Martha Yasso: From Wall Street Warrior to Main Street Ally | The Disruptors

Your real ROI comes from relationships, not spreadsheets.

The Disruptors

With Liz Farr

Martha Yasso didn’t just balance billion-dollar books — she watched businesses crumble under them.

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She began her career in the high-octane world of junk bonds on Wall Street, where she relished the analytical challenges of cash flow modeling. But what initially felt like powerful work soon turned emotionally draining. “I was ripping apart companies and watching it happen in real time,” she says. “It was exhausting and depressing.”

Her breaking point came with the downfall of Toys R Us. “It failed because of where the cash was going. It wasn’t being reinvested into the business — it was being pulled out for gains by management.” That moment crystallized a new purpose for Yasso. She didn’t want to watch from the sidelines as companies fell apart. She wanted to help build them.