Board of Directors

Henry Kravis

Co-Chairman and Co-CEO,
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
Chairman

Henry Kravis (New York) co-founded KKR in 1976 and is Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer. He is actively involved in managing the firm and serves on each of the regional Private Equity Investment Committees. Mr. Kravis currently serves on the boards of First Data Corporation and ICONIQ Capital, LLC. Mr. Kravis is chairman of the Business Council and also serves as a director, chairman emeritus, or trustee of several other cultural, professional, and educational institutions, including Claremont McKenna College, Columbia Business School (co-chairman), Mount Sinai Hospital, the Partnership for New York City (former chairman), the Partnership Fund for New York City (founder), Rockefeller University (vice-chairman), SEO (chairman), and the Tsinghua School of Economics and Management in China.

He earned a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College in 1967 and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School in 1969. Mr. Kravis has more than four decades of experience financing, analyzing, and investing in public and private companies, as well as serving on the boards of a number of KKR portfolio companies.

Michael Osheowitz**

SEO Founder

At the age of 24, and at the same time he was starting out in investment banking, Michael Osheowitz founded SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity), considered one of the most innovative and successful educational, career training, and professional development programs for underrepresented and underserved high school and college students. The organization is perhaps best known for its various career programs in such areas as corporate management, investment banking and corporate law. In its investment banking program alone, which operates in New York, London, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai, there have been over 5,000 graduates, approximately 80% of whom have received full-time job offers from SEO corporate partners.

Prior to retiring from the business world in 1989, Mr. Osheowitz had been president of Arthur Schmidt & Associates, a financial consulting firm. Since retirement, he served as chairman of the Edwin Gould Foundation since 2007, and he is currently chairman emeritus of Gould. The Gould Foundation incubates non-profits in their formative years by providing seed money, free office space, and such pro bono consulting services as board development, fundraising, and strategic planning.  In addition to SEO, these organizations have included Teach for America, New York Outward Bound, Workshop in Business Opportunities, Breakthrough New York, Citizen Schools, Association of Black Foundation Executives and Hispanics in Philanthropy.  Working in collaboration with policymakers, thought leaders, and innovative non-profits, the Edwin Gould Foundation advocates nationally and demonstrates locally to help close the college achievement gap.

Mr. Osheowitz was appointed to the Horizon Project, where he was responsible for education policy. The Horizon Project, a coalition of eleven of the nation’s most forward-thinking business and policy leaders, developed legislative recommendations for the United States Senate Democratic Policy Committee in major areas that its members felt would advance America’s prosperity and economic security, and continue the nation’s long-standing commitments to economic and social justice.  Then-Senator Hillary Clinton introduced the COACH Act in the 110th Congress. COACH addresses the 1.5 million high school students in the top half of their class who could graduate college but do not.

For the past 25 years, Mr. Osheowitz has been actively involved in preserving the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright throughout the United States.  He is a founding member of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, where he was a member of the board of directors for many years. He was also chairman and founder of the Frank Lloyd Wright Development Network, a consortium of the major public buildings designed by Wright.

Mr. Osheowitz received his undergraduate degree from Middlebury College.  He and his wife, Maria Teresa, a psychotherapist, have two daughters and three grandsons.

Amy Ellis-Simon*

Managing Director,
Morgan Stanley
Vice-Chair

Amy is a Managing Director in the Senior Relationship Management Group. Her role is to drive the partnership between the firm and many top markets clients. She joined Morgan Stanley in 2015 after 22 years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. At BAML, she held various roles including Global Head of Corporate Access, Head of Specialty Sales and Americas Corporate Access, Head of Fixed Income and Equity Middle Markets, and Head of Multi-Product Sales. Amy began her career in the convertible bond business in 1993.

Amy is a board member and Vice-Chair of SEO, founder and Chair of the Three Sisters Scholarship Foundation, and a member of the Executive Leadership Council. She was a member of Black Enterprise’s 75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street in 2006 & 2011, 50 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America, CNBC’s “Next” list, and Crain’s 40 under 40.

Amy is a graduate of the University of Michigan.

Ramsey Smith*

Founder
ALEX.fyi
Vice-Chair

Ramsey D. Smith is an entrepreneur and founder of the digital insurance agency ALEX.fyi, a platform for retirement income solutions. He is focused on modernizing the distribution paradigm in the $230B annuities industry.

