Putting people first and win the culture battle with Michael Arrieta

April 9, 2026

Michael Arrieta founded Garden City Equity after working in Silicon Valley for tech companies, including a stint as a global vice president and chief of staff to the CEO at DocuSign. Garden City, he says, is dedicated to making people-first investments in family and founder-owned businesses in the Southeast. One of its recent investments is in Venice-based outdoor aluminum and pool cage material manufacturer Commercial Residential Aluminum. On this episode, Business Observer Managing Editor Mark Gordon and Michael talked about key business and leadership lessons he learned from DocuSign and other tech companies. They also talked about his mentors and his vision on what makes for a strong and sustainable company culture.

3 Takeaways

(11:20) Give employees a clear path of growth
(13:15) People support what they help create
(14:45) To be a good leader, you need to be a servant

Timestamps

(00:00) Introducing Michael Arrieta, founder and managing partner, Garden City Equity
(03:40) What is Garden City Equity?
(05:55) Michael’s career arch
(08:40) What is a good company culture?
(13:00) Clarity is kindness
(14:45) What made you the leader you are today?
(16:55) Lessons from Docusign
(18:20) Vulnerability
(22:00) Leadership legacy
(24:00) What's coming up for Garden City Equity?

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