Inman

SettlementRoom exec. second career choice is rock star

Celeste Starchild, vice president of SettlementRoom Systems, has been with the company from the get-go, helping with the initial product design.

She was also instrumental in the research, relationships, staffing, training and product-based initiatives to transform the idea for Web-based transaction management software into a successful software company. She currently handles strategic relationships for SettlementRoom Systems, among other things.

Starchild holds a B.S. degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in social sciences, and worked in management and graphic design before her involvement with SettlementRoom. She is the proud co-chairperson for CARMA (Central America Relief and Medical Aid).

Starchild will speak during Real Estate Connect in New York City, Jan. 11-13, 2006.

Here are her answers to a set of questions posed by Inman News:

Panel or session at Connect: Paperless Solutions: A Profusion of Choices.

What worries keep you awake at night?

Nothing keeps me awake at night. I sleep like a baby.

Describe your dream home:

Low maintenance. I live in a condo with my miniature Dachshund and love it.

What lesson did you learn in the last year?

Sometimes you get lucky, but most of the time you have to create luck.

What’s the strangest thing you ever packed in a suitcase?

A couple of my family members and I formed a small non-profit organization called CARMA to aid Central Americans after Hurricane Mitch. On several trips to Guatemala and Honduras, we carried as many supplies with us as possible to save shipping costs, including everything from prosthetic limbs to snakebite kits.

Who is your hero?

My mom.

What would your second career choice be after real estate?

Rock star.

Which daily newspaper do you read and which section do you read first?

I read WashingtonPost.com – headlines first.

What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

At SettlementRoom, we have been pioneers in online transaction management. I am very proud that we have been able to create a model to successfully sell, train and support our product, “from scratch.”

What is your favorite technology device or software application?

There are many. I am amazed by Google Earth.

What kind of music do you listen to?

Almost everything.

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