Prior to starting ALEX.fyi, Ramsey spent 21 years at Goldman Sachs, where he served as a Managing Director. There, he pioneered and led multiple Equity Derivative businesses. In the Life Insurance space, he developed a franchise that provided corporate-level risk management and investment strategies for the nation’s top carriers. Previously, he co-led the Equity Division’s Canadian Institutional Team, where he was responsible for providing risk management and investment tools to major governmental Pension plans and other institutional
clients in Canada. Ramsey also served as co-head of the GS Firmwide Black Network.

He started his career at Credit Suisse as an analyst in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group where he covered the Natural Resources industry.

Ramsey is a Trustee of the Dalton School and serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of SEO, a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the opportunity gap in underserved communities.

He is a graduate of Princeton University and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. Ramsey and his wife, Sabrina, live in Atlanta and have two children.

Gilbert Andrew Garcia, CFA*

Managing Partner,
Garcia Hamilton & Associates, L.P.
Treasurer

Mr. Garcia received a B.A. in Economics from Yale University. After graduating in 1985, he joined Salomon Brothers in New York City where he became a Vice President specializing in mortgage-backed securities. In 1990, he joined former Mayor Henry Cisneros to build Cisneros Asset Management Company, ultimately becoming its President. In 2002, he joined Garcia Hamilton & Associates and is the firm’s Managing  Partner. Under his leadership, the firm has reached almost $5 billion in assets under management (Nov. 2014) and was named 2014 Investment Grade Manager of the Year by Institutional Investor.

Mr. Garcia currently serves as Chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County and is a member of the Board of Directors of Sanchez Energy [NYSE:SN]. He also serves on the Board of Directors of SEO, a non-profit providing summer internships on Wall Street for minority undergraduates.

Previously, Mr. Garcia served as Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Houston Downtown Management District, member of the Board of Directors of the Yale Club of Houston and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Houston Municipal Employees Pension System. In addition, he is a Class X graduate of Leadership Houston. Mr. Garcia is married with four children and enjoys martial arts and coaching youth soccer.

Mark Bieler

President,
Mark Bieler & Associates
Secretary

Mark Bieler is currently President of Mark Bieler Associates, Inc., a consulting firm advising top management of private and public sector organizations on strategic human resources and organization development issues. Clients of Mark Bieler Associates have included a broad range of institutions, ranging from The Westfield Group (the world’s largest mall developer/manager), Morgan Stanley Retail, Ogilvy & Mather, Mercantile Trust, and work with the top management of the Central Intelligence Agency.

From 1985 to mid-1999, Mr. Bieler was Director of Human Resources for Bankers Trust Company, and Executive Vice President of the parent organization, Bankers Trust Corporation.

Mr. Bieler joined Bankers Trust in 1973 and managed the bank’s internal Management Consulting Group; subsequent to that he had Human Resources responsibilities for Banking Operations and for the International, United States, and World Corporate Banking units. He also managed the Commercial Banking Training Program and the Compensation and Benefits Division.

A 1967 graduate of Franklin and Marshall College, Mr. Bieler began his career with Manufactures Hanover Trust Company, where he was head of the Manpower Planning and Development Division. Mr. Bieler also was the recipient of the 1989 Human Resources Professional of the Year Award from the New York Chapter of the Society for Human Resources Management. Mr. Bieler was elected to the Personnel Roundtable in 1992.

Mr. Bieler speaks frequently in public forums about industry issues, most recently addressing the annual Conference Board Human Resources meeting and keynoting the annual Human Resources Planning Society sponsors convention.

Mr. Bieler is involved in numerous nonprofit activities and is currently serving as Chairman of the Edwin Gould Foundation.

Walter K. Booker* **

Chief Operating Officer,
MarketCounsel
Chairman Emeritus

Walter K. Booker, Sr., is the Director of Client Engagement for MarketCounsel, the leading legal, compliance and business advisory firm for Registered Investment Advisor firms (RIAs) in the country. In this capacity, Mr. Booker serves as the ‘Chief Client Officer’ of the firm and is responsible for evolving its Client Experience to be as industry-leading as its trusted counsel is. He is also the (retired) former Group Vice President of the New Jersey Market Group of Ameriprise Financial Services Inc., during which time he exercised overall responsibility for the strategic direction of the firm’s business throughout the state, including leading 400 Financial Advisors and 35 employee leaders and staff people who supported them in the service of over 55,000 clients. During his tenure at Ameriprise, he led his group to become a top performer, guiding it to finish in the top quartile of its peer group 12 out of 13 years. Mr. Booker joined Ameriprise Financial in August, 1995, after spending over a decade in senior management positions in the institutional sales, trading, and research divisions of Salomon Brothers Inc, Bear Stearns & Co., Dean Witter Reynolds Inc., and PaineWebber Incorporated.

