Susan Lindeque, Founder and CEO of Avestix Group, is a seasoned entrepreneur with more than 35 years of experience in corporate finance, technology, commercial real estate, venture capital, and public market investing. She has raised and managed over $1 billion in real estate transactions and over $500 million in capital for various projects. Her leadership at Avestix Group focuses on investing in and supporting cutting-edge technology sectors such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity, fintech, and quantum computing. Avestix is also active in commercial estate investing and committed to empowering and supporting women-led organizations.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My typical day involves strategic planning, team collaboration, and staying abreast of market trends. To make it productive, I set clear, achievable priorities while maintaining a structured schedule. Although I avoid conducting meetings just to have meetings, I do meet regularly with investors and subject matter experts in emerging technologies to ensure my team and I stay at the forefront of advancements in AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, and other related technologies.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I encourage open communication with my team at Avestix, welcoming and leveraging perspectives from across our firm. I also value thorough research, strategic planning, and iterative execution to help make sure ideas from across our organization have a chance to be tested and deployed if they are successful.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Nearly every advancement in the technology sector excites me, but I am particularly thrilled with the most recent advancements in artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. The potential both technologies offer appears to be limitless. Both have the ability to revolutionize almost every industry and business sector, but — when I consider each through the lens of investing — I also appreciate the countless investment opportunities both will unleash.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Continually learning. Maintaining a habit of continuously educating myself about new technologies and trends, ensures I remain engaged and that my decisions are based on up-to-the-minute information.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell myself to embrace challenges and treat them as opportunities for growth, rather than seeing them as barriers. No matter how severe a setback is, it can help you cultivate a sense of resilience so that you are better prepared should another setback occur, because, of course, another one will arise.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you.
I’m not sure if others will agree or disagree with this, but I believe that integrating philanthropic initiatives within business strategies will ultimately drive sustainable success. This is a perspective that many in the corporate world are missing.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Never underestimate the power of regular reflection and assessing one’s personal and professional goals. By doing so, it helps ensure alignment between one’s values and long-term business objectives. Honest self-reflection also helps keep people humble.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
When I feel overwhelmed or lose focus, I practice mindfulness techniques that help me reset my thinking. I also take short breaks from work to help me regain focus and clarity.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
I am a big believer in building and nurturing a strong professional network. Not only does this help to grow a career, but it enables you to create a community of peers and mentors that can offer guidance, support and candid feedback. Collaborating with a diverse group of experts can lead to valuable insights and, sometimes, unforeseen opportunities. This is one of the reasons Avestix launched Avestix Empowerture, an interactive, peer-to-peer network where like-minded investors and thought leaders can share insights and resources in support of one another as we seek out rewarding, sustainable opportunities.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Early in my career, I encountered a significant setback when a major project I was working on failed to produce the results everyone was expecting. It was distressing, but it forced me to analyze shortcomings in the project we did not initially recognize. It also inspired me to seek guidance from my network of mentors, who helped me apply the lessons learned to future endeavors.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I really encourage investors to explore investment opportunities in the sustainable technology sector, particularly those that are intended to address climate change. Not only do they offer significant potential for growth, but they will help nurture a better future for coming generations.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I am a big believer in project management tools such as Asana, which help stakeholders across an organization have visibility into projects, organize tasks, set deadlines and facilitate team collaboration. Not only does this improve overall productivity, but it minimizes the need for meetings. Reducing meetings shows employees they are trusted to complete their work.
What is the best $100 you recently spent?
As I said, I value research and education. I recently invested $100 in a comprehensive industry report that provided me with new, valuable insights that helped me better plan my strategy for 2025. Notice I said “invested” $100 as opposed to saying I spent the money.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast from which you’ve received much value?
I find the book “Principles” by Ray Dalio to be indispensable for its insights into effective decision-making and leadership.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I work nearly nonstop; however, I recently found time to watch the series “The Queen’s Gambit,” which resonated for me because it showed how strategic thinking can help people overcome adversity. It resonated with me in both a personal and professional way.
Key learnings:
- Make sure continuous learning and the adaptability to navigate the evolving business landscape both play a role in your day-to-day activities.
Integrate philanthropic initiatives with business strategies to achieve sustainable success. - Build and nurture a strong professional network to gain diverse perspectives and opportunities. This enables you to learn from mentors while being a mentor yourself.
Regularly reflect on personal and professional goals to ensure they align with your core values. Doing so will help keep you focused and humble. - Explore investment opportunities in emerging technologies that also address global challenges. Not only can they be rewarding, but future generations will thank you.