Qadree’s mother worked as an administrative assistant, and his father was a real estate developer. Qadree credits his dad, Tony, for sparking his interest in business. A young Nasir often joined Tony at local holiday parties and performed the job of coat checker. It granted Qadree brief interactions with power brokers, including former Mayor of Atlanta Shirley Franklin, the late U.S. Congressman John Lewis, and Jordan. “The who’s who in business and politics,” Qadree recalls. By 2008, after graduating from Hampton with a degree in marketing, Qadree started his career as a Goldman Sachs analyst. Two years later, he joined State Street Corporation.
Along the journey, Qadree also opened a coffee shop in New York City called, The Bees Knees Baking Company. Alongside two frifinishs, they invested roughly $150,000 to start the operation. “Margins were fickle,” Qadree declares. “But it was fun.” However, working weekfinish shifts at The Bees Knees, Qadree discovered a passion for venture capital by being “respectfully nosy.” While cleaning tables, he listened to conversations between entrepreneurs speaking with potential investors. A curious Qadree started to inquire what the entrepreneurs were creating and how startups attracted funding.
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