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Beatrice Baughn
Chef Executive Officer
Sam is a “unifier” who likes to ask questions to understand different points of view in order to bring them together on a common path accepted by all. Sam defines personal success as “helping others succeed.” The desire to help others achieve their goals is at Sam's heart. This may mean volunteering to teach English as a second language, tutoring math, coaching flag football teams, or improving the skills and knowledge of those with whom he works in the corporate world. Through Unicorn Hearts, Sam believes it is possible to “help young people succeed on a large scale”.
Equipped with experience and an entrepreneurial spirit complemented by years of due diligence on the world's top investment managers, Sam wears a motley coat of business knowledge whose pockets are filled with the marks of business success as well as the marks identifying the pitfalls of failure. His knowledge of the pervasive characteristics associated with static or growing businesses places him in a unique position to guide the establishment of a startup or to help bring about change in an established organization.
As the chief architect of the operational framework supporting the creation of an investment fund and as the engineer behind the design and implementation of operational diligence programs for two multi-billion dollar investment companies, he witnesses the integral relationship between business success and a well-developed business plan.
During 2022, Sam left Wall Street to provide all his support in the exploration phase of the Unicorn Hearts solution.
The life of a startup is very often tumultuous in the first years, before experiencing rapid growth. Being able to transform or evolve as needed is essential. Sam laid the foundations for a legal structure and management tools adapted to the immediate needs of Unicorn Hearts. He ensures the proper fulfillment of accounting and tax obligations and is sounding board in all key decision-making.
As co-founder and member of the board of directors, Sam provides an objective assessment of the management and operations of Unicorn Hearts with a particular focus on the scalability of processes. He puts his experience in risk management at the service of rigorous due diligence processes in - the referencing of strategic partnerships, the choice of financing, the creation of a solid infrastructure in data management, and meeting the expectations of multiple stakeholders.
Sam had BS degrees in Engineering Science as well as Finance/Economics from Lipscomb University. He also has an MBA from Lipscomb University and passed the CPA exam in 2002.