Helping the global financial community understand and respond to market crises showed me the need for innovation to transform the global economy, and working as a venture capitalist then showed me the need for global talent to unleash the best innovation. I am a data scientist, venture capitalist, and Chief Economist of Toptal, advancing research and thought leadership on the global talent economy while helping companies scale their teams worldwide.I began in the hedge fund world, learning directly from Dr. Nassim Taleb on how rare, high impact events affect companies and economies and the importance of thinking in terms of optionality - the flexibility to harness massive opportunities and guard against extreme risks. This philosophy defined my thinking while working in finance and then building my venture fund with the thesis that startups can now recruit and sell everywhere, from anywhere. I have invested in 50 companies and helped multinationals and governments with technological transformation.As Chief Economist of Toptal, I apply these experiences to help companies and individuals to convert today’s changes in technology and talent into opportunities rather than risks. The global talent economy unlocks optionality that we previously only dreamed of - companies now have on-demand access to the world’s best talent to validate and scale their ideas, and people can now control their careers by working with clients and colleagues around the world. I consider myself a global citizen and divide my time between the United States and Latin America, and through my work, I hope to help realize a world where everyone can realize their full potential regardless of location or the far too many other barriers that today still impede them. The day this becomes the case will be the day that so many other problems come crashing down, both from the effect on equality and the magnitude of brainpower that will be unlocked.