Hi, My name is Tim Eber and I am currently an Acquisition Finance analyst at Truist Securities in Atlanta, Georgia. I graduated from the University of Georgia in December 2018 with a double major in Finance and Management Information Systems and I chose to pursue a career in finance for a few key reasons: the chance to surround myself and work with curious, intelligent, and high-caliber people, the significant responsibility and accountability assigned to juniors, and the challenge to think critically in order to work through complex problems. Since getting into banking, I have witnessed the recruiting process take place earlier each year, and it appears to me that more and more driven, intelligent, and motivated candidates who do not have access to resources and information are being left out of the process. If you are someone who feels that you might have an interest in a career in banking or finance but do not know where to begin or simply want to learn more about what life in banking may look like, I would be happy to be a resource to you and can provide advice from personal experience surrounding how to approach getting up the learning curve, recruiting, and the interview process.

I’m Zura Dzuliashvili, originally from Georgia, and currently a senior at the University of Richmond, where I’m pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Economics. My internship experience spans various roles in quantitative research, risk management, equity analysis, trading/structuring and so on. I’ve had the opportunity to intern at Credit Agricole NYC, Barclays Investment Bank NYC, and Thompson, Siegel, and Walmsley. I have also worked internationally. Navigating the finance industry as an international student has had its unique challenges, and I’m always happy to share my experiences—whether it’s insights into quantitative research, tips for interview preparation, or advice on the recruitment process in the U.S.

Hi. My name is Joey Duffy and I am an investment banking analyst at BMO Capital Markets in New York. I grew up in Boston, MA, and studied finance, economics, and international business at Villanova University. I pursued a career in finance because I find the subject matter inherently interesting and I value the opportunity to take on significant responsibility in a team-based environment. At BMO I’m in the Healthcare group, covering Healthcare Services, Life Sciences, and Healthcare IT. I’m happy to speak with anyone interested in Investment Banking, BMO, or the Healthcare industry, and we can cover school, internships, recruiting, or interviews. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, or if you just want to talk about Boston sports.

My name is Drew Duff and I am currently a Senior Consultant at Deloitte, based out of New York City. My journey began when I moved to Brazil to live and work for several years at the U.S. Department of State. Around this same period, I chose to double major in Economics & International Affairs at Wake Forest University. Consulting offered the prospect of addressing complex social, financial, and health issues through private-sector solutions. I found this opportunity fascinating and consequently, at Deloitte I now focus on helping clients make strategic choices to solve challenges within the Financial Services and Life Sciences industries. In addition, as a member of Deloitte’s ALPFA committee (Association for Latino Professionals) I have worked hands-on to champion dozens of students and professionals from non-traditional backgrounds. I would be happy to chat on anything related to the consulting life and recruiting process.

My name is Kyle Doran. I am currently an Associate with Nonantum Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in Boston. Prior to joining Nonantum, I was a consultant for McKinsey & Co in Atlanta. I graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2018 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a Minor in Entrepreneurship and Management. While attending Johns Hopkins I was a member and captain of the basketball team. I did not know I wanted to get into consulting or finance early on in college and majored in a completely different field of study. I ended up at McKinsey through cold calling and emailing current and former employees. I owe it to all of them to help as many people as possible. I am always happy to chat through your next steps and hope that once you land your position that you will do the same.

Hi, everyone. My name is Nicole D’Onofrio – I am a private equity investor with Astira Capital Partners in Boston, MA. Astira was founded in 2023 as a software and tech-enabled services private equity firm. Prior to joining Astira, I was an M&A Associate and Analyst with Harris Williams where I spent time across E&P, technology, and business services.  

I was inspired to start my career in investment banking after attending the Harris Williams Women’s Leadership Summit during my sophomore year of college. I pursued internships with Harris Williams, BB&T Capital Markets, and EisnerAmper prior to accepting a full-time role with Harris Williams upon graduating from the University of Richmond. I graduated with a dual degree in International Business and Italian Studies.

My areas of expertise include recruiting from non-traditional majors, leveraging diversity programs, evaluating opportunities across geographies, and private equity pivots among other topics. I have found my career to be incredibly exciting and rewarding – so I look forward to connecting and supporting you all in your next steps!

Hello, my name is Eva Decker. I am currently a second-year analyst at Partners Group, a Swiss-based private markets firm. I currently sit in our U.S. headquarters in Denver, CO, where I am in a two-year analyst rotation program. I spent my first year on the Private Equity Directs side, in our business services group. My second and current rotation is in our Private Credit group on the direct lending side. I am originally from the Northern Virginia area and earned a dual degree in Finance and Risk Management from the University of South Carolina in 2023.

Having never thought about finance as a career until halfway through college, I often felt on the outside of the recruiting process. I found my way to my firm out of college in part through Pro Forma Futures, so can attest firsthand that through networking and utilizing a platform like this one, it is possible to break into finance – particularly coming from a non-target university. Happy to chat about my experience on my two teams, recruiting, post grad moving to a new place, or anything else! Don’t hesitate to reach out.

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!

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!

I am a Private Equity Investment Manager at H.I.G. Capital (London) and was previously a Private Equity Associate at H.I.G. (NYC). Before H.I.G., I was a Private Equity Associate at Main Street Capital (Houston) and prior to that, I was an Investment Banking Associate (and Analyst) at BMO Capital Markets (NYC).

I grew up in Queens, NY in an immigrant household and had little exposure to people with white-collar jobs / professional careers. I studied finance at Villanova University which is where upperclassmen mentors introduced me to the world of finance. I was immediately hooked because the finance industry values hard work, dedication, and creativity and the roles available in the industry make it a priority to reward this effort with compensation and extremely versatile/transferrable professional experiences.

My goal is to increase transparency and awareness about careers in finance like my mentors did for me, and I believe I can help you by: (i) teaching you the framework of how the finance industry and recruiting works, (ii) assisting you in developing your personal narrative so that you can communicate your story in a more impactful manner, and (iii) showing you some non-traditional approaches as you look to successfully navigate an intricate, opaque, and competitive field.

I am very approachable and friendly (or I try to be at least) and enjoy talking about finance, personal/professional development, and various other topics, so please reach out to me!

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.

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).

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.