Mr. Booker is a graduate of Harvard College and is active in numerous recruitment and fundraising activities for his alma mater, among many other community service investments. He is also the Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors of SEO, a nonprofit organization based in New York City that provides a range of academic, personal enrichment, and mentoring services to underserved students from high school through college and throughout their careers. One of SEO’s programs, SEO Career, recruits, trains, and provides internship opportunities to talented underrepresented students of color from colleges and universities throughout the United States as well as in London, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Vietnam, and Ghana. For example, SEO’s impact on the financial services industry over the past forty years has been profound – for many of its investment banking firm partners, it is the largest single source of entry-level, underrepresented professionals, and counts among its alumni dozens of partner-level and executive leaders. In recent years, SEO Scholars has garnered national acclaim for its successful work in closing the opportunity gap between underserved students and their majority counterparts. Just as impressively, SEO Scholars boasts an approx. 90% college graduation rate, where Scholars achieve an average GPA of more than 3.2 at schools that rank in the top-100 in a US News & World Report ranking (which far, far exceeds the national average graduation rate of approx. 60% in six years for colleges at any level of competitiveness).

Additionally, while with Ameriprise, he was actively involved in the creation and leadership its Community Relations Program in the New Jersey Market Group. Among the most notable of this program’s accomplishments under Mr. Booker’s direction is that he personally led the company’s effort to provide leadership skill training to more than 450 senior community, nonprofit, educational and governmental leaders. He was also tapped to lead American Express’s participation in the 9/11 United Services Group (USG) Financial Advice Referral Program, an unprecedented collaboration among six leading financial services organizations to provide support and state-of-the-art advice to those directly affected by this national tragedy. Mr. Booker is also a long-time leader in the community, including serving as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Harlem Engineering & Applied Sciences Charter School (HEACS) and in various leadership roles with his church, St. Luke’s Episcopal in Montclair, for which he has served as both the Clerk and a Warden of its Vestry as well as a founding leader of its Spiritual Enrichment Team and as the founder of its Spiritual Explorers Book Club.

He and his wife Candace live in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, and savor time with their ‘Brady Bunch’ family of six young adults.

William Goodloe^

President & CEO,
SEO

William is President & CEO of SEO, which has a mission of creating a more equitable society. SEO is widely known for developing and delivering programs that close the opportunity gap for young people who are underrepresented at top colleges and in coveted industries.

Each year, SEO serves 4,000+ high school students, college students, and young professionals nationwide, through a variety of high-impact programs. SEO’s success during William’s tenure has led to a 700% growth in young people served each year, along with SEO’s annual revenues increasing by over $25 million.

William also guided The Campaign for SEO, which fully funded the purchase of a new headquarters.

From 1996 through 2001, William was Executive Director of the Inner-City Scholarship Fund, which supports NYC Catholic schools serving children from low-income families. William led dramatic increases in student scholarships, school capital repairs, and funding for schools, with more than $100 million raised in annual and endowment funds.

William began his career in advertising and sales management, including roles with Procter & Gamble and Corning Inc.

William is a trustee of the Altman Foundation and Partnership Schools. He serves on advisory boards for Columbia University and the Federal Reserve Bank of NY.  William has received several recognition awards and has been appointed by NYC Mayors to a citywide commission and an education task force.

William is former board President of the NYC Association of Fundraising Professionals and is an active member of Black Agency Executives.

William received his MBA from Columbia Business School and B.S. from American University.

Hara Amdemariam

Managing Director,
Lazard

Hara Amdemariam is a Managing Director at Lazard, where he advises financial services companies on mergers, acquisitions, divestiture, and capital raising. Prior to joining Lazard, he was a member of Morgan Stanley’s financial institution’s investment banking group and began his career at J.P.Morgan.

He graduated from Yale University in 1996 and was an Intern in the SEO Career Class of 1995. He currently serves on the Board of SEO.

