Essa Thiry

SVP, Business Development, Change Capital

Essa Thiry is SVP of business development at Change Capital, a social impact-focused investor and capital provider based in New York and Los Angeles.  She joined Change Capital 3.5 years ago, launched a new territory on the west coast, single-handedly established a strong presence in the region, and grew the customer base from next to zero to dozens of clients and millions of dollars in financing in a very short time period. Prior to joining Change Capital, Essa was a business development executive for Hana Financial, a large ABL and factoring provider in Los Angeles.   

Essa is an active committee member for Face Forward International, a non-profit focused on providing life-changing surgery and support to victims of domestic violence, human trafficking, and cruel acts of crime.  She also serves as executive vice president of the Fashion and Retail Group of City of Hope, an organization that provides medical care for cancer patients throughout the country.  

Essa is an active member of SFNet, serves on the board of the New York Institute of Credit’s Women’s Division, is an International Factoring Association SoCal Chapter board member and Women’s Committee head,  a member of the Turnaround Management Association, the Association for Corporate Growth, and other commercial finance industry organizations.

What advice would you offer to women just starting out in the industry? 

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Building a strong network is key for your personal success, as well as the success of your organization. Start by getting actively involved in local and national professional associations such as SFNet and consider joining or starting a mastermind group. Present your authentic self, I think that always resonates with people. Look for mentors.  Never stop being curious, humble yourself and learn all you can. Continue educating yourself and improving your skillset. Build a reputation and personal brand you are proud of. Be proactive in looking for opportunities, advocate for yourself and for others, especially women and minorities. Come from a place of “yes”, find the positive in everything, focus on solutions, not problems. Seek to identify personal responsibility in every situation; this will allow you to evaluate what is in your control, and that’s powerful.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I feel very fortunate to work at an organization that has cultivated a really unique and supportive culture. We are all friends and working together is a little like working with family.  Although I enjoy many aspects of my role at Change Capital, from the friendships I have made in the industry, to helping colleagues at partner firms close deals by filling shortfalls, and providing additional liquidity to their valued portfolio clients, what I love the most is helping great companies capitalize on opportunities. Especially because Change Capital is social impact-focused, I feel extraordinarily lucky to have so many amazing stories of women, minorities, and immigrants taking risks, working incredibly hard, and leveraging our capital to make their dreams come true, achieving the American dream for themselves, their families, and their employees.

How do you balance work/personal time?

I’m a big advocate of striving to achieve balance with everything in life.  For me, that doesn’t necessarily translate to not checking e-mails after a certain time. What that does mean, is fully embracing my whole self, as a mother, a professional, daughter, sister, friend, and woman who is passionate about her own goals and interests, and NOT FEELING GUILTY FOR IT! Balance sometimes means work will require 100% of my time and attention, and sometimes family or personal time will demand 100%. It may mean working late into the night after my daughter goes to bed so I can attend a mid-day school play or waking up early to make a class at the gym. Whatever it takes to meet and overcome challenges and maximize my and my family’s life experience; consciously making choices that create a lifestyle that reflects our values.  I try my best to be fully present in whatever role I’m in at any given time.  One way to do that is to check in with yourself…where am I? Here. What time is it? Now. Find a support system, don’t be afraid to delegate or ask for help, and don’t forget to be a steadfast supporter and helper for others.  Practice self-care, make time for and nurture interests and hobbies that bring you joy. Not only will you be a more positive and patient parent, the more well-rounded you are and life experience you have, the more people you will find commonalities and connect with both personally and professionally.