Hey there! My name is Russell Yue, and I’m a Vice President with Tru Arrow Partners in New York City where I focus on technology and late stage venture investments. Prior to Tru Arrow, I was an investor with H.I.G. Capital, where I helped start the firm’s new late stage venture/growth investment practice. Before H.I.G., I was an investor on the growth stage investment team at Greycroft. I also previously worked in financial planning & analysis at Fastly, where I helped the company raise $75 million during its Series D fundraise. I graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Business Finance. Happy to chat with anyone about (1) entrepreneurship and working at a startup/scaleup, (2) technology and venture investing, (3) nontraditional career paths after college, or (4) anything else I can be helpful with!

Hello! I am a real estate private equity associate at Artemis Real Estate Partners based in D.C. and was previously a real estate acquisitions associate at The Carlyle Group and an investment banking analyst in Jefferies' Real Estate, Gaming & Lodging group. I studied physics at Davidson College where I was actually pre-med for my first three semesters. After deciding medicine wasn't right for me, I took econ 101 and completed UVA's business certificate over the summer, during which I decided that finance might be a good fit. I am happy to discuss how pursuing a non-traditional major (i.e. not finance, accounting, business, or economics) will affect the recruiting process and how to best leverage your unique perspective to earn an offer. I am also happy to discuss how to catch up if the recruiting process is in the near future and you've only just decided finance is something you want to pursue. Just because you don't have directly relevant prior experience doesn't mean you can't land a great internship if you're willing to work hard!

Hello! My name is Andrew Spiegel. I am a Senior Associate on the Truist Securities Technology, Media & Telecom Leveraged Finance team based in Atlanta, GA. My role is focused on advising corporate clients and financial sponsors on the origination, structuring and execution of institutional loans, high yield bonds and bank loans for LBO, M&A, recapitalization and refinancing transactions. Prior to Truist, I spent roughly three years in Public Accounting, including Grant Thornton’s Transaction Advisory Services group and Deloitte’s Audit practice. I graduated from the University of South Carolina with a double major in Finance and Accounting and obtained my CPA license in the State of New York shortly after graduating. I was drawn to Investment Banking, albeit “late to the game”, as I gained an appreciation for how Investment Banks helped businesses of all shapes and sizes achieve some of their most significant milestones and growth objectives. As someone who attended a “Non-Target” university and did not have strong connections into “high finance”, I can provide a unique perspective on what it will take to break in to the industry. I am also active with my firm’s recruiting initiatives, so I can provide specific insights into our talent acquisition process.

My name is Chelsea Dunlap and I am the COO and Business Manager for the Global Industrials, Municipal Finance and Private Capital Advisory Investment Banking teams at Jefferies. I am heavily involved in the daily operations and build out of these three teams, including responsibilities across Operations, Finance and HR. Prior to my role as COO, I was a banker on the Healthcare Investment Banking team for four years, also at Jefferies. I graduated with a B.A. in History from Yale University, where I was also the captain of the Women’s Swimming and Diving team. I enjoy working with bankers on their professional development. If you’d like to chat, please reach out to xx and the team will coordinate a call.

I’m pleased to be involved with Pro-Forma Futures to share my 25+ years background with those who can benefit from a diverse financial background.

I initially started my career working for a small CPA firm doing both tax and audit services, and became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in California. After leaving public accounting, I worked in the operations team for two large asset managers in California (Capital Group, parent company of the American Funds), and New York (Goldman Sachs Asset Management). I’ve worked for a small Registered Investment Advisors, and a boutique Asset Manager doing institutional sales. I’ve worked at BNY Mellon in San Francisco and London in the beta and transition management team providing services to institutional clients, foundations/endowments and sovereign wealth funds. I had a great experience working for the world’s largest index provider, MSCI, in their wealth advisory team in San Francisco, then spent time as an ETF Specialist at VanEck in a sales capacity across the Western United States focused on the wirehouse, regional and independent broker/dealer channel.

For my undergraduate studies, I attended the University of Southern California (USC) and earned dual Bachelor of Science degrees in both Accountancy and Business Administration, and earned my MBA at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.

In my career, I’ve always embraced ways to provide support to those who can benefit from my experience and background. I’ve had the good fortune of participating on the Board of Directors for the CFA Society of San Francisco, as well as for the Bay Area Financial Education Foundation. I’m a believer in ‘paying it forward’.

If I can provide assistance, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

Hi - my name is Aneesh Bhattacharya and I am an investment professional on the Controlled Environment Foods team at Equilibrium Capital, a sustainability-driven investment firm.

Prior to joining Equilibrium, I worked at the Forest Road Company where I focused on a structured investment strategy which provided capital to early-stage renewable energy developers. Earlier in my career, I was a member of the investment team at Union Capital, a lower middle market private equity firm focused on investments in the food manufacturing, business services and franchise restaurant spaces. In this role, I worked across investment, portfolio operations, and fund management responsibilities for Union Capital's first institutional fund. I began my career in the Industrials investment banking group at Jefferies.