James Attwood

Managing Director,
The Carlyle Group

Jim Attwood is a Managing Director at The Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm with more than $200 billion under management. Since 2000, Mr. Attwood has directed Carlyle’s private equity investments in the telecommunications and media industries globally. He presently serves on the Boards of Directors of CoreSite Realty Corporation, Insight Communications, The Nielsen Company and Syniverse Holdings, Inc. He also serves as a member of the Yale University Council, the Harvard Law School Dean’s Advisory Board, the New York State Board of Trustees of The Nature Conservancy, Friends of MVY Radio and the Board of Trustees for Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts.

Before Carlyle, Mr. Attwood served as Executive Vice President for Strategy, Development, and Planning at Verizon Communications, and held the same position at GTE Corporation prior to that. In these roles, he was responsible for the oversight of all strategic planning, alliances, ventures, corporate strategy, development and M&A activities at each company. Mr. Attwood began his professional career as an investment banker with Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he worked in both New York and Tokyo.

He received his B.A. in Applied Mathematics summa cum laude and M.A. in Statistics from Yale in 1980. In 1985, he received both his JD and MBA degrees from Harvard. He currently lives in Bedford, NY with his wife Leslie.

Frank A. Baker*

Co-Founder & Managing Partner,
Siris Capital Group, LLC

Mr. Frank Baker is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Siris Capital Group LLC (“Siris”), the predecessor fund of which was formed in 2006. Siris is a middle-market private equity firm focused on deep value, control equity investments around special situations in the telecom, technology, and technology-enabled business services sectors.

Prior to forming Siris, Mr. Baker was a Managing Director at Ripplewood Holdings LLC (“Ripplewood”), a global private equity firm. Mr. Baker started his career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs & Co. in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group.

Mr. Baker has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from the University of Chicago. He is a Trustee of The University of Chicago, on the SEO Board of Directors, a Director of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, and an Advisory Board member of All Star Code.

Orlando Bravo

Co-Founder and Managing Partner,
Thoma Bravo

Orlando Bravo is a Founder and Managing Partner of Thoma Bravo. He led Thoma Bravo’s early entry into software buyouts and built the firm into one of the top private equity firms in the world. Today, Orlando directs the firm’s strategy and investment decisions in accordance with its principles of partnership, innovation and performance. Orlando has overseen over 270 software acquisitions conducted by the firm, representing more than $79 billion in transaction value. Forbes named him “Wall Street’s best dealmaker” in 2019, and he was part of Thomson Reuters “Eight Buyout Pros to Watch” in 2009.

Orlando was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Brown University in 1992 and earned a JD from Stanford Law School and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1998.

He is the Founder and Chairman of the Bravo Family Foundation, the mission of which is to provide access and opportunities to young adults in Puerto Rico. Orlando directs the organization’s various programs and initiatives to promote entrepreneurship, community-based leadership and economic development in Puerto Rico. After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, he spearheaded a humanitarian mission to remote communities on the island. In 2019, Orlando committed $100 million to the Foundation’s Rising Entrepreneurs Program (REP) with the goal of fostering entrepreneurship in Puerto Rico.

The Orlando Bravo Center for Economics Research at Brown University supports innovative research, training and collaborative projects for faculty and students in the Department of Economics. At Stanford Law School, Orlando created the Bravo Family Public Interest Post-Graduate Fellowship Fund to support students seeking full-time employment in public interest.

Orlando’s philanthropic focus also includes child healthcare. He endowed faculty scholar and fellow positions at Stanford University’s Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy Research. He supports a wide range of medical research conducted at Stanford University, at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University.

Maya Chorengel

Co-Managing Partner,
The Rise Fund

Maya Chorengel is a Co-Managing Partner at The Rise Fund, the world’s largest, global impact platform committed to achieving measurable, positive social and environmental outcomes alongside competitive
financial returns. Founded by TPG in partnership with Bono and Jeff Skoll, and with more than $5 billion in assets under management, Rise invests in growth-stage, high potential, mission-driven companies that have the power to change the world. A longtime impact, private equity and venture capital investor, Maya also leads financial services and fintech investing for Rise globally and is a key architect of the fund’s impact methodology and assessment process.

Prior to joining TPG, Maya was a co-founder of Elevar Equity, a leading impact venture capital firm with a track record of top quartile financial returns and meaningful impact on over 20 million low-income households in Asia and Latin America. Prior to Elevar, Maya was Managing Director of the Dignity Fund, a private investment fund focused on local currency debt financing for high-growth microfinance institutions globally. She began her investing career at Warburg Pincus in New York, Hong Kong and Menlo Park.

