From an early age, Justin Peress always knew finance would be his path. Inspired by entrepreneurs and fascinated by the mechanics of how businesses grow, he saw finance not just as a career but as a way to support innovators. What he didn't foresee, however, was that his financial expertise would one day make him a pivotal figure in the gaming industry, an industry with extraordinary creativity but a desperate need for business acumen.
"I grew up in an entrepreneurial house. My dad was a business owner, so I was always surrounded by those kinds of conversations," Peress recalls. After studying finance at university, he began his career in a family office, where he gained exposure to virtually every investable asset class, from venture capital to non-traditional investments. "It gave me a generalist perspective on investing," he said, "but I was always drawn to the operational conversations."
