Advisory Boards

Founder, SEO Scholars, SF
Chair, Advisory Board
Head of Orbis US, Orbis Investments

Adam is head of Orbis US and a director of its parent company, Orbis Investment Management Limited. Prior to joining Orbis in 2002, Adam was a partner at Palladium Equity Partners, a private equity firm in New York. He started his career as a financial analyst at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (“DLJ”).

Adam graduated with honors from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Economics and also earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. In 1992, Adam was recruited by SEO and placed in a summer internship at DLJ. In 2005, he was elected to the SEO Board of Directors Adam has been an essential supporter, both individually and through Orbis Investment Management, of The Campaign for SEO and the SEO Scholars Program. Currently, Orbis Investment Management is underwriting the launch of the SEO Scholars Program in the Bay Area.

Adam and his wife, Tonia, have created and endowed several scholarships focused on providing support to students of color interested in teaching at inner city schools. In 2010, Adam was elected a Trustee of the Northwestern University Board of Trustees. He also serves as a director of Allan Gray Limited in South Africa as well as a trustee of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Endowment.

Adam lives in California with his wife and their three children.

Chairman & Managing Director,
Genstar Capital

Jean-Pierre L. Conte is the Chairman and Managing Director of San Francisco-based Genstar Capital LLC, responsible for acquisitions, divestitures and oversight of portfolio companies in a number of industries including healthcare, software and industrial technologies. He is a Director of Boyd Corporation, ConnectiveRx and Bracket Global. Prior to leading Genstar Capital, J-P was a principal at The NTC Group, Inc., a private-equity firm focused on industrial technology companies. He grew up in the New York area and began his career at Chase Manhattan Bank. J-P earned an MBA from Harvard University Graduate School of Business and a BA from Colgate University.

J-P serves on the board of several philanthropic organizations. He is a trustee of the Pepperwood Preserve, an ecological institute dedicated to educating, engaging and inspiring our community through environmental preservation, education and research. J-P is also on the Board of Trustees of the California Pacific Medical Center and serves on the CPMC Research Education and Leadership Council. He also founded the Conte Task Force on Comprehensive Immigration Reform at the Hoover Institution in 2011.

CEO, Aura (formerly Insikt),
Founder, Oportun

James is a leading social entrepreneur and innovator in lending and financial technology. Prior to Aura (formerly Insikt), James founded and was CEO of Oportun (formerly Progreso Financiero), the leading provider of responsible, unsecured loans to Hispanics in the US that recently surpassed $1.5 billion in loans and over half a million borrowers since its founding. As CEO from 2005-2012, James led Oportun from its development as a nascent start-up to a market leader in the lending industry and raised over $250 million of debt and equity to fund its growth. Under James’s leadership, the company scaled its loan originations to over 200,000 per year with revenues of $65 million, 85 retail stores in California and Texas, and 600 employees.

James has served on Federal Reserve Board’s Consumer Advisory Council and the Centennial Advisory Committee, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences on financial services innovation. James also co-authored and helped pass two federal and state laws to help increase the availability of safe and affordable small dollar loans. In 2010, BusinessWeek selected James as one of America’s most promising social entrepreneurs and in 2012, Goldman Sachs named James one of America’s top 100 most intriguing entrepreneurs.

In addition to Insikt, James also serves on the boards of Talent Inc., Listo!, SEO-SF, and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. James is a founding partner of Aura (formerly Insikt Ventures), an early stage fund with investments in OnDeck Capital, Listo!, and Blend Labs. James was also an early investor in many leading technology companies including Trulia, OkCupid, StubHub, and Symphony Commerce. James graduated with a BA in Economics from Yale University and a MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

Chief Executive Officer,
K1 Investment Management, LLC

In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of K1, Neil is an active board member for the firm’s portfolio companies and advisor to its management teams.

Previously Neil worked for Kayne Anderson, Brentwood Associates, Olympus Partners and J.P. Morgan Securities. He has served as a director of numerous companies and also serves on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Southern California.

Neil is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, where he received an MBA, and of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a BS in Finance from the Wharton School and a BAS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the school of Engineering and Applied Sciences, magna cum laude.

