I am currently a private equity associate at Littlejohn & Co in Greenwich, CT. Prior to my current role, I was an investment banking analyst in the Energy, Power & Infrastructure Group at Harris Williams. I am originally from the Minneapolis, MN area and graduated from Colgate University with a B.A. in Economics while playing on the NCAA Division 1 lacrosse team. After graduating from Colgate, I received my Master's in Finance from the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management. I pursued a career in finance because I enjoyed the fast-paced and team-oriented environment that was similar to my experience as a student-athlete. I'm happy to be a resource and answer questions on recruiting, the interview process, networking, or anything else you might find helpful. In particular, I can provide insight on grad school, moving to new locations, and leveraging a background in athletics.

My name is Jonathan Lu, and I am a Private Equity Senior Associate in General Atlantic’s late-stage technology group, based in Miami. Prior to joining General Atlantic, I worked as a Senior Associate in the Strategic Investments Group at Warburg Pincus, where I focused on investing in late-stage software and tech-enabled services businesses. Prior to that, I worked as an Investment Banking Analyst in the Financial Institutions Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. I grew up in South Florida and graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Economics. I’ve worked in both FIG and Tech and am happy to discuss the nuances between both industries. Additionally, I'm happy to help provide advice for navigating the recruiting process (internship, full-time, lateral and buyside recruiting). I've benefited from the mentorship of others and am very excited to volunteer with PFF!

My name is John Lin and I am currently a private equity associate at Bayview Asset Management based in New York. Prior to joining Bayview, I was an investment banking analyst at Citi working across M&A, capital markets, and strategic advisory engagements. I grew up in New York and graduated from Boston University in 2020. Throughout my time in college and in my career, I have benefited greatly from the support and mentorship of friends and colleagues, and I hope to pay it forward by being an encouraging and guiding resource for aspiring students who are navigating their own career paths.

Hi—I’m Mike Limongelli. I’m currently a private equity associate at Graham Partners, a middle-market private equity firm located outside Philadelphia. I attended the University of Richmond and studied finance and philosophy. I pursued a career in finance and, ultimately, private equity because it teaches a broad range of transferable skills and bestows immense responsibility at an early age. I was in your shoes not long ago; think of me as almost a peer resource. I’ve held internships in investment banking and private equity and can speak to both career paths and their respective interview processes. I’m passionate about paying it forward and would love to help you explore career interests, navigate the interview process, and land that critical first job or internship!

I am currently a healthcare analyst at Jefferies, an investment bank based in New York. I started my career in private equity as an analyst at Coalesce Capital, a services-oriented private equity firm. I attended the University of Southern California and graduated magna cum laude in December 2023 with a degree in finance. I'd be more than happy to discuss all things recruiting and day-to-day for VC, IB, and PE.

My name is Dino LaValle. I am currently a private equity associate at The Jordan Company based in New York City. Prior to my time at The Jordan Company, I was an investment banking analyst in the Global Industrials Group at Jefferies in New York City. I grew up on Long Island just outside of NYC before attending and graduating from Brown University in 2017 with a B.A. in Business Economics and where I was also a member of the varsity lacrosse team. For anyone out there coming from a liberal arts background or who is an athlete with no familial or educational ties to the finance industry, I would be happy to speak about my path breaking in and assist with any part of the recruiting process.

My name is Sam Lampert. I’m currently a private equity associate with ORIX Capital Partners in New York. Prior to OCP, I was an investment banking analyst in the global industrials group at Jefferies in NYC. I graduated from The University of Colorado at Boulder in 2017 with a degree in business administration with a concentration in finance. Growing up in Denver and staying in the state of Colorado for college, investment banking and working on Wall Street were not on my radar as a potential career path when I started at university. I secured an internship at Jefferies my junior year and fell in love with the level of exposure I had to management teams and the amount of responsibility I was given. After two years at Jefferies, I found myself wanting to work with companies on a longer-term basis and made the switch to PE. I’m happy to hop on the phone to discuss career aspirations or share more about my journey to banking from a “non-target school”.

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.

My name is Spencer Korek and I am a private equity associate at New Mountain Capital. Previously, I was an investment banking analyst at Jefferies in NYC where I worked in the Global Industrials Group, primarily focused on Services. I graduated from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, concentrating in finance. I pursued a career in finance because I enjoy learning about different types of businesses / business models and love the fast-paced nature of the industry. I’m happy to chat about preparing for an interview, an internship, resources to learn more about finance and various career paths within the industry.

I am currently an Associate at RiverGlade Capital, in Chicago, IL. Prior to this role, I was a Leveraged Finance analyst at Truist Securities in Atlanta, GA. I studied finance and accounting at Clemson University and graduated in 2017. Originally, I'm from the suburbs of Chicago. I chose to pursue a career in investment banking because it presented an opportunity for me to apply many of the principles I learned in my finance and accounting classes at college, and to interact with and learn from sharp-minded individuals. Not knowing many people with a background in finance motivated me to build my network in order to better understand how my role at Truist fit into the world of finance, as well as learn about potential career paths. For my first two years out of college I also supported and led undergrad recruitment efforts at my alma mater. During that time I had many conversations with students trying to figure out what path to take after college. I look forward to sharing my experience and knowledge of networking and undergrad recruitment with you.

