After piloting Apaches, she sought a new challenge  

Lindsey Chrismon was not content merely to gain admission to West Point, the nation’s premier military academy, for her undergraduate studies. She would later be chosen as the First Captain, the highest-ranking cadet, in her 2014 graduating class, being only the fourth female to achieve this honor in over 200 years of the institution’s history.

Following her graduation, she didn’t intend to occupy just any military rank — she aimed to pilot the foremost attack helicopter, the Apache, integral to the most elite aerial force. And when it was time to transition from her military service, she wouldn’t attend just any business institution for her MBA; she would enroll at Harvard.

“I actually noted in my West Point yearbook that I aspired to attend Harvard Business School a decade ago,” Chrismon remarked.

Chrismon exemplifies someone who sets a target and achieves it. For instance, becoming a helicopter pilot was a goal she established during her initial year at the academy.

“I recall sitting in my room when an Apache helicopter descended and landed on the parade field, right outside,” she stated. “I was like, I want to pilot that … it was just a vision from the very first moment I witnessed it.”

She excelled academically, performed admirably on requisite exams, and after graduating became the first female in Army history to operate the AH-6 Little Bird helicopter for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

“It’s the same unit that transported the SEALs during the Osama bin Laden mission,” Chrismon noted. “It’s truly the most elite helicopter division worldwide.”

After piloting Little Birds and then her dream Apaches for nearly a decade, Chrismon began to feel, for lack of a better term, unchallenged. It was time for a new pursuit.

“Every day was actually quite enjoyable. It didn’t feel like labor in that sense, yet I eventually felt intellectually constrained,” she shared. “I could also foresee where I would be in, say, three years, and I didn’t wish to have my future completely mapped out. I wanted to explore and step into the world, tackle other challenges.”

Her spouse, Gabe Chrismon, remarked that his wife, who was his classmate at West Point, “has never opted for the easy path.”

“HBS was her destination regardless of circumstances.”

He added, “If Linds has a vision of what she intends to achieve, she will inevitably discover a way to ensure it happens. Following that, she’ll find a way to excel at it— from being First Captain at West Point, to piloting Apaches, to flying Little Birds, to attending HBS, to becoming a female entrepreneur and securing funding.”

The Chrismons are not merely life partners; they are also business collaborators. They co-founded Oply — an AI-driven tool designed to assist homeowners in managing their home systems and upkeep.

Chrismon has devoted much of the past year at Harvard gathering investment for the company and frequently flew to her hometown of Nashville on weekends to get the business operational.

“I’ve unexpectedly recruited her to pitch her business to very prominent investors in my classroom without her prior knowledge,” stated Reza Satchu, senior lecturer in the Entrepreneurship Management Unit at the Business School. “Everyone from high-ranking figures at venture capital firms, to the CEO of Delta, to Kevin O’Leary, to various notable individuals.”

Classes that Chrismon participated in with Satchu, “Founder Mindset” and “Founder Launch,” are both focused on helping student ventures launch successfully.

“She has a remarkable ability to stand up and convey a compelling value proposition with authentic conviction about her business,” Satchu added. “At times, she’d face challenges, yet she would persist. This is a defining trait of a founder; you accept guidance, but you’ve contemplated this challenge considerably more than the person you’re discussing with, so you don’t crumble, you stand firm.”

While Chrismon eagerly anticipates returning to her life in Nashville, she expresses regret over departing from the Business School.

“It passed incredibly quickly,” she reflected. “It’s a bittersweet farewell. It’s delightful because I can concentrate entirely on our venture, but not waking up each day and attending class with my colleagues — that’s going to be tough to leave behind.”