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!

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!

Hi, my name is Kolby Williams. I am currently a Senior Underwriting Analyst at Freddie Mac in their Targeted Affordable Housing (TAH) group. Prior to Freddie, I worked at The Warrenton Group, an affordable housing development company in Washington, DC. I graduated from the University of Richmond in 2019 where I received a B.A. in sociology and played football. I pursued a career in real estate finance and particularly affordable housing because of my interests in real estate and helping people at mass scale. As a candidate who didn't major in business/finance/accounting and was a student-athlete, I see myself a resource for those with similar backgrounds/interests and would be happy to provide advice on how to leverage non-traditional backgrounds to get a foot in the door and navigate the real estate finance industry.

My name is Sumer Aggarwal and I currently work in Chicago, IL for Brookfield Properties doing Real Estate Development. I decided to seek a career in commercial real estate development & investments as I found this track to be the perfect mix of finance, strategy, architectural design, and project management. If you want to learn more about a potential career in commercial real estate or what I do, please don't hesitate to reach out!

Hi, my name is Ryan Ringelstein and I am currently an office tenant representation broker at Raise Commercial Real Estate in San Francisco. Raise is a technology-enabled commercial real estate brokerage offering tenant representation, project and construction management, workplace strategy, and ongoing lease administration for clients around the globe. Originally from the Bay Area, I went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and St. Mary’s College for undergrad where I received a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. I’m currently pursuing a Master’s in Finance at Georgetown University. I’ve been fortunate to have many people help get me to where I am today. If you’re interested in a career in real estate, need help preparing for interviews, or just want to chat, I’d love to help out anyway I can.

My name is Ben Smith and I am currently a Senior Investment Analyst at Spider Management Company. I graduated from the University of Richmond in 2020, with a BA in Business Administration and concentrations in Economics and Finance. While it might be difficult to access out of college, a career in Investment Management offers you the unique opportunity to jump right into a ‘Buy-Side’ role and take on significant responsibility investing large pools of capital to support meaningful causes. Having interned in Commercial Real Estate and Equity Sales & Trading, I’d be more than happy to talk to you about my work experiences and decision to join the Investment Management industry. Don’t be a stranger!

Hi, my name is Stephanie Michas, and I currently work as a Credit and Asset Management Financial Analyst at Trimont Real Estate Advisers in London. Prior to joining Trimont, I was a Sales and Trading Analyst at BNP Paribas in New York. I graduated from Colgate University in 2019 with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in Studio Art. I chose to work in Finance after school because growing up I was always interested in the markets. I would hear the hype around upcoming IPOs or share buybacks, and found it fascinating. After relocating to the UK I pivoted within the industry, now working within Commercial Real Estate Credit and Asset Management, after looking for work with more tangibility, which I’ve found in Commercial Real Estate. As a woman coming from a small Liberal Arts school, I can help you navigate the application and interview process. I can also help you to think about where in finance you can see yourself succeeding - as someone who has moved within the industry, I can help you think about where your skillset lies, and how to best utilize it. I have been lucky to have fantastic mentors thus far in my career, and hope that I can provide that same level of mentorship on to others.

Hi! My name is Shubhang Mehta and I am currently a real estate private equity analyst at Northwood Investors based in New York City. Prior to my time at Northwood, I was an investment banking analyst in the Real Estate, Gaming & Lodging group at Jefferies in NYC. I grew up in Melbourne, Australia before graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2018 with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. I pursued finance because I wanted to work in a challenging, collegial environment that always presented the opportunity to learn. I am more than happy to help anyone that wants to break into the IB or PE industry, and I can be of particular help if anyone is interested in real estate.