My name is Andy Kleinlein and I am currently a private equity associate at Bessemer Investors in New York City. Prior to joining Bessemer, I was an investment banking analyst in the Leveraged Finance Group at Jefferies in NYC. Before Jefferies, I spent a year at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey (now Truist) as an analyst in the Syndicated & Leveraged Finance Group, where I interned the prior summer. I grew up in St. Louis, MO before attending and eventually graduating from Washington and Lee University in 2017 with a BS in Accounting and Business Administration. During my time at W&L, I played four years of basketball. I pursued a career in finance to develop a foundation, network and skill set that would be applicable to any career path. I can be of particular help to anyone who: i) goes to a liberal arts college and is looking to pursue a career in finance, ii) wants to make the leap from investment banking to private equity, or iii) needs advice on how to use your experience as a former student-athlete to your advantage. I'm happy to be a general resource for any other topics, as well.

My name is Charles Kintner, and I am an incoming analyst in William Blair's Industrials group in their Chicago office. Prior to interning with William Blair, I worked at a lower middle-market private equity firm focusing on industrial, consumer, and healthcare markets. I graduated from Loyola University of Chicago with a bachelor's degree in economics. My attending of a nontarget university provided numerous hurdles to surmount, but through perseverance, passion, and good fortune I was able to succeed; I want to help nontarget and nontraditional candidates do the same. I am happy to help at any stage: whether it is your first step of choosing banking as a career path to mock interviews and technical preparation.

Feel free to reach out to my email.

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.

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!

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!

Hello, my name is Bjorn Hessen-Schmidt. I am originally from Palo Alto, California and I attended Cornell University where I graduated Phi Beta Kappa with degrees in both Mathematics and Economics. I am currently an Associate at Siris Capital Group and was previously a Senior Investment Banking Analyst within Citi’s Global Industrials Group. In addition to Investment Banking at Citi, my internship experience also includes bioinformatics research at Stanford University and data science at Two Six Capital.

My name is Ganggas Harjianto and I am a private equity investor at NewSpring Capital in the Philadelphia area. Prior to this role, I was a part of the lower middle market strategy at Main Street Capital Corporation in Houston and the leveraged finance group at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey (now Truist). I grew up in northern Delaware in a middle-class, immigrant household and attended the University of Delaware for undergrad, where I graduated with a degree in finance in 2017. Coming from a “non-core” / state school background, recruiting for my first role was a monumental challenge that taught me the power of forming and developing strong networks, and I can wholeheartedly say that I would not be where I am today without the help offered by those along the way. Finance is such an interesting field that allows you to test the limits of your knowledge, drive decision-making, and meet and interact with successful executives and peers from all walks of life, and as such, I am always eager to pay it forward and help out where I can. Feel free to reach out to me if you would like to learn more about (i) recruiting from a “non-core” background or (ii) the nuances of lower middle market private equity!

I am an Associate within H.I.G. Capital’s Infrastructure Private Equity fund in New York City. Prior to my current role, I was an Investment Banking Analyst within Jefferies’ Consumer & Retail Group in Charlotte, NC. I received my B.S., Summa Cum Laude, in Finance from Wake Forest University in Winston Salem, North Carolina. I initially became interested in pursuing a career in finance after speaking with numerous mentors, which included family members, professors, upperclassmen, and folks at various firms that I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to network with across many years leading up to my graduation from Wake Forest. These individuals held roles across the financial industry ranging from Investment Banking to Wealth Management to Private Equity, along with many others, all of which provided me with valuable insight into my decision-making process. I developed a passion for this industry due to the fact that it provided me with an opportunity to be people / client-facing, work within a fast-paced environment where you are encouraged to challenge yourself by making personal judgment calls, gain a vital skillset for long-term career optionality whether that be in finance or another industry, and to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Growing up, I spent a lot of time working with fundraisers and contributing to various charitable initiatives. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to spend countless years getting to know individuals from diverse backgrounds and these experiences have instilled the passion in me to help provide the appropriate resources and guidance for others to accomplish their goals. Just as I was fortunate enough to have mentors guide me down the path that led me to where I am, I strive to be that motivator/adviser in the lives of many others. Having started my career in Charlotte, NC in Consumer & Retail IB and switching to NYC to work within the Infrastructure sector in PE, I can provide valuable insight for those deciding between different cities or sectors as well as those considering a geographical or sector-focus transition.

My name is Ryan Fox, and I am currently an associate with Hark Capital in New York where I underwrite and execute loans to private equity funds and their portfolio companies. Prior to joining Hark I worked for Hamilton Lane in Philadelphia where I worked on investments in private equity funds and sponsor-backed companies. I graduated from the University of Richmond in 2018 with a BA in business with concentrations in finance and management. I am fortunate to have gained experience in private markets investments straight out of college and would be happy to talk about different areas of the private equity and private debt ecosystem.

My name is Andrew Eginton, and I am currently a Senior Associate at KPMG within its Deal Advisory practice. I graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 2022 with a B.B.A. in Accountancy. During my undergraduate years, I interned at AMETEK, a global electronic instrument and electromechanical device company, where I gained experience in Audit, Investor Relations, and Corporate Development over three summers. With my accounting background, I became a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA), though I always had a strong interest in pursing a career in finance. Upon graduation, I began my career in the Financial Due Diligence group at KPMG’s Boston office, and later transferred to New York City while continuing in the same division. My goal in pursuing a finance career has been to acquire the entrepreneurial skills needed to run a business. Combining a technical background to understand financial drivers with hands-on experience working with business founders and investors, I aim to be well-prepared for any business opportunities or challenges that may come my way. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to receive guidance from several mentors and am eager to pay it forward. Feel free to reach out if you are interested in learning about alternative routes in finance outside of Investment Banking or Private Equity. I am also open to discussing career paths related to accounting and sharing my personal experiences.