Maya serves as a Director of EverFi, Varo, GloboKasNet, Nithio, and Kiva. She also serves on the Advisory Boards of CASE i3 at Duke University, the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative, and coauthored a Harvard Business Review article entitled “Calculating the Value of Impact Investing.” Maya earned an A.B. in Social Studies from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

John Civantos*

Co-Head of Private Capital Group,
MSD Partners

John Civantos is the Co-Head of Private Capital Group at MSD Partners. Before joining MSD, Mr. Civantos served as a Managing Partner with Court Square Capital Partners, a U.S. middle-market private equity firm. He joined Court Square in 2004 and was primarily involved in the firm’s efforts investing in the Business Services and Technology sectors. Successful private equity investments he has been involved with include System 1, InfoGroup, Dynata, DISA Global Solutions, Vestcom, mSpark, IWCO Direct, Mosaic Sales Solutions and SGS International.

Mr. Civantos received his B.A. from Duke University and his M.B.A. with academic distinction from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds an M.A. in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Hythem T. El-Nazer

Managing Director,
TA Associates

Hythem T. El-Nazer is a Managing Director with TA Associates, a leading global growth private equity firm that has raised over $33.5 billion of capital.  He is a member of TA’s Management, Core Investment, and Portfolio Committees and is Co-Head of TA’s Technology Group.  He has led or been involved with over 20 investments in leading technology companies across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.  He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Aptean, Digicert, Gamma, Idera, Ivanti, insightsoftware, Mitratech, MRI Software, Netsmart, PDI, and Sovos.  Prior to joining TA Associates in 2004, Mr. El-Nazer worked at McKinsey & Company and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.

Hythem is also a member of the Board of Overseers of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Vice Chairman of the Board of the Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund, and Member of the President’s Leadership Council of Brown University.

Hythem graduated from Brown University, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Columbia Business.

Joshua Fink

Managing Partner,
Ophir Holdings, LLC

Joshua Fink is the Managing Partner of Ophir Holdings, his private investment company, which invests across a broad spectrum of industries including natural resources, agriculture, and manufacturing. Mr. Fink has a track record of both creating and unlocking substantial shareholder value in public and private companies globally.

Mr. Fink is the Vice Chairman of the Electrum Group LLC. The firm primarily invests in the mining sector, with a focus on precious metals. Mr. Fink was instrumental in the restructuring of the group as well as the acquisitions of various mining assets globally. He works closely with Electrum’s experienced team of operating, technical and financial professionals. In addition, Mr. Fink is a member of ESAC Holdings, the sponsor of Electrum Special Acquisitions Corporation (ELECU US), which was formed for the purpose of acquiring a company operating in the metals and mining industry.

Mr. Fink serves as a senior business development advisor to the Aditya Birla Group, a premier global conglomerate based in India. It is a market leader in aluminum, cement, telecom, textiles, apparel, manufacturing, fertilizer, life insurance, and financial services.

Mr. Fink is a board member of Sulvaris, a sulfur fertilizer technology company. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Grupo Evya, a Mexican company that provides design, engineering, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure for the hydrocarbon industry.

Mr. Fink is a member of the Board of Directors of Panthera, which is dedicated to ensuring a future for the wild cats of the world. He is a Committee Member of the Fund for the Twenty-First Century at the Museum of Modern Art. He serves on the Board of Directors of SEO, a nonprofit that provides academic opportunity, training, and mentoring services for underserved and underrepresented youth.

Mr. Fink holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Carla Harris*

Vice-Chairman,
Managing Director,
Morgan Stanley

Carla Harris is a Vice Chairman, Global Wealth Management, and Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley. She is responsible for increasing client connectivity and penetration to enhance revenue generation across the firm. She formerly headed the Emerging Manager Platform, the equity capital markets effort for the consumer and retail industries and was responsible for Equity Private Placements. Ms. Harris has extensive industry experiences in the technology, media, retail, telecommunications, transportation, industrial, and healthcare sectors.

