George Kang
Hello! My name is George Kang and I am currently a private equity vice president at BRS & Co. in NYC. Prior to my time at BRS, I was an investment banking associate in the Global Industrials Group at Jefferies in NYC where I also spent three years as an analyst. Prior to Jefferies, I spent two years as a credit risk analyst at UBS in NYC after graduating from Cornell University in 2012 with B.S. degrees in Finance and Marketing. I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in finance but was unclear what I was exactly looking for. I look forward to sharing the lessons learned from my serpentine journey, offering advice on how to navigate the path from the middle-office to the front-office to the buy-side and helping identify where to even begin the process. Additionally, I am currently pursuing my part-time MBA at Columbia Business School and I am more than happy to answer any questions around the business school application process and what business school entails.
Ben Wen
My name is Ben Wen, and I am a first-year Analyst at the Jefferies SF Technology team. I originally grew up in China and recently graduated from Babson College with a concentration in Finance. I decided to start my career in investment banking because of the fast-paced nature and broad base exposure the position offers. However, I didn't go through the conventional "internship to full time" path because I started recruitment late. I'd love to help you with your full-time recruitment journey, from networking strategy to interview prep.
Dennis Cherian
Hey! My name is Dennis Cherian and I’m an analyst at RRE Ventures. I graduated in 2021 from Villanova University, where I studied finance. I’m originally from East Brunswick, NJ but I have previously lived in Philadelphia, Austin, and Dallas. I chose to go into consulting after graduation in order to get exposure to different industries and travel to some new places (then covid happened, so I got to see some zany new Zoom backgrounds instead). Now I work in venture capital and help invest in Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A startups. Happy to chat with anyone who wants to break into venture or start a startup.
Daisy Wu
Hi there, I'm Daisy Wu! I am currently an strategy management consultant with Humans Matter. Previously, I was an investment operations associate at MarketX Ventures, a private capital investment platform focusing on pre-IPO and growth-stage deals. I graduated from the Michigan State University in 2021 with a master's in accounting and information systems degree. I pursued a career in finance because I am genuinely curious about the intersection of capital investment and social impact. As a candidate from a non-target school, a woman, an international student, and a person of color, I am able to provide advice on how to get your foot in the door as a minority, leverage the PFF network, or join and thrive at a VC/ PE startup or consultancy.
Brynn Jackel
Hello! My name is Brynn Jackel, I’m an associate at Gridiron Capital in New Canaan, CT. Prior to joining Gridiron, I was an analyst at Wells Fargo in the Industrials investment banking coverage group in NYC. I grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts and went to Wake Forest University for undergrad where I majored in finance with a minor in entrepreneurship. I was drawn to investment banking for the opportunity to gain a skill set in financial analysis in a teamwork-based environment, and later transitioned to private equity seeking longer-term relationships with companies and more hands-on operational experience. I never had a grand 10-year plan and have figured it out as I went along, but I was lucky enough to have some awesome mentors from college and Wells who helped me better understand the paths and process, and most importantly prepare for interviews. I’d love to be able to do the same for others pursuing a career in finance, so please reach out to me and I’m happy to be a resource however I can!
Val Ayer
My name is Val Ayer. I'm a 4th year consultant in Deloitte's Strategy Consulting practice - I've worked on a number of different types of engagements from full-on strategy development and transformations, to customer segmentations, to integration planning for a merger. I pursued a career in consulting because I wanted to be directly involved in the decision-making process for issues that are top-of-mind for executives, while driving real impact. Prior to Deloitte, I graduated from Boston University in 2018, a decidedly non-target school for Deloitte, so I know what it's like to apply without the robust interview support a typical target school applicant would receive. I'm 100% happy to chat about anything from the philosophical (e.g., "why consulting?") to the nitty gritty (e.g., "what is a case interview?", "how do I go about practicing for a case interview?"). All you have to do is reach out!
