My name is Dylan Cook and I am currently a private equity associate at AVALT, a private equity firm based in Boston, MA. I started my career as an associate at BCG in our principal investors and private equity (PIPE) practice. I attended Vanderbilt University and graduated summa cum laude in 2022 with a B.S. in both Public Policy and Human & Organizational Development (HOD). I pursued a career in Consulting out of undergrad to keep my career options open and determine what field would be a strong long-term fit (which ultimately led me into Private Equity). More than happy to discuss all things recruiting and day-to-day for Private Equity and Consulting.

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!

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.

My name is James Chisholm, I am a 2018 graduate from the University of Richmond and now pursuing my MBA at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Before business school, I spent five years at KPMG across audit, data & analytics, and Deal Advisory & Strategy, supporting M&A transactions and complex financial analyses for clients across industries. I didn’t initially know strategy consulting was an option for me. I started my career in accounting and audit, but over time realized I was most energized when I could step back, work across industries, and help clients make value-add decisions. Consulting stood out because it offered that breadth, impact, and problem-solving orientation in a way traditional professional services often do not. I’m passionate about helping people from nontraditional or “late-to-the-game” backgrounds understand what consulting really is, how it differs from roles like audit or accounting, and how to best prepare for interviews. Please reach out if I can help you in any way!

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.

My name is Viboosh Chandrasekar and I am currently a senior manager of business operations at Love Health. Previously, I was working various finance and strategy roles at Takeoff Technologies. Prior to joining Takeoff Technologies, I was a management consultant at KPMG. Originally from Boston, I graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Finance and Economics. After trying my luck at professional sports, I pursued a career in finance as I was looking for a fast-paced and high-intensity environment. I view myself as a ‘player-coach’ and am more than happy to help with recruiting, resume reviews, case interviews and interview prep. I’m also available to chat about career paths and different roles in finance.

I am a Private Equity Senior Associate at Ancient. Previously, I was an investment banking analyst in the Media and Communications group at Morgan Stanley and was previously an investment banking analyst in the TMT group at UBS. I graduated from the University of Richmond in 2020 with a BA in Business Administration with concentrations in finance and accounting. I decided to pursue a career in finance, and more specifically in investment banking, after many discussions with helpful mentors and peers. If you would like to discuss the recruitment process, networking, investment banking or different career paths in finance, please reach out!

Hello! My name is Tommy Campbell, and I am currently a Private Equity Associate at THL in Boston. I grew up on Long Island, NY and graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2021 with a major in Finance and a minor in Constitutional Studies. I interned with Baird in Chicago after my junior year as a generalist for the summer and returned full time in their Technology and Services Group after graduation. After two years of investment banking, I started at THL in their Technology and Business Solutions group. Frankly, I did not know much about finance, banking, or PE before college, and I heavily relied on both informal and formal mentors in order to navigate networking, interviewing, internships and school. Banking and PE have been an invaluable learning experience and have provided me with a great foundation of professional and analytical skills that can be applied to a variety of different roles. I would be more than happy to be a resource to you and talk about breaking into finance, Chicago, Boston, interviews, life, etc. Don't hesitate to reach out, and I look forward to connecting!

I am a private equity associate at Great Hill Partners and was previously an investment banking analyst in the consumer & retail group at Citi. I graduated from the University of Richmond in 2019 with a BA in Business Administration with concentrations in finance and economics. My decision to pursue a career in finance, and more specifically investment banking, was largely informed by my desire to develop a broad-based foundation that would position me to pursue my *previously undiscovered* passions down the line. I can help you learn about investment banking and whether it is the right fit for you.

I am a private equity associate at Shoreline Equity Partners. Prior to joining Shoreline, I was an analyst at Jefferies in the Industrials Group. I graduated with a B.S. in Human & Organizational Development and minors in Economics and Corporate Strategy from Vanderbilt University in 2018. I pursued a career in finance for the challenge, variety of work, and high levels of responsibility. You should reach out to me if you are interested in learning about recruiting, the work associated with IB and PE, both as a whole and specific to junior-level roles, and the upsides and downsides of different geographies (I grew up in San Francisco, went to school in Nashville, did IB in Manhattan, and now work in Ponte Vedra, FL).

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!

My name is Jeff Blethen, and I am currently an associate with Atlas Holdings, and was previously an associate with PSP Partners in Chicago focusing on buyout and growth equity transactions. Prior to joining PSP, I was an investment banking analyst in the Global Industrials group at Jefferies in NYC. I graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2017 with a BA in international business and finance. I went through non-target recruiting coming out of South Carolina, so I understand the difficulties that come from attending a non-core school. I am more than happy to walk you through my networking strategies, help you craft your story, and teach the dark arts of cold calling and emailing.