I hold an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a B.A. from Vanderbilt University.

I’ve been lucky enough to have mentors in both banking and PE who have helped me to grow and develop and I would like to help others do the same. If you have an interest in private equity, private credit, sustainability, or business school, I'd be happy to chat!

Alena Antigua is a Senior Vice President in the healthcare group helping co-lead the healthcare information technology practice at Jefferies. Alena has been with Jefferies for over 10 years, prior to which she spent roughly one year at Truist in the healthcare group. Alena’s passion for financial services come from her immense intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills. Alena holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Occidental College and a Masters from University of Chicago. Alena comes from a diverse family of immigrants with a mother who is a political refugee of Chile and a first-generation Greek father; she is fluent in Spanish and can read and write in Greek. If you'd like to chat, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

My name is Henry Johnson and I am currently a Senior Private Equity Associate at The Carlyle Group based in Washington D.C. I support our U.S. Buyout strategy within Corporate Private Equity, focusing on investments in the Aerospace, Defense and Government Services sectors. Prior to joining Carlyle in 2019, I spent three years in Investment Banking at Jefferies in New York, focusing on transactions in the Aerospace & Aviation sectors. Originally from New York City, I attended Wake Forest University for undergrad, where I majored in Economics. I have pursued a career in finance as I have found the high-velocity, strategy-intensive nature of the work to be intellectually stimulating and rewarding. I have also greatly enjoyed the relationships I have been able to foster professionally and therefore look forward to hearing from others in/entering the finance career path. If you are considering a transition from investment banking into private equity or simply would like to hear more about my experiences in either role, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

Hi there! My name is Ben Peacock, and I’m an investment banking vice president in the Global Industrials Group at Jefferies. I joined the firm in 2017, and prior to that, I spent five years in sell-side equity research covering industrial stocks across several platforms. I studied finance at Miami University (in Ohio) where I also played on the men’s golf team. Over the years, I’ve been extremely fortunate to lean on the advice, experience and guidance of others who have been willing to share their insight. As such, I’d be thrilled to connect and share any perspectives that may be helpful. Whether you have specific questions or would simply like to make an informal connection, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

Jason DeLaurentis is an insurance, employee benefits, and risk management adviser at Lockton Companies. Jason has a specialization in structuring, restructuring, and executing strategic insurance-related initiatives, as it relates to private equity firms and the operating of their portfolio companies. He is responsible for delivering on all aspects of client service, including but not limited to deploying appropriate resources/intellectual capital, managing and executing client deliverables and managing client relationships across the globe. Jason is also the Founder of DealMakersNY, an exclusive social gathering of both buy-side and sell-side M&A professional (Private Equity, Family Offices, Investment Banks). DealMakersNY creates a tremendous networking opportunity for professionals and those connected to Proforma Futures. Jason’s expertise is in Risk Management, Employee Benefits, M&A insurance due diligence, transactional liability, restructuring/special situation, and insurance risk profiling by industry. If you'd like to chat, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

My name is Chase Cormier and I currently work in corporate development at IES Holdings, a holding company with four operating divisions in the construction and infrastructure space. Prior to IES, I spent time as a private equity associate in New York City with ORIX Capital Partners and DFW Capital Partners. I started my career in finance with RBC Capital Markets in the Power, Utilities and Infrastructure group in Houston. I graduated from North Carolina State University in 2013 with a degree in Agricultural Business Management with a minor in Economics. I have experience helping students considering a career in investment banking or private equity and understand the challenges of coming from a school that is not heavily recruited at. If you'd like to chat, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

I have 27+ years of debt financing leadership and founded ECS Debt Advisory in 2014. I have completed over $12 Billion of debt financings spanning roles as both Borrower (led debt financing and M&A for PAETEC, a publicly-traded Fortune 1000 telecommunications company), Lender (SVP & Team Leader for Union Bank’s Communications/Media Lending group where I managed financings), and Advisor (executing financings on behalf of private equity-owned and owner/operator borrowers). I attended UC Davis and earned a BA in economics. If you'd like to chat, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

Hi - I’m Chris Ellan and am the head of M&A for Frontline Education, a K12 administrative software company. Prior to Frontline, I spent over a decade within the investment banking industry in various roles spanning from supporting an exotic derivatives desk at Morgan Stanley to a tech banker at Jefferies. Most of my time in banking was spent with Wells Fargo where I held roles in DCM and TMT. An entrepreneur at heart, I’ve also founded a few (mostly failed...) businesses in the past. Most notably, I co-founded ReporterSuite, a software company that ultimately sold to Stenograph. I had a somewhat unique entry into the world of finance. Having been inspired by my families’ military heritage, I shipped off to the Navy after high school. After leaving the Navy, I trekked back to my hometown of Tallahassee and attended community college before transferring to Florida State, then again to Emory University to finish out a BA in finance with a minor in applied mathematics. Given my unconventional entrance into finance, I’m excited by the idea of helping folks navigate the process of getting into and staying in the industry. If you'd like to chat, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

My name is Steffens Coulson and I currently work in New York, NY, for Yieldstreet as a Senior Investment Analyst on the Commercial Real Estate team. I'm originally from Baltimore, Maryland, and graduated from the University of Richmond in 2018, where I studied Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Economics. After graduating, I worked in the consulting industry for Gartner before deciding to pursue a career in commercial real estate, which began in the agency lending space. If you want to learn more about a potential career in commercial real estate, how to transition from a different industry, or what I do, please don't hesitate to reach out!

