Veteran of Silicon Valley
Steve Emberland, a true veteran of Silicon Valley, was born, raised and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The tech world’s dynamic nature and potential for transformation intrigued Steve from a young age. His passion for technology has driven his career, leading him through a dynamic trajectory within tech and growth companies that continues to this day.
Today, he’s a leader in finance and operations in high growth and high tech companies showcasing a career that spans an impressive three decades. Currently he serves as the SVP – Finance, at Carrot Fertility, Inc.; a fast-growing health tech startup that is the leading global fertility care platform with a singular purpose: fertility care for all.
Speaking about his drive and motivation, Steve exclaims, “I thrive in a growing and successful organization. The opportunity to be a driving force behind growth, development, and expansion is what fuels my passion. As a finance leader, knowing that my work is creating shareholder value brings me a lot of satisfaction.”
Steve’s foundation of hard work, determination, grit, loyalty and unconditional love was instilled by his supportive family. He takes pride in his heritage from both sides of his family who immigrated to the US generations ago, seeking a better life. His paternal grandparents came to the US from Norway via Ellis Island in 1922, while his maternal grandparents came from El Salvador in the 1950’s and arrived in San Francisco.
In 1991, Steve graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BA in Business Economics. During his senior year, he completed enough accounting, tax, and business law courses to qualify for the Certified Public Accountant exam, and passed all four parts on his first attempt, placing him in the top 2% in the US. Later that year he started his professional career at Ernst & Young, one of the renowned Big Four accounting firms.
However, most of his professional experience and business acumen was developed within tech startups. “I not only learned technical finance, accounting and operations skills, but also developed the soft skills that shaped me into an effective team member and later, a proficient and empathetic leader,” he reflects, adding, “Many tech startups begin with aspirations of going public. The finance team often starts small and slowly grows as the company begins to scale. Being an integral part of these small teams during times of organizational expansion resulted in tremendous responsibility and also required me to learn how to scale an organization and develop strong interpersonal skills.”
He takes special pride in his accomplishments with SoundHound AI, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOUN), and Consensus Cloud Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: CCSI). He played a pivotal role in facilitating both companies’ initial public offerings and subsequent listing onto Nasdaq.
In recognition of his remarkable achievements, Marquis Who’s Who honored Steve as an Honored Listee in their biographical registry and named him a Top Executive in April 2023. In addition, Steve was recently featured in the Top 100 Innovators & Entrepreneurs magazine for his track record in scaling successful high tech companies.
“Faith stands as the cornerstone of my success – a strong belief in God that fuels my aspirations. Perseverance, equally vital, propels me forward in the face of challenges and steers me towards achieving my goals. My favorite verses in the Bible, Proverbs 3: 5-6, perfectly captures the essence of these traits.” When asked about additional pillars that underpin his success, he shares, “I am a habitual goal setter. I set weekly, monthly, and yearly goals not just in business but all areas of life – physical, emotional, financial and spiritual to name a few. I believe they are all connected and lead to a healthy balance in life. Success lies in having big dreams with realistic and achievable goals that align with those dreams.”
Adding a beautiful chapter to his life’s story, during the challenging times of COVID-19, Steve tied the knot with the love of his life. “In the midst of the pandemic, I was blessed to get married to an incredible woman who is a source of consistent support and strength,” Steve shares. “My commitment to work is reinforced by my wife, who wholeheartedly supports my efforts and encourages me to give my all. Her background in high tech as a successful electrical engineer and designer of integrated circuits gives her a deep understanding of the keys to a successful career.”
Summing up his principles of successful leadership, Steve emphasizes three pivotal aspects:
Connection: Building authentic relationships with coworkers and teammates, valuing authenticity in interactions.
Collaboration: Fostering teamwork, valuing and crediting team members, and promoting a collaborative work environment.
Communication: Leading with empathy and compassion balanced with candor and clarity in communication.
A staunch mental health advocate in the workplace, Steve says his personal motto is, “Strive to be the best version of yourself each day. Embrace a growth mindset, trust in God and never relinquish your dreams!”
