Michelle Quinn never imagined she would one day be training for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Bobsled Team. In fact, as recently as a year ago, she knew little about bobsledding and had no idea she would soon be a serious contender to represent the United States in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Yet, through discipline, focus, and a willingness to take on new challenges, that’s exactly where she finds herself today.

Quinn applies that same drive to her professional career as a member of the direct sourcing team at Alpine Operations Group, LLC (“AOG”), an affiliate of Alpine Investors, a private equity firm that launched RIA acquirer Aspen Standard Wealth in 2024. In her role, Quinn works to identify and engage prospective companies for potential acquisition by Aspen.

Recently, we sat down with Quinn to learn more about her journey to becoming an aspiring Olympian and how the skills she’s developed—discipline, precision, and competitive resilience—translate into her work in the fast-paced world of RIA M&A.

Michelle, tell us more about how you were selected for the U.S. National Bobsled Team.
I ran track for four years at Dartmouth College. During COVID, I received an extra year of eligibility to play college sports, so I jumped at that and enrolled at the University of Notre Dame to pursue a Master of Science in Finance, where I also ran track. That proved to be my best year athletically, which led to one of my coaches introducing me to a strength coach, who was previously on the U.S. Women’s National Bobsled Team, in regard to trying out for the team. I was surprised, sure, but was also absolutely interested and began exploring how to prepare and try out for the team. I went all in and ended up attending a rookie camp and aggressively trained and essentially learned how to bobsled over the next several months. Ultimately, that led me to being selected for the U.S. Women’s Bobsled Team in November of 2024.

What does training for the Olympics involve?
I am one of the only women on the team who is working a full-time job. That requires a great deal of discipline, perseverance, and focus. So, my training looks a bit different from the others on the team. I wake up at 4 a.m. every morning and go to the gym to do a lot of weightlifting, running, and bobsled-specific training. Then I go to work for a full day of being an Originations Analyst. After work, I typically go to an indoor track and do sprint workouts. Finally, on the weekends, I often go to the Olympic facility at Park City to train with my team in the bobsled. It’s a lot, but honestly, it’s energizing and keeps me focused on my goals. I love it.

How do you see that training translate into your work for Alpine and supporting Aspen?
A lot of my work is very much what I make it, meaning there are always opportunities to do more, to push the envelope, to make a very meaningful impact with what I do. I love that, as I feel I am able to control my own destiny and can move the needle for the firms we work with. And sure, it requires a very solid work ethic, which of course you have to have when training for the Olympics. That all said, I’m also very aware that we all need to know our limits and respect those limits, but I believe most of us can push even further to be our best and achieve those things we really care about. That’s what I do every day in training for the Olympics, and that’s what I do in my work for Aspen.

What are the qualities that make for an aspiring Olympian and that also equate with success in the business world?
One of my favorite quotes is, “Why not me?” That’s something I really live by. I mean, what kind of person picks up a sport that they’ve never done or really thought about and is in a matter of months training to be in the Olympics? Well, that’s me! That’s so exciting and motivating. It just goes to show that anything is possible with the right mindset and a willingness to try new things and give it your all. I apply that same mindset to my professional life. Anything is possible if you are disciplined and willing to push yourself and the boundaries of what you think is possible.

What has surprised you the most about your experience training for the Olympics?
I’ve met so many Olympians from various sports, and it’s been eye-opening to see how much they have going on in their lives outside of the Olympics. That was unexpected, but also very reassuring. It makes them so real and relatable. It just goes to show you don’t really know how complex the lives are of professional athletes and other public figures. They have jobs, children, everything the rest of us have. They are like us in so many ways. If they can accomplish what they have achieved, so can the rest of us. It’s incredibly inspirational.

What’s next for you?
I want to continue working as hard as I am to achieve both my professional and athletic goals. Being able to pursue both of my dreams at the same time has been so gratifying. Yes, it’s exhausting at times, but it’s more exciting than anything, and I want to continue giving it 100% of my effort, which I absolutely plan to do.

Michelle Quinn is an employee of Alpine Operations Group, LLC (“AOG”) an affiliate of Alpine Investors, a people-driven private equity firm that launched Aspen in 2024. As a member of AOG’s direct sourcing team, Michelle identifies prospective companies and engages in outreach to gain their interest in selling to Aspen. Aspen pays compensation to AOG for its services.

Any fees, compensation (including incentive equity), reimbursements or other amounts received by AOG members generally will be paid by a portfolio company or prospective portfolio company and/or the applicable Alpine Fund and do not offset such Alpine Fund’s management fee.