For more than a decade, Ms. Harris was a senior member of the equity syndicate desk and executed such transactions as initial public offerings for UPS, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Ariba, Redback, the General Motors sub-IPO of Delphi Automotive, and the $3.2 billion common stock transaction for Immunex Corporation, one of the largest biotechnology common stock transaction in U.S. history. Ms. Harris was recently named to Fortune Magazine’s list of “The 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in Corporate America”, U. S. Bankers Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance (2009, 2010, 2011), Black Enterprise’s Top 75 Most Powerful Women in Business (2010), to Black Enterprise Magazine’s “Top 75 African Americans on Wall Street” (2006 – 2011), and to Essence Magazine’s list of “The 50 Women Who Are Shaping the World”, Ebony’s list of “15 Corporate Women at the Top” and was named “Woman of the Year 2004” by the Harvard Black Men’s Forum.

Ms. Harris began her career with Morgan Stanley in the Mergers & Acquisitions department in 1987. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Carla received from Harvard Business School an MBA, Second Year Honors and an AB in economics from Harvard University, magna cum laude. Carla has also received Honorary Doctorates of laws, humanities, and business from Marymount Manhattan College, Bloomfield College, Jacksonville University, Simmons College and the College of New Rochelle respectively. Carla Harris is actively involved in her community and heartily believes that “we are blessed so that we can be a blessing to someone else.” As a result, Carla has funded the Carla Harris Scholarship at Harvard University and at Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, Florida.

She is the Chair of the Board of the Morgan Stanley Foundation and sits on the boards of the Food Bank for NYC, The Executive Leadership Council, The Toigo Foundation, SEO, A Better Chance, Inc., The Apollo Theatre Foundation, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Xavier University, and is an active member of the St. Charles Gospelites of the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and the Mark Howell Singers. Ms. Harris is a member of the National Social Action Commission of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and was a member of the Board of Overseers’ Committee on University Resources, Harvard University. She has received the Bert King Award from the Harvard Business School African American Alumni Association, the 2005 Women’s Professional Achievement Award from Harvard University, the Pierre Toussaint Medallion from the Office of Black Ministry of the Archdiocese of New York, the Women of Power Award given by the National Urban League, the Bill and Camille Cosby Award given by Associated Black Charities, the Women of Influence Award from The Links, Incorporated and many other awards.

In her other life, Carla is a singer and has released her third gospel CD “Unceasing Praise” (2011), her second CD, a gospel album entitled “Joy Is Waiting”, was featured on BET Nightly News, while her first CD entitled “Carla’s First Christmas”, was a bestseller on Amazon.com, and in New York record stores, and was featured on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather in his “American Dream” segment. She is also the author of the newly released book, Expect to Win (Hudson Press).

Chris Lee*

Member,
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

Chris Lee joined KKR in 2012 and is a Partner and responsible for KKR’s Real Estate business in the Americas, overseeing both equity and credit investing platforms in the region. He is currently Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Inc. (NYSE: KREF) where he previously served as Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President since October 2015 and March 2016, respectively, through March 2020. Mr. Lee sits on KKR’s Real Estate Equity and Credit Investment Committees in the Americas, KKR’s Real Estate Equity and Credit Portfolio Management Committees in the Americas, KKR’s Inclusion and Diversity Council and chairs KKR’s Real Estate Valuation Committee. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Lee spent three years at Apollo Global Management on their global real estate team where he focused on real estate acquisitions. He also worked at Goldman Sachs in the merchant banking division’s real estate principal investment area (REPIA) for over five years after spending two years in the investment banking division. Mr. Lee earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Emory University. He is a former trustee of St. Mark’s School of Texas in Dallas, TX. Mr. Lee currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) in New York, New York, as a member of the Board of Directors of the PREA Foundation in Hartford, Connecticut and as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for Emory College of Arts and Sciences in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a member of the CRE Finance Council, Pension Real Estate Association, Real Estate Capital Policy Advisory Committee for the Real Estate Roundtable, Real Estate Executive Council, Manhattan Chapter of YPO and Urban Land Institute where he sits on one of its Urban Development and Mixed-Use Councils.

Ninon Marapachi*

Managing Director,
Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Ninon Marapachi is the Head of Asset Manager Relationships for the Investment Solutions Group at Bank of America. Based in New York, her team is responsible for cultivating strong and productive relationships with 3rd party investment managers to progress strategic priorities for the Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM) businesses. The role is instrumental in working across the different channels within Bank of America, particularly GWIM, Retirement & GBAM to coordinate activities and broaden strategic relationships.

Previously, Ninon was the head of Hedge Fund Origination & Product Management where her team was responsible for sourcing (in partnership with the CIO Due Diligence team), structuring, negotiating, and managing hedge fund solutions for wealth management clients.

