progress
not perfection
Hi, I'm Natalie Ong. I'm an ex-trader with a diverse set of experiences who thrives in ambiguity and fast-paced environments. With experience on Wall Street, at a start-up incubator, and now at Target’s media arm, people count on me to be driven, resourceful, and collaborative to get things done.
About Me
The Short Version:
- Ran a trading book on Wall Street offering structured investments, meeting our institutional and retail client needs and delivering revenue to the bottom line
- Worked with early-stage start-ups on their businesses and facilitated strategic workshops for start-up founders, refining their use cases, product-market fit, and strategic vision
- Led an incubator's rebrand, crafting a clear vision and mission, and creating a cohesive online presence, even building their marketing website from scratch
- Took a programming bootcamp to develop my coding and product thinking, developing several web applications
- Launched ad products at a media network, growing revenue in their awareness-driven top of funnel offerings
- Facilitated the building of a three-year long-range plan for a media network, driving thought leadership and gaining buy-in with senior leaders on where we needed to invest
The Long Version:
After graduating from Columbia University, I cut my teeth on the trading floor, as the only woman on an all-male trading team. It was an invaluable experience working with incredibly sharp minds, who taught me how to perform under pressure, be comfortable with data, and manage risk. Running a trading book meant owning a book of business; I collaborated with Sales and Structuring teams to identify opportunities and create investment offerings to meet client needs, and then, as the trader, I priced the offering, ensured the processes were in place so it could scale, and managed the risk and P&L.
Post 2008, innovating with structured investments was difficult with tightening regulation, and I entered the start-up space, bringing the financial rigor and structured problem solving I'd developed to a small start-up incubator in Singapore. At Potato Productions, I rolled up my sleeves in a lean, scrappy environment, and wore multiple hats; from working on the incubator's brand and strategy, to leading workshops with early-stage startups. To strengthen my abilities to consult with tech-based startups, I took a 12-week bootcamp to develop my coding and product thinking. Now, my diverse experiences have shaped the leader I am today and the value I bring to organizations; I am both a strategist and builder, who tackles complex problems through qualitative and quantitative means, values a cross-pollination of ideas for creative problem-solving, and can build macros in spreadsheets one moment, and present a compelling case to senior leadership the next. I hit the ground running by building strong partnerships, leading data-driven decision-making, and, at the end of the day, actively listening as though I'm wrong. Currently, I am at Target's media network, taking ad products from concept to launch, collaborating with Product and Sales teams to determine roadmaps and bring them to life.
(Fun) Projects
Note: Never one to take myself too seriously, the projects below are less about professional accomplishments and more in the spirit of continuously learning, being creative, and having fun.
Potato Productions Website
Made with: Wearing multiple hats, from crafting the content, partnering with a design studio, planning photo shoots, to hands on keyboard developing a custom WordPress theme with PHP and JavaScript
Lorem Ipsum.
React Calorie Tracker
Made with: React, React Testing Library, Jest, Express, Mongoose, Git, JSON Web Token, BCrypt
Sign up for an account with the React Calorie Tracker and start tracking your meals today! The website uses a custom API service with user encryption and token-based authentication. Logged-in users can search for food items from an open-source nutrition database and add it to their meal log, helping them reach their nutrition goals.
Brandon.Food-lover.
"Gained weight after using this."
Apartment Residential Management System
Made with: React, React Testing Library, Jest, Cypress, Express, Mongoose, CircleCI, Git, Teamwork, Patience
The ARMS application was built for the ThoughtWorks HR team to solve issues with managing an increasing number of long-term assignees across country offices. Our team used Agile practices to prioritise features, formulate a release plan, and execute development sprints. Our end-product allowed the client to migrate from spreadsheets to an intuitive web interface with an integrated back-end API service.
Jala Explainer Video
Made with: A fake professional angmoh accent
The talented team at Jala made an animated explainer video, for which I provided the voice-over. Didn't know I could sound so professional and American? Neither did those closest to me.
Mr. and Mrs. Ong.Parents of the narrator.
"What is this video? Why are you showing it to us?"
Alex.Partner of the narrator.
"This can't be you. This person actually sounds profesh."
SpottyStickers
Made with: Creativity, an unhealthy obsession with a dog, GIMP
It was only right for Singapore's wisest and most beloved senior dog, Spotty, to have her own set of stickers. SpottyStickers, made for WhatsApp, lets you express your thoughts and feelings in everyday conversation in the most adorable of ways.
Janis.Meme Expert.
"DAMN THESE ARE THE BEST STICKERS I’VE EVER COME ACROSS. The amount of expression in each sticker is unfathomable. Truly a work of art. 20/10."
Sharan.Technopreneur.
"I don't have an Android but could still download it on my iOS device. A marvel of technology."
Felicia.Introvert.
"I particularly enjoy 'Go Away Lah'."