Tim Peyser
My name is Tim Peyser, and I currently work at Piper Sandler covering financial services as an investment banker. Previously, I spent two years at RSM advising private equity clients in a consulting capacity. I joined RSM after graduating from the University of Richmond ('19) where I majored in international business and finance with a minor in French. I have worked in a number of roles in finance from boutique venture capital to Morgan Stanley's wealth management practice and would be happy to be a resource to you.
Kolby Williams
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.
Anne Alexander
My name is Anne Alexander and I’m a consultant in Accenture’s M&A Life Science Strategy group. I assist life science firms with strategic transactions that transform them into more successful entities. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a double major in Business Honors & Finance. A restless academic, I decided that a career in consulting would slate my thirst for continual learning by exposing me to a broad range of industries and functions. Although I went into recruiting slightly underprepared, I quickly learned the process to secure multiple offers. As one of Accenture’s I&D recruiting chairs, I’m passionate about helping others navigate the challenges of consulting and the recruiting process. I try to empower my clients, peers, and students with the knowledge that they can achieve their goals, whatever they might be.
Carlin Lynch
My name is Carlin Lynch, and I am a 2018 graduate from the University of Richmond. At UR, I studied business administration with a concentration in finance and an English minor. I’ve worked at B. Riley Securities for ~3 years, first in equity research, and now as an investment banking analyst in the sustainability practice. My road to financial services has not been a straight one, and I am happy to help those with non-traditional resumes craft a narrative and a plan. Originally convinced I wanted to be in industry, which led me to an internship at J&J, I realized senior year, after my classmates already had locked up job offers, that I wanted to be in finance. By crafting the right narrative and having the right support system, I was able to land a job. If you realized “late” that you wanted to be in finance, feel free to reach out!
Sumer Aggarwal
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!
Mike Mikkelsen
Hello! My name is Mike Mikkelsen and I am currently an Investment Banking Associate at Jefferies in the Global Industrials Group in New York. I grew up on Long Island and graduated from Boston College in 2017 double majoring in mathematics and economics. I started my career in Operations at Barclays, and from there switched to the Equity Capital Markets group at Jefferies as a lateral hire. Most recently I internally transferred at Jefferies into the Global Industrials Group. It has taken me a few years of research and networking to reach the position I am in today, and that is largely due to the lack of publicly available resources about the many different paths you can take within finance. I’m more than happy to share my path and chat with anyone about networking, interview prep, life, etc.
Daniel Markowitz
My name is Daniel Markowitz and I am an associate at Citadel. Previously, I was an equity research associate at Evercore ISI, based in NYC, where I covered the Health Care sector, with specific focus on Life Science Tools, Diagnostics & Medtech. Prior to this, I worked as an analyst at a start-up Healthcare hedge fund and as a Summer Analyst (internship) at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Equity Capital Markets (ECM). I chose to study Finance at the University of Richmond given the competitive nature of the industry, along with the opportunity to make a significant impact. I am happy to help out however I can, whether you want to chat on IB vs Equity Research vs S&T, the Healthcare sector, or interview / internship prep.
Bryan Kozin
My name is Bryan Kozin and I am currently an investor at Lindsay Goldberg, a private equity firm focused on leveraged buyout and growth capital investments in middle-market companies. In this role, I create partnerships with families and founders to build businesses. Prior to Lindsay Goldberg, I was an investor at CI Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity firm focused on working with entrepreneurs to transform small- and medium-sized companies into market leaders through investments in organic growth and add-on acquisitions. I started my career in Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s investment banking division after graduating magna cum laude from Elon University with a BSBA in Finance. I am originally from Philadelphia, PA.
