important thing: I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life working for “the man.”
Over time, I worked my way through several roles and eventually landed at a boutique consulting firm called Credera. That was a life-changing and career-defining moment. At Credera, I found a community of kind, talented, and driven people. Although I was new to UX, the leadership team saw potential in me and took a leap of faith. My growth was exponential, and I’ll always be grateful for the opportunities I had there. I even recruited my husband to join the company because I believed in it so much. For a while, I thought Credera might be my long-term home, but I couldn’t shake my entrepreneurial itch.
The Birth of Tortus
Seven years ago, my best friend connected me with Nick Valletta, a former colleague of hers, and his business partner, Brendan Sweeney. They were real estate brokers based in NYC with a vision to create a rental platform that disrupted the outdated and often corrupt systems in their industry. They needed a partner to design and develop the platform.
We clicked immediately, and before long, I signed on as the third co-founder. I wasn’t ready to quit my full-time job, so I moonlit as the Chief Design Officer, buzzing with excitement. Late nights and early mornings became my new normal as we laid the groundwork for Tortus.
Through lean workshops, brainstorming sessions, and lots of virtual collaboration, we landed on the name “Tortus,” inspired by Aesop’s The Tortoise and the Hare. Our goal was to build the company ethically and steadily, avoiding the shortcuts that often compromise integrity in tech startups.
Branding Tortus was a joy. Though I had limited experience with professional logo design, I was passionate about storytelling through visual identity. I spent days sketching ideas and finally had my “aha!” moment when I saw a tortoise shell and neck hidden in the letter R of “Tortus.” After refining it further, I had my first true professional logo—one with subtle meaning and an aesthetic I was proud of.
An early iteration of the Tortus website and platform
A Leap and a Pandemic
In 2019, my husband and I were given the opportunity to relocate to NYC to open a new office. The timing felt perfect—I was ready to return home after a decade in Dallas. I also decided to make an even bigger leap: leaving my job to join Tortus full-time.
It was a bittersweet gamble. On one hand, I was thrilled to work in person with my co-founders. On the other, the world changed drastically just a few months later when the global pandemic hit.
Despite the challenges, we adapted quickly. Our team grew, and we made significant progress on the platform. However, we encountered many of the classic pitfalls startups face, the biggest being our reluctance to fail fast. We spent too long trying to perfect an MVP that never felt quite ready for market. Meanwhile, the pandemic had severely impacted the real estate industry, making it harder to compete.
As resources and hope dwindled, we made the difficult but necessary decision to put Tortus to rest.
Reflection and Takeaways
Looking back, I feel a mix of sadness and pride. While the world never got to see what we created, I have no regrets. Tortus taught me invaluable lessons about leadership, product development, and the realities of entrepreneurship. It also taught me the importance of agility, focus, and making tough decisions when the time comes.
One of my favorite takeaways, though, is the logo I designed. It was my first professional logo—a milestone that reignited my passion for design and storytelling. To this day, it holds a special place in my heart as a symbol of creativity, growth, and resilience.
Though Tortus didn’t achieve the outcome we dreamed of, the journey itself was transformative. It shaped who I am today and reaffirmed my belief in the power of taking risks, learning from failure, and creating with purpose.
