From Wall Street Wealth Management to Brooklyn Dance Studio

Caila Moed spent her years at Goldman Sachs navigating high-stakes private wealth management, but the demanding culture eventually collided with her desire for presence at home. Now, the 35-year-old is applying the rigorous financial discipline of her banking career to build Rikud Movement, a disruptive Brooklyn dance studio.

The transition from the boardroom to the studio floor began when Moed realized the traditional corporate structure could not accommodate her priorities as a mother. After completing an MBA at Oxford and working through grueling cycles of networking and asset management at Goldman Sachs, she opted to exit the firm rather than compromise on the time spent with her children. Her background in finance, however, proved essential to her new venture.

Moed opened Rikud Movement in a flexible pop-up space, moving away from the conventional ballet-and-recital model in favor of street and club dance. She currently manages five instructors and relies on the client-first ethos cultivated during her time in private wealth. By treating her studio members with the same analytical focus she once applied to ultra-high-net-worth clients, she has generated six-figure revenue within the first 100 days of operation. While she acknowledges that her current metrics are modest by Wall Street standards, she utilizes her expertise in market cycles and revenue modeling to build a sustainable roadmap for the business.