Prior to that Ninon spent approximately ten years in Capital Markets Group at Merrill Lynch serving wealth management clients touching multiple asset classes.

Ninon sits on the Global Strategy & Enterprise Platform D&I Council, a forum that drives D&I strategies for the business and ensures alignment with the global D&I goals for Bank of America.

Ninon has received a number of professional recognitions over the years with the most recent, in 2016, where she was on the Crain’s New York Magazine 40 under 40 list and in 2019, where she was named one of the 10 Hedge Fund Rising Stars by the Institutional Investor.

Ninon sits on the board of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), a New York based organization that aims to develop and implement programs to close preparation gap faced by highly talented and motivated students of color on the path to exceptional educational and career opportunities.

Ninon holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Mount Holyoke College.

Maybel Marte*

Managing Director,
BlackRock

Maybel Marte, Managing Director, is Head of Liquid Levered Credit Product Strategy within BlackRock’s Global Credit Group. As a product strategist, Ms. Marte focuses on developing credit solutions for both institutional and retail clients, across our Bank Loans, High Yield, and CLO offerings. In this role, she is responsible for product development, marketing, and client service.

Prior to joining BlackRock in September 2017, Ms. Marte was a Senior Vice President at PIMCO in the US Institutional Client Management group. While at PIMCO from 2010 to 2016, Ms, Marte was responsible for servicing and marketing to large corporations, multi-national agencies, and nonprofit organizations. As a client strategist, Ms. Marte focused on delivering customized investment solutions to institutional clients, including duration overlays/underlays, asset allocation optimization, interest rates, equity-based tail-risk hedging programs, and multi-asset credit solutions.

Prior to joining PIMCO in early 2010, Ms. Marte held positions in fixed income institutional sales for over 9 years, of which 7 years was spent at Goldman Sachs on the High Yield-Distressed Bond desk and the balance at FBR Capital Markets.

Ms. Marte received her Masters of Business Administration from The Wharton School and Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Wellesley College.

Kenneth B. Mehlman

Member,
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

Ken Mehlman joined KKR in 2008 and is KKR’s Global Head of Public Affairs, helping the Firm assess and improve the companies in which it invests by better understanding and managing geopolitical risk and engaging with their key stakeholders. Mr. Mehlman also oversees the firm’s global external affairs activities, including corporate marketing, regulatory affairs, and public policy & communications. Mr. Mehlman leads KKR’s Environmental Social Governance (ESG) programs for the firm and its portfolio companies. Before joining KKR, Mr. Mehlman led a bipartisan public policy and regulatory practice at the global law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. Mr. Mehlman spent a dozen years in national politics and government service, including as 62nd Chairman of the Republican National Committee and Campaign Manager of President Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign, as well as in high-level positions in Congress and the White House. Mr. Mehlman earned a B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College and holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Mr. Mehlman is Chairman of the Private Equity and Growth Capital Council, the association representing the private equity and growth capital industries, a trustee of Mt. Sinai Hospital of New York, Franklin & Marshall College, the American Foundation for Equal Rights, SEO and the Ideal School of Manhattan, Co-chairman of the American Enterprise Institute’s National Council, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Kammy Moalemzadeh*

Founder and Managing Partner,
Arcadia Investment Partners, LLC

Mr. Moalemzadeh is the Founder and Managing Partner of Arcadia Investment Partners. Arcadia is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor focused on deploying capital into private equity, real estate, and special situations investments on behalf of its own balance sheet and limited partner capital from ultra-high net worth families and institutional investors. Prior to founding Arcadia, Mr. Moalemzadeh was a Managing Director at Mentmore Holdings and a member of the merchant banking division of Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette. Mr. Moalemzadeh graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Verdun Perry*

Senior Managing Director,
Blackstone

Verdun S. Perry is a Senior Managing Director at Blackstone and the Global Head of Strategic Partners Fund Solutions (“Strategic Partners”), Blackstone’s dedicated secondary fund manager, with over $25 billion of assets under management. Since 2000, Strategic Partners has been one of the market’s most prolific investors, having completed over 1,100 transactions focused on the purchase of private equity limited partnership interests and co-investments in leveraged buyout, real estate, venture capital, and infrastructure assets. Mr. Perry joined Strategic Partners when it was founded in 2000, and sits on the investment committee for each of Strategic Partners’ funds.

