One of the perks of my old post was having access to a yacht in FiDi during the summer—yes, for some, that’s called business development. The first time I met Patti, she elbowed her way onto the boat. I had no idea who she was, but she insisted that I didn’t like her, which, of course, made me instantly curious. At the time, I was a bit skeptical of Sphere 3D, especially after the NUMiner announcement. But Patti? She squashed any doubts I had. She was a force—radiating energy, always perfectly dressed, armed with a razor-sharp wit, and unapologetically unfiltered in the best possible way.
From that day on, we were friends. At the end of that summer, I had another business development trip on a boat and invited Patti. She casually mentioned that it happened to be her birthday, so we arranged for a surprise cake. She was so happy. The next morning, I walked into my office to find a beautiful bouquet of flowers with a note thanking me for the cake. I remember thinking, What kind of maniac sends me a gift on their birthday? But that was Patti—thoughtful, a little crazy, and the perfect mix of both.
Over the years, she shared so many stories about her life—her time at GE, her experiences, her battles. Patti often came in swinging—she was a hammer always looking for a nail. It was fun trying to smooth out her edges. She had this fearless, take-no-prisoners approach, but underneath it all, she had the biggest heart. And if you were her person? She was fiercely loyal—ride or die in every sense of the word. She would go to war for the people she cared about, no hesitation.
As much as she was proud of her professional accomplishments, nothing meant more to her than her children. Last year, she brought her son to the esteemed Ski Summit, and during Beefsteak, we stood at a table while she playfully tormented anyone who came by to say hello. The best part? People loved it. They always wanted more of her energy. And when it came to her daughter’s wedding, Patti took it more seriously than anyone I’ve ever met. Her speech was impeccable. As the true matriarch of her family, she walked her daughter down the aisle, handing her off to her son-in-law with that unmistakable I’m watching you look.
She was so proud of making the Forbes 50 Under 50 list, but even more than that, she poured herself into helping others—especially women. She was always lifting people up, opening doors, making sure others had opportunities.
While working with Patti, I realized that at some points, in the middle of a work conversation, we weren’t even talking about work anymore—we were talking about life. When you’re forced to think about how much time you have left, the way you think changes. Patti saw things differently. She valued time in a way that most of us don’t, and even in the hardest moments, she kept showing up, kept fighting, kept being her.
Over the past day, the phrase I keep hearing from everyone to describe her is she was a force. Even while battling cancer, she’d still hop on calls, and I’d say, “Patti, aren’t you at the doctors?” She’d laugh and say, “Yeah, I’m bored—just let me stay.” Being vulnerable wasn’t her nature. She fought until the very end.
Saying goodbye to someone is never easy but it does remind us of how fragile life is. We can fight on the internet, we can disagree, but at the end of the day, the people you meet along the way in this crazy Bitcoin journey are what you’ll remember. Some people leave an impact so strong that their absence is impossible to ignore. Patti was one of those people.