We have a fundamental, bedrock view that our people are everything. It's not surprising that since our firm's inception we have had a purposeful philosophy about our hiring and culture.
We seek to hire extraordinary people, but slowly. Recruiting at CAGR SQUARE LLC requires candidates to go through a minimum of 15-20 one-hour interviews. Because actions speak louder than words, each candidate must complete and present a challenging final project. Many successful candidates report having spent a solid week preparing their projects. The bar to join CAGR SQUARE LLC is exceptionally high, and we are not in a rush.
We intentionally have off-market policies. For example, we don’t meter vacation, and we encourage a lot of it. We offer unlimited maternity and paternity leave and strongly encourage people to take lots of time off to enjoy that magical time with their family. CAGR SQUARE LLC also pays for any self-improvement program any employee wants to enroll in.
When we recruit, we recruit for uncorrelated weirdness. We first accept the fact that we are all quite weird in our own idiosyncratic ways. We then seek others who are weird in concretely different ways than the folks already working at the firm. When a recruit finally makes it through and shows up, we tell them, “no matter what you do, do not try to fit in. Because the opposite of fitting in is belonging, and to really contribute, we need you to belong.”
Belonging does not require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are. Our senior management is intentional in helping everyone feel like they belong at the firm, because if they work here, they do. To make a truly original contribution, you have to be irrationally obsessed with something for an extended period of time. And staying irrationally obsessed, especially because we never know if success is on the other side, requires a feeling of deep safety that only comes from feeling true belonging. Imagine an entire firm feeling like they truly belong? That’s powerful.
We do not ask employees “what can you do for CAGR SQUARE LLC?” Instead, we ask “what can CAGR SQUARE LLC do for you?” How can we accelerate your career? How can we give you a platform to shine? Our senior management's most important leadership task is to help already exceptional and ambitious people realize that they are far more talented, far more capable, and far more responsible than even they themselves believed prior to joining the firm.
We expect employees to be the best in the industry at what they do, regardless of their role at the firm, no matter how senior or junior they are, whether they help the front of the house or the back of the house. The bargain we have with each employee when they are recruited, and when they show up, is this: you get to work here, but you must be the best in the industry at what you do. And if you’re not – yet – that’s ok. Very few of us are. But you must want to be the best, and actually be on the path to getting there.
Ted Theodore is the President of CAGR SQUARE LLC. Prior to joining CAGR SQUARE, Theodore served as director and investment officer at major asset management firms, where he managed relationships with institutional clients. He previously held a senior role at a leading wealth management firm, focusing on portfolio strategy. Ted received his MBA and BA Economics degree from the University of Michigan.
Michael Carter is the Chief Administrative Officer and Head of Legal at CAGR SQUARE LLC. Before joining, Michael was a Partner at a top-tier law firm, specializing in financial regulations and compliance. He has over 20 years of experience advising asset management firms. Michael earned his JD from Yale Law School and his BA in Political Science from Columbia University.
Sarah Nguyen is the CEO of Prime Re Solutions and Head of Insurance Solutions at CAGR SQUARE LLC. Previously, Sarah was a senior executive at a global reinsurance firm, where she led underwriting and risk management for over 15 years. She has served on the board of the Global Reinsurance Association. Sarah holds a BS in Actuarial Science from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from New York University.
David Patel is the Head of Alternative Fixed Income and Chief Financial Officer at CAGR SQUARE LLC. Prior to joining, David led structured finance teams at a major European bank, focusing on alternative lending strategies. He began his career as a financial analyst at a boutique investment firm. David received his MBA from The Wharton School and his BA in Economics from Princeton University.
Colin Corcoran is a member of the Investment Committee and CEO of Crypto Solutions at CAGR SQUARE LLC. Before joining, Colin was a quantitative analyst at a leading hedge fund, specializing in digital asset strategies. He previously spent a decade at a top investment bank, managing derivatives trading. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Yale.
James Thompson is the Founder and CEO of CAGR SQUARE LLC. Prior to founding the firm, James was a senior Strategist at Goldman Sachs, where he developed innovative investment strategies. He is a recognized thought leader in alternative investments. James earned his PhD in Finance from University of Chicago and his BS in Computer Engineering from Stanford University.
Laura Bennett is a co-Founder and Head of the Investment Committee at CAGR SQUARE LLC. She has held leadership roles in portfolio management and client advisory, including a stint as Portfolio Manager at J.P. Morgan. Laura received her MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and her BA in Economics from Yale University.