My name is Noah Richard, and I am currently an investment banking analyst at SC&H Capital, a boutique bank based in Columbia, MD, that focuses primarily on sell-side M&A for family- and founder-owned businesses in the lower middle market. My interest in investment banking and finance began in high school when I participated in an M&A case competition through a company called Youth About Business, and I carried this interest into college at the University of Maryland, College Park. At UMD, I became involved in and eventually led the business school’s largest finance club, where I organized case competitions and helped underclassmen with networking and securing summer internships in investment banking. I graduated with a degree in Finance and Information Systems, as I believe having a basic understanding of coding and data is helpful in the ever-evolving finance industry. I am happy to discuss networking or insights into the investment banking scene in the DC-Baltimore area.

Hi, my name is Giorgio Gayleard! I am currently an investment banking associate with KPMG Corporate Finance, advising on sell-side M&A transactions of middle market companies primarily in the Industrials and GovCon spaces. I previously worked at Tower Partners, an industry-agnostic lower middle market investment bank that advises on both sell-side and buy-side engagements. Prior to Tower, I interned with SC&H Capital on their sell-side M&A team. I attended Loyola University Maryland and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2023 with a B.B.A. in Finance and Economics. I was also a member of the Varsity men's soccer team! After graduating from Loyola, I continued my education at Dickinson College while participating on the soccer team there too. After school, I began working at Tower Partners and joined the KPMG team about a year later. I pursued a career in finance, but more specifically investment banking, because I wanted to work in a stimulating high-growth environment where I could learn a lot at a fast pace. I find fulfillment in challenges and the financial services industry is the perfect place to be for such. I am more than happy to discuss the industry, my career thus far, and provide advice for those who want to learn or, simply, chat! Being a first-generation Hispanic college graduate, I am extremely willing to help those with untraditional backgrounds for investment banking in search of guidance.

My name is June Park, and I am currently an analyst in the Software and Services group at Intrepid, a boutique investment banking firm based in Los Angeles, California. Intrepid primarily focuses on middle-market sell-side M&A for founder-owned and sponsor-backed businesses and I have had the pleasure working in this dynamic and rewarding environment. I previously interned at Cowen's M&A group based in San Francisco, but decided to join Intrepid for full-time after graduating from UC Berkeley with a B.A. degree in Economics. I started my career in Finance, because I wanted exposure to the intersection of technology and businesses. I have a passion for technology companies and my current role exposes me to new businesses and innovative founders everyday. I am more than happy to discuss my journey and all things related to recruiting for Finance.

I’m Zura Dzuliashvili, originally from Georgia, and currently a senior at the University of Richmond, where I’m pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Economics. My internship experience spans various roles in quantitative research, risk management, equity analysis, trading/structuring and so on. I’ve had the opportunity to intern at Credit Agricole NYC, Barclays Investment Bank NYC, and Thompson, Siegel, and Walmsley. I have also worked internationally. Navigating the finance industry as an international student has had its unique challenges, and I’m always happy to share my experiences—whether it’s insights into quantitative research, tips for interview preparation, or advice on the recruitment process in the U.S.

My name is Sam Jacobson and I am currently a private equity associate at Warburg Pincus based in New York. Prior to joining Warburg, I spent three years in investment banking at Centerview Partners and Moelis & Company, working across M&A, restructuring and strategic advisory engagements for large-cap companies. I grew up in Orlando, FL and graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX in 2019. I came from a non-traditional background and understand first-hand the nuances of recruiting for various positions and navigating the world of finance. I'm happy to discuss all elements of the recruiting process (internship, full-time, lateral and buyside recruiting), or more broadly, serve as a general resource and share my story. Throughout my career, I've benefited from the mentorship of others and am excited to pay it forward however I can!

My name is Keshav Sota and I am originally from Parsippany, New Jersey and attended NYU Stern where I graduated with a degree in Finance. I am currently an Associate at EQT Partners in the Active Core Infrastructure Group, and was previously at BlackRock in their Global Infrastructure Fund and at Citi in the Global Industrials Group. 

I would be more than happy to help in any capacity, whether it's understanding the basics of what a career in finance looks like to helping with resume development & interview prep.