Managing Director and Co-Founder,
Carrick Capital Partners

Marc is co-founder and managing director of Carrick Capital Partners, a growth equity firm based in San Francisco. Prior to Carrick Capital Partners, Marc was a managing director at General Atlantic, a $15 billion global private equity firm, where he led investments in enterprise services and software and was head of the Palo Alto office. Prior, Marc was a vice president in the high-tech mergers and acquisitions group of Goldman Sachs, Inc. and was an associate at Morgan Stanley, where he worked in the telecom/media M&A group.

Marc is a trustee at the University of Pennsylvania and a board member of Classroom, Inc., a NYC-based non-profit dedicated to improving language arts and math skills in elementary and middle school children from economically disadvantaged areas.

Marc has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of Business.

Marc lives in Marin with his wife, Marjorie, and their two sons.

VP Corporate Development and Investor Relations,
Lyft

Kristina, is Vice President of Development & Investor Relations at Lyft, where she brings over 20 years of experience in corporate development, investment banking and strategy. Most recently, Kristina was Vice President of Corporate Development at Fitbit, and prior to that, led M&A for Adobe Systems Inc., where she focused on inorganic growth strategy, equity investments, M&A execution and post-merger integration Prior to Adobe, Kristina held positions with Lehman Brothers in Technology Investment Banking and with Hewlett Packard in Strategy & Corporate Development.

Kristina holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Managing Director,
Cain Brothers & Company

John is a managing director at Cain Brothers & Company. Previously, he was managing director and head of medical technologies at Houlihan Lokey. John’s other prior roles include being a managing director at Thomas Weisel Partners and a director at UBS Investment Bank. He started his investment banking career as a financial analyst at CS First Boston.

John is a graduate of Northwestern University where he received a B.A. in Economics.

John resides in Tiburon with his wife and two children.

Member & Head of TMT Growth,
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

Dave Welsh is a Member and Head of TMT Growth Equity within KKR’s Private Equity platform, where he serves on the TMT growth equity investment committee. Prior to joining KKR’s Menlo Park office, Dave was a Partner with Adams Street Partners, where he focused on technology growth equity investments. Earlier in his career he was an executive vice president of corporate development and strategy at McAfee, Inc., a general partner at Partech Ventures and a vice president of corporate development at Portal Software.

Dave currently serves on the Board of Directors of Atlantis Computing and Five9 and is Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Athenian School. He holds a BA, cum laude, from UCLA and a JD, order of the coif, from UC Berkeley and Harvard Law Schools.

Managing Director,
GI Partners

Philip Yau is a Managing Director with GI Partners, private equity and real estate investment firm based in San Francisco and which has raised over $16 billion.  Prior to joining GI Partners in 2017, Philip helped lead the Private Funds Group for 12 years at UBS Investment Bank and has over 25 years of investment banking and private equity experience.  Philip is a graduate of Princeton University and has an MBA from Northwestern University.

Program Coach, SEO

Luis Alania grew up in a rural town in the Peruvian Andes and came to New York with his family when he was 17. In New York City, he completed High School in just one year and started his college career at community college. He knew he wanted to continue challenging himself and transferred to Baruch College where he was part of the Honors Program. He later transferred to Binghamton University.

While in college, SEO was fundamental to start his career in Finance at Merrill Lynch. During his finance experience, one of his main accomplishments was to lead a portfolio migration of over $120mm. While at Merrill Lynch, he volunteered with SEO and was inspired by the experience working with young adults that he decided to join SEO fulltime as a SEO Career program manager. Recently, he was admitted into Columbia
University EMBA where he will focus on Entrepreneurship and Nonprofit Management.

Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator,
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

De’Andre Carr is an equity-minded professional committed to the professional advancement of diverse individuals. He is currently the Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP. He graduated from the Yale School of Management (SOM) with his Master of Business Administration (MBA). He hails from St. Vincent and the Grenadines by the way of New York City. In 2011, Carr graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Thereafter, he enrolled at Cornell University and completed his Masters in Public Administration in 2013. Leveraging his academic experiences and his professional experiences at varying financial and academic institutions, Carr has remained committed to mentorship and the development of diverse professionals. He has vast experience in creating structures and facilitating conversations about supporting and empowering diverse communities.