Prior to joining Strategic Partners, Mr. Perry worked in the strategic investments group at Bozell, Jacobs, Kenyon and Eckhardt, Inc. and in the Investment Banking Division at Morgan Stanley & Co. Mr. Perry received a B.A. from Morehouse College in 1994, where he graduated magna cum laude and was elected Phi Beta Kappa, as well as an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 2000, where he was a Robert Toigo Foundation Fellow. Mr. Perry serves on the boards of The Blackstone Charitable Foundation, SEO, Morehouse College and the Apollo Theatre. Mr. Perry is also a member of the Advisory Board for the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) and is a member of the Leadership Council for the East Harlem Tutorial Program (EHTP).

Joseph J. Plumeri II

Executive Chairman
SELECTA Group AG

Joe Plumeri is vice chairman of the First Data Board of Directors. Plumeri was originally appointed to the Board and as a senior advisor to KKR in August 2013. Since then he also has been serving as senior advisor to First Data Chairman and CEO Frank Bisignano. He assumed the vice chairman role in May, 2014.

Since joining First Data, Plumeri has played a pivotal role in the company’s transformation from a transaction processor to a payments technology company and solutions provider to merchants and financial institutions. He has spearheaded company-wide efforts to become more client-centric, including realigning how the company delivers solutions to and serves its global and strategic accounts, national merchants and enterprise clients, financial institutions, small business clients, bank partners, and agents and ISO clients. Creating a superior client experience is part of this effort to better serve clients, build stronger relationships that foster business growth for clients, and deliver innovative solutions, including the Clover™ Station, a transformational point-of-sale solution for small and medium-sized businesses. Prior to joining First Data, Plumeri served as chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Willis Group Holdings plc. Under his leadership, Willis strengthened its position as one of the world’s leading insurance brokers through sector-leading organic growth and operating margins, strategic expansion, a dedication to transparency and passionate client service.

Appointed to lead Willis in 2000, Plumeri returned the company, which was privately held by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), to public ownership in 2001. When he assumed leadership of Willis, the company’s share price was $3, rising to $43 when he stepped down as chairman in 2013. Among Plumeri’s notable milestones while at Willis, in addition to the extraordinary return to shareholders, was his public leadership against conflicts of interest in the insurance industry. He also spearheaded Willis’ $2.1 billion acquisition of Hilb Rogal & Hobbs (HRH) in 2009, which was one of the largest transactions in the insurance industry in the last decade, and drove the deal to rename the Sears Tower as Willis Tower, then the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

Before joining Willis, Plumeri had a 32-year career at Citigroup and its predecessor companies. As CEO of Citibank North America, he led the integration of the consumer businesses at Citicorp and Travelers Group. He also served as chairman and CEO of Travelers Primerica Financial Services, vice chairman of the Travelers Group, and president and managing partner of Shearson Lehman Brothers. A widely admired leader in the insurance industry, Plumeri was named to Treasury & Risk magazine’s list of “100 Most Influential People in Finance” in 2009 and 2010. He was also recognized by St. John’s University School of Risk Management as Insurance Leader of the Year in 2006.

Plumeri’s generous philanthropy over the decades has drawn many accolades, including appointment as the Grand Marshal of the 2011 Columbus Day Parade by the Columbus Citizen’s Foundation. Plumeri also serves on the boards of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse; Mount Sinai Medical Center; the Jackie Robinson Foundation; New York Law School; and the Churchill Museum at the Cabinet Ward Rooms in London. An avid sportsman and baseball entrepreneur, Plumeri is an owner of the Trenton Thunder, the Affiliate of the New York Yankees, and the Trenton Blue Claws, the Affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.

In 2015 Plumeri published his first book, a national bestseller, The Power of Being Yourself: A Game Plan for Success – by Putting Passion into Your Life and Work. In his book, based on his life experiences, Plumeri offers simple yet profound guidance on how to stay positive, motivate yourself and others and, achieve success in your life and work. All of the author’s proceeds will be donated to the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

Born in Trenton, N.J., Plumeri received his Bachelor of Arts in history and education from the College of William and Mary and attended New York Law School. In 2011, William and Mary awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service in honor of his philanthropic endeavors, where Plumeri delivered a speech to the 2011 graduates, titled “Go Play in Traffic (and Follow the Signs Along the Road),” that was recognized as one of the best commencement addresses of the year by the New York Times. In 2015, New York Law School awarded him an Honorary Juris Doctorate, where Plumeri delivered the commencