08/28/2026
Fun fact: Firm for the Culture isn't actually my first business.
So if you know my story, you know I am a first-gen "everything."
And when starting my career...honestly? I didn't know what I didn't know.
Navigating Big Law and corporate America felt impossible at times.
The unwritten rules of engagement — what suits to wear, how to network, how to get work, how to bill an hour — were all foreign to this Brooklyn girl.
Add to that the abysmal lack of diversity in the legal field, and you had a recipe for demoralization and deep insecurity.
I wanted to quit.
I wanted to quit being an attorney because I didn't see people who looked like me in these spaces.
I didn't see our stories centered.
Because I didn't see "us," I didn't feel seen.
I wanted to quit.
But then, divine intervention stepped in — through mentors, through friends, and even through an employer at another organization I thought I might pivot to when I was ready to leave law.
So... surprise, I didn't quit.
And I came back with a vegence; I ended up joining the top litigation firm in the country as an IP attorney.
Not bad for this Brooklyn girl...
That's when I knew I had to share my experiences.
To show other first-gen professionals that we should not be embarrassed because the source of our grit, tenacity, and determination come from more humble beginnings.
In fact, this very grit, tenacity, and determination are the keys to success in corporate America — as I've learned firsthand.
So I launched my first business: The First Generation Purpose Project.
It is an initiative to help first-gen professionals navigate life and career by leveraging the strength within them.
And let me tell you — to call it a crash course in entrepreneurship is an understatement.
My first client?
Yale Law School.
From there I spoke at the U.S. Department of Commerce and worked with countless amazing organizations.
During that time, I had to learn it all: how to send an invoice, track profit and loss, pay taxes, set up an LLC, file a trademark.
And all of it while still working and growing at Quinn Emanuel.
Because I wanted to make sure we were seen.
Those lessons became the foundation for what is now Firm for the Culture — to protect the intellectual property of those whose experiences mirror mine.
But none of this would have happened if I hadn't once wanted to quit being a lawyer.
So God, I thank You.
Thank You for keeping me in my calling long enough to see the fruits of the purpose and plans You had, and still have, for me.
I know I don't always get it right, and You know how scared I was when I decided to stay an attorney.
But You enveloped me in grace and reminded me of Your word: “This is the confidence we have in You, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."
And you saw me.
For that, I'm grateful.
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Hey y'all, I'm Ruky— a Brooklyn-bred, Berkeley-trained, Big Law girlie who loves the Culture so much that I started Firm for the Culture to help ambitious founders and thought leaders leverage, monetize, and protect their intellectual property.
Like for real, y'all keep me going.
👩🏾⚖️⚖️
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