Products Origination Analyst,
Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Mariah Celestine is a first-year MBA candidate at Columbia Business School, where she is designated as a Columbia Fellow and a Forte Fellow. Prior to graduate school, Mariah worked in finance in derivative and structured products origination. Mariah is a proud alumna of SEO Career and Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) and credits these organizations with playing key roles in her professional development. Originally from New Orleans, LA, she is a graduate of Rice University where she received a B.A. in Mathematical Economic Analysis.

Manager, Competitive & Market Analysis,
TIAA, SEO Class of ’08

Ayisha Devonish is a Manager on the Retail Financial Services Strategy team at TIAA. In this role, she provides business leaders the market and competitive insights needed to develop their product and distribution strategies. Prior to joining TIAA, she worked at Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management within the Private Bank lending group.

Ayisha is a proud alumna of SEO, Management Leadership for Tomorrow, and The Consortium – organizations that have expanded the pipeline of diverse business leaders. She received her B.A. in Economics from Spelman College in 2009 and her MBA from Yale School of Management in 2016.

Management Consultant,
KPMG US, SEO Class of ’08

Nick Donias is a Senior Associate in KPMG’s infrastructure finance and advisory practice. Prior to KPMG, Nick worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs in the Public Sector Infrastructure group. Nick graduated from Brown University in 2012 with a Sc.B in Neuroscience and from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in 2017 with a MPA in Economics. While at Columbia, he worked in the Obama Administration with the National Economic Council focused on infrastructure and transportation policy. Nick began his involvement with SEO in 2012 where he was a Career Fellow and has been a SEO Scholars Mentor since 2015. Outside of work and volunteering, Nick enjoys running marathons and spending time with his shiba inu, Sushi.

Nick earned his Sc.B. in Neuroscience from Brown University, where after graduating, was awarded a Fulbright in Brazil. While at Columbia, Nick worked at the White House with the National Economic Council under the Obama Administration.

In his free time, Nick plays the saxophone with the Brooklyn Wind Symphony and runs marathons throughout the country. Also for fun, Nick also enjoys developing apps and websites as a full stack JavaScript developer.

MBA Candidate,
Columbia Business School

Yvonne Fung is a New York City native who enjoys running through Central Park and spending time marveling at the masterpieces at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

She is currently an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School, from which she will graduate in May 2018. She has over six years of management consulting and project management experience and is leveraging her professional background to explore new opportunities to engage with her environment in rich and meaningful ways. Yvonne greatly enjoys meeting new people and strongly believes that we are all made stronger when we are open and willing to connect with those around us.

Management Associate,
J.P. Morgan, SEO Class of ’10

Gairy Hall is an Associate in J.P. Morgan’s Management Associate Program, a post MBA rotational leadership development program. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Gairy was an Assistant Vice President at Citi Private Bank focused on investments for ultrahigh net worth clients.

Raised in Fayetteville, Georgia, Gairy earned a B.A. in Economics from Columbia College and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School where he was a Feldberg Fellow. He remains very involved as an alumnus serving as President of the young alumni association and Vice Chair of the largest alumni fundraising organization.

Managing Director,
The Blackstone Group

Olivia John is a Managing Director in the Real Estate Group focused on new investment opportunities in the apartment sector. Since joining Blackstone in 2007, Olivia has been involved in analyzing real estate investments in several property sectors. From 2010-2012, Olivia was based in Blackstone’s London office. More recently, Olivia has played a key role in the creation and expansion of LivCor, Blackstone’s apartment portfolio company.

Olivia graduated summa cum laude from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where she received a BS in Economics and was a Joseph Wharton Scholar.

