Hi, my name is Kaylen Williams, and I’m currently an Investment Banking Analyst at Wells Fargo, where I focus on CLO and direct lending products that support private credit and sponsor-backed clients. Prior joining Wells Fargo, I worked in Distressed Credit within the Lev Fin division at Bank of America in Charlotte, NC. I earned my B.S. in Economics from Clemson University, where I also worked full-time at a small tech startup as a financial analyst. During my senior year, the company was successfully acquired, sparking my first real exposure to the world of banking, finance, and deal-making. 

As a lateral hire from a non-traditional background, I understand the challenges of breaking into banking without a direct pipeline. I’m passionate about helping others navigate that process - feel free to reach out for any advice related to lateral hiring, recruiting, and interview processes.

I am currently a third-year student at USC Marshall. I interned as a sophomore summer analyst with Credit Suisse's Financial Sponsors group and will be joining Ares Management's Direct Lending IR team in NYC for my junior year summer. I am pursuing a degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance and a minor in legal studies, and have benefitted tremendously from the Trojan Alumni network, along with the PFF platform. I went through recruitment as an underclassman and would love to chat about the interview process and best practices from an undergraduate or international student's perspective. Feel free to reach out via email, and I will help in any way I can!

Hi! My name is Jack Wang, and I’m currently a Private Equity Associate at H.I.G. Capital (Advantage Fund) in San Francisco. Prior to joining H.I.G., I was an investment banking analyst in the M&A group at Greenhill & Co. in NYC. I graduated from NYU Stern in 2023 with a B.S. in Business Administration (concentrations in Finance and Data Science & Computing with a minor in Math + CS). I ultimately pursued a role in investment banking for the start of my career because I believed it was the perfect platform to learn the fundamentals of finance and gain early exposure to management teams’ decision-making processes before I transitioned to an investing role. I wouldn’t be in my current role today had it not been for the various mentors that helped me navigate the nebulous / highly daunting recruiting processes. I want to pay forward their kindness and would be happy to chat through any aspects of recruiting, interviewing, career planning, etc. Even if you have no idea what you want and simply want someone to lend an ear, I’m your guy! Don’t hesitate to reach out!

Hello! My name is Kyle Trammell. I am an analyst on the Truist Securities Technology, Media & Telecom Corporate Banking team based in Atlanta, GA. My role is focused on providing strategic advisory to corporate clients on a broad range of banking solutions, including debt issuance (investment grade and high yield), hedging and derivative strategies, working-capital financing, and both ordinary and accelerated share repurchase programs . Prior to my role in Corporate Banking, I spent roughly two years on Truist's Credit Delivery team, underwriting credit approval memos as well as monitoring the credit quality of clients in the FIG industry. After gaining critical technical skills in Credit Delivery, I was eager to transition to an advisory role in Corporate Banking. After growing up in the Baltimore, MD area, I attended the University of South Carolina with a double major in Finance and Risk Management & Insurance where I graduated in May 2023. 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 into the industry. I am also active with my firm’s recruiting initiatives, so I can provide specific insights into our talent acquisition process.

If you’d like to chat or learn more, please feel free to reach out to me at kyletrammell3@gmail.com.

My name is Chris Silver, and I am currently a private equity associate at Norwest Equity Partners (NEP) in West Palm Beach, FL. Prior to NEP, I spent two years in Piper Sandler’s consumer investment banking group in Charlotte, where I primarily focused on sell-side M&A transactions across food & beverage, restaurants, and multi-unit health & wellness. I grew up in Raleigh, NC, and graduated from North Carolina State University in 2022 with a major in finance and minor in accounting. As someone with zero family connections to finance and a limited alumni network to leverage, I am more than happy to be a resource for anyone interested in investment banking or private equity roles by discussing how to position yourself effectively, interview preparation, working in the south/southeast, navigating various exit opportunities, and finance/investing more broadly.