My name is Stan Bikulege. I am currently a Principal with Lightview Capital, a private equity firm based in West Palm Beach, FL. We're focused on completing buyout transactions with founder-led businesses in the Business and Tech-Enabled services sector. Prior to joining Lightview, I was an M&A analyst at West Monroe Partners in NYC. I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2018 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a Minor in Business Administration. I was also a linebacker and captain of the varsity football team. I did not know I wanted to get into finance early on in college and majored in a completely different field of study entirely. I ended up pursuing a career in finance and took a bit of an unconventional route to get there. I am more than happy to discuss strategies for positioning your experience into the role you want to be in, pivoting careers in college / thereafter, and generally be someone that you can bounce ideas off of.

Hello, my name is Prashant Bishwakarma and I am a Manager of Corporate Development at Capital One. Prior to Capital One, I was an investment banking analyst at Dickinson Williams & Company, a boutique investment bank serving companies in the lower middle market. Prior to DW&Co. and graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University, I interned in public investment banking at B.C. Ziegler in the Senior Living group. I am happy to talk to any prospective student looking to get into finance, but I can be particularly helpful to students who attend a non-target university in secondary markets. I can also provide insight into F100 Corporate Development. Finance is a great career path for building a foundational understanding in business. I chose finance because it brings great visibility to management teams early in your career.

Hello! My name is Mitch Beller and I am currently a private equity associate at JLL Partners based in New York City. Prior to my time at JLL, I was an investment banking analyst in the Global Industrials Group at Jefferies in NYC. I grew up just outside of Kansas City before attending and eventually graduating from the University of Kansas in 2017 with BSc degrees in both finance and accounting. I got into finance for the challenge, caliber of people, and optionality (if you start your career in investment banking, you can do almost anything you want in business afterwards; the skill-sets are that valued). I have been fortunate to have had people from various backgrounds extend their hand and time to me in helping me piece together my short career thus far. I know the process can be daunting and continuously exhausting. Each of you has what it takes to pursue whatever it is that intrigues you. Myself and the rest of the PFF team are here to help you craft the streamlined story of how each of your experiences are connected, and rightfully convey you are the person the company is looking for, whether that is in finance or another field of your passion. We are here to help in any way we can, and I look forward to being a part of your process.

Hello, my name is Hank Barrett and I’m an associate at Gridiron Capital in New Canaan, CT. Prior to Gridiron, I was an analyst in the Global Industrials Group at Jefferies in NYC. I grew up in Williamstown, MA and graduated from Wesleyan University in 2017 with a BA in Economics and Government. I was always interested in finance (and business more broadly), but knew very little about the industry or the various potential paths. I chose to pursue investment banking because I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after school and was hoping to open as many doors as possible while I figured it out. In the few years since I graduated, I’ve been lucky enough to work and interact with many great people across a range of different industries, roles, and backgrounds. I remember well how overwhelming it can be trying to figure out where to start — none of us would be where we are without the help of people who had gone through it themselves and were willing to share some advice. You could have no idea what you want to do, already be dead set on a specific role, or, most likely, be somewhere in-between — no matter where you are, I’d love to help.

My name is Anya and I am currently a senior at Duke University. I will be joining Goldman Sachs as an incoming investment banking analyst in the Financial Institutions Group. Previously, I interned as a sophomore in the Mergers & Acquisitions group at Bank of America, at TowerBrook Capital Partners, and in venture capital at Serena Williams' venture capital fund. I have experience with insight programs and re-recruiting between sophomore and junior summers. I am passionate about helping women and individuals from non-traditional backgrounds, such as non-target schools or first-generation students, break into finance. Please feel free to reach out to discuss anything related to investment banking, venture capital, or breaking into finance. I'm always happy to provide insights or mentorship.

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!

My name is Eddie Auslander. I’m currently a private equity associate with H.I.G. Capital (Advantage Fund) in New York. Prior to H.I.G., I was an investment banking analyst in the global industrials group at Jefferies in NYC. I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2017 with a BS in business administration with a concentration in finance and a minor in social & political history. If you would’ve asked me why I got into finance while I was early on in college, I would’ve told you I it was because I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. After my first finance internship in a corporate M&A setting, I became enthralled by learning how and why decisions were made by management teams, and I kept finding myself wanting to learn more, which led to me pursuing a role in investment banking. I’m more than happy to hop on the phone to discuss future career aspirations, help with interviewing, or provide any other tips / tricks to help start your career path in the right direction. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!

My name is Arman Arya and I am currently a rising third-year student at USC Marshall, majoring in business administration with an emphasis in finance. I spent my freshman summer interning at Oceanview Capital Partners and will be interning at Tikehau Capital in New York this summer, working in their decarbonization fund. I'm also excited to join Moelis & Company in Los Angeles for my junior year summer. The PFF organization has been a huge help to me, and I'm really looking forward to giving back as a mentor. I went through the recruitment process as an underclassman and know how challenging it can be. I'm more than happy to chat about interview tips, recruitment guidelines, or anything else you might have questions about. Feel free to reach out via email—I'd love to help in any way I can!