Max Meyer
My name is Max Meyer, and I am currently and MBA student at Wharton. Prior to Wharton, I was a Private Equity Associate at TH Lee. Previously, I was an Investment Banking Analyst at Goldman Sachs in NYC and in investment banking at Stifel in the TMT M&A practice. I graduated from Tulane University in 2019 with a B.S.M. in Finance. I did my summer internship at J.P. Morgan in the middle market banking group. I took a bit of a circuitous route to land my current role and have learned valuable lessons along the way. My impetus for working in investment banking was largely shaped by my deep passion for learning and desire to excel in intense environments. Finance has always intrigued me, and I took my time to figure out where exactly I wanted to drive my professional endeavors. Throughout my career, I have participated in summer analyst recruiting, full-time recruiting, and lateral recruiting. If you need advice on any of these areas, please reach out to me!
Kiran Patel
Hello, my name is Kiran Patel and I am currently a senior investment analyst at KrisDan Management, Inc., a single-family office, based in Naples, FL focused on evaluating public and private companies along with money managers. Prior to joining KrisDan, I worked as an investment analyst at another single-family office called Windancer Holdings, LLC in Dayton, OH and worked as a sales & trading associate (interest rates and foreign exchange derivatives) at Fifth Third Bank in Charlotte, NC. I graduated from Wake Forest University in 2018 with a major in economics and a minor in entrepreneurship & social enterprise. Through mentorship, cold-emailing, and internships I was able to attain a robust base of knowledge amongst many finance career path opportunities, so I am happy to help from anything such as mock interviews, informational interviews, networking introductions, market questions, career path opportunities, opinions on firms, etc. I have experience interning in financial advising, asset management, outsourced-CIO/endowment management, coverage + product investment banking, equity research, and wealth management.
Tomas Fernandez
I am an investment banking analyst based in New York working at Deutsche Bank as part of the Strategic Equity Transactions Group within capital markets. I graduated from Loyola University Maryland in 2021 with a double mayor in finance and marketing in addition to a minor in entrepreneurship. I pursued a career in finance because I wanted to work in a challenging environment where I would be able to develop professionally while seeing the real-world impact of my work. As a Dominican citizen with limited work authorization, I had a unique recruiting experience pursuing opportunities in the United States. Through this, I learned a lot about the challenges that come with investment banking recruiting. I would be happy to share everything I learned throughout my recruiting process and help in any way I can. Feel free to reach out if you are interested in having a chat!
Sean Hamada
Hi, my name is Sean Hamada. I am currently a first-year analyst in Carlyle’s New York office, where I focus on investment opportunities in liquid credit securities. Previously, I graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2021 with a BA in Economics. Since my university lacked an undergraduate business program, my interest in finance was largely informed by older friends and a number of internships across private equity and investment banking. As someone who transferred from a junior college and recruited out of a regional-target, I have developed a strong appreciation for mentors and am always happy to be a resource for all.
Patrick Gallagher
Hi, I am a Consultant in Deloitte's Strategy practice based in Charlotte, aligned primarily to the Financial Services industry. I graduated from Davidson College in 2018 with a degree in Economics. Consulting attracted me because of the focus on problem-solving, mix of quantitative and qualitative analysis, exposure to senior leadership in various industries, and breadth of experiences available to practitioners throughout their careers. If you're interested in the consulting industry, the recruiting process, case interviews, specifically about Deloitte, or anything in between, I am more than happy to connect and have significant experience helping students who have been in your shoes.
Ahan Patel
My name is Ahan Patel and I am a private equity analyst at NewSpring Capital just outside of Philadelphia, PA. I graduated from Villanova University in the Fall of 2020 with a BBA in finance and economics. I pursued a career in finance for two reasons a) because I wanted to work in a field where I could work with, analyze, and invest in different businesses; b) I wanted to be surrounded by driven and ambitious people who wanted a career path with more involvement than the traditional 9-5, like myself. I’m happy to help out with any questions anyone may have regarding investment banking or private equity, as I recruited for and interned in both fields. Many people choose to enter finance through investment banking; given that I took a slightly different path, I’d love to be a resource for anyone looking to enter private equity directly from undergrad.