Law Clerk,
US Court of International Trade

Ashley Lhérisson is a litigation associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York. Ashley graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University in 2012 and received her J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2017. Prior to graduating law school, Ashley passed the New York Bar Exam in February 2017, and spent her final semester of law school dedicating over 560 hours to pro bono service, as a Pro Bono Scholar. Ashley also passed the California Bar Exam in July 2017 before beginning her clerkship for the Honorable Jane A. Restani at the Court of International Trade. Ashley is a member of the New York County Lawyers Association, Young Lawyers Section, the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, and the New York City Bar Association, where she serves on the Women in the Legal Profession Committee and the Minorities in the Courts Committee. After graduating law school, Ashley founded a business called Ivy Grad Services, to assist college students and recent graduates interested in applying to and excelling in graduate school. Through Ivy Grad Services, Ashley is able to continue her commitment to mentorship by demystifying the admissions process for students in need of extra guidance and support in meeting their career goals.

Senior Brand Producer,
Forbes

Director,
UBS, SEO Class ’08

Ephraim Musokwa is a Director in the Global Industrials Group at UBS. Ephraim started his career at UBS in the Equity Capital Markets Group where he spent over two years covering sectors such as energy, power / utilities and financials, before moving to the coverage side in the Global Natural Resources Group, and then to the Global Industrials Group. He has over nine years of experience in investment banking working in capital markets and strategic advisory roles.

Vice President,
Goldman Sachs

Michael Ratpojanakul is a Vice President in the Investment Management Division in New York, advising ultra-high net worth families, endowments and foundations. Michael began his career at Goldman Sachs in 2006 in Prime Brokerage, covering hedge funds and institutional investors.

In 2009, Michael moved to Goldman Sachs Bank, where he worked in commercial banking and private lending. Michael graduated magna cum laude from Middlebury College in 2006 with a BA in International Politics & Economics. He earned an MBA from New York University in 2014.

Michael has been involved with SEO since 2010 when he began volunteering as a mentor with the SEO Scholars program. He lives in the Upper East Side with his wife, Caryn LoCastro, and their daughter Hailey.

Vice President, Public Finance,
MUFG

Nicole Riggs is a Vice President in the Public Finance Group at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), responsible for managing relationships with government and not-for-profit clients and prospects. The team’s municipal clients include the largest U.S. cities, states, transportation agencies, and utility providers. MUFG provides a comprehensive suite of corporate banking services, such as credit, treasury management, trust and custody, and credit cards. Prior to joining MUFG in 2014, Nicole spent 7 years with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. As the Manager of Aviation Capital Financial Services, she oversaw the financial aspects of the Aviation Department’s multi-billion dollar capital plan and Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) program. Nicole also managed the annual strategic business planning process, analyzed and consolidated unit and facility operating budgets, and supported procurement and Board approval processes. While at the Port Authority, Nicole also held positions at JFK and Newark International Airports, and participated in an accelerated, rotational management training program. Before attending graduate school, she was a Bilingual Case Manager at Big Brothers Big Sisters in Phoenix, Arizona. Nicole earned Masters Degrees in Public Affairs and Urban and Regional Planning from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, and a B.A. in Communications, with minors in Political Science and Spanish, from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). She holds Series 52, 63, and 79 securities licenses. In addition to her involvement with SEO, Nicole actively participates in the Municipal Forum’s Urban Leadership Fellows internship program, Northeast Women in Public Finance, and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in New York City. She enjoys traveling, trying new foods, and playing soccer.

Associate,
Evercore, SEO Class of ’09

Terrance Rogers is an Executive Management Associate at Deutsche Bank, where he supports business strategy, communications and governance for the UK Executive Team (CEO, COO, etc.) within the Asset and Wealth Management Division. Previously, he supported business strategy, product development, and client advisory initiatives for the Americas Executive Team (CEO, COO, Head of Strategy & Business Development, etc.).

Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, Terrance worked for the Economic Empowerment Initiative, an Atlanta based nonprofit focused on helping students (grades K-12 and college level) learn how to better manage their financial resources, build entrepreneurial success and create wealth.

From 2013 to 2015, Terrance served as the founding Co-Chair of the Junior Leadership Board for the Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), and he was a 2013 New Leaders Council (NLC) Institute Fellow.

Born and raised in Lawrenceville, Ga., Terrance received his B.B.A. from Georgia State University in Finance with a Certificate in International Business, and as a Nell Trotter Award Recipient, he received the University’s highest honor from the President at graduation.

Outside of work, he enjoys mentoring, running, and learning more about business and public policy.