My name is Hanna, and I am originally from Birmingham, Alabama. I am currently an undergraduate studying finance and history at Boston University. Previously, I interned as a sophomore in Corporate & Investment Banking at Wells Fargo and as a junior in Generalist M&A Investment Banking at Guggenheim Partners. I have also spent time in venture capital and with startups at Halogen Ventures and Leland. I am passionate about supporting women and individuals from non-traditional backgrounds break into finance. I'm happy to connect - please feel free to reach out via email to discuss topics related to recruitment and investment banking.

Hello, my name is Delali, and I am an Analyst on the Investment Team at Lorient Capital, a healthcare-focused private equity firm. In my role, I support the evaluation and execution of investments in healthcare services businesses, including diligence, financial analysis, and investment committee preparation.

Prior to joining Lorient, I worked as a Private Equity Summer Analyst at Shamrock Capital, a Los Angeles-based investment firm focused on the media sector. Before beginning my corporate career, I served in the United States Marine Corps, an experience that shaped the way I approach leadership, discipline, and teamwork.

I graduated from Fordham University with a B.A. in Economics. I enjoy mentoring students and early-career professionals who are navigating recruiting and career growth, and I’m always happy to share lessons learned from my non-traditional path into investing.

I'm Cameron Meyer, a recent graduate of Cornell University, where I studied economics and biology. As a freshman, I interned in Business Development at Chiesi Pharmaceuticals, and the following summer I worked in investment banking at Morgan Stanley in the Power and Utilities Group. I’m now an incoming investment banking analyst in the Financial Institutions Group at Goldman Sachs. I really valued the mentorship I received from PFF while navigating recruiting, and I’d love to pay that forward. I’m happy to answer questions about banking recruitment or anything else that would be helpful.

I’m an analyst at Houlihan Lokey in the firm’s Portfolio Valuation group, where we help alternative investment managers assess the fair value of illiquid debt and equity holdings. Our team provides independent valuations that enhance transparency across private credit, private equity, and structured products, serving hedge funds, PE firms, and business development companies.

I first joined Houlihan Lokey as a summer analyst and continued part-time through my senior year at Touro University, where I earned my B.S. in Finance. During that time, I contributed to several private-credit research initiatives focused on valuation trends and credit-market dynamics—an experience that strengthened both my technical and analytical foundation.

I’ve been fortunate to have mentors who guided me early in my finance career, and their influence inspired me to give back. I’m excited to support students and young professionals navigating the industry, sharing insights from someone who was in their shoes not long ago and is now working in the analyst role.

Originally from Bangladesh, I've lived across Kuwait, China, and Kenya before moving to the United States for college. As an international student, I understand firsthand the unique challenges of breaking into high finance in the U.S. - from navigating visa constraints to building networks from scratch.

I'm currently a trader (Sales & Trading) in the Structured Products desk at Academy Securities. My path here included internships across Consulting, M&A Advisory, Venture Capital, and Investment Banking advisory within Convertible Bonds space. While this may seem scattered, these experiences were invaluable in helping me understand where I truly belonged. I'm passionate about helping students discover their own fit within finance.

Pro Forma Futures were very crucial in my own journey - the mentors provided direct, actionable guidance and importantly feedback that made all the difference. Many of them I'm now fortunate to call my friends. I'm excited to pay that kindness forward.

Feel free to reach out at Taqiulghani@gmail.com and we'll find a time to connect.

Hi, I’m Isaac Bloom, and I am a Private Equity Associate at Bansk Group where I focus on investing in businesses across the CPG landscape. Prior to joining Bansk, I spent three years at Partners Group where I spent time as a Private Equity Analyst and later an Associate focused on business and financial services.  I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in International Relations. Originally from Denver, I am an avid hiker, skier, and golfer. Coming from a non-finance background myself, I’m always happy to speak about mastering the fundamentals, preparing for interviews, and navigating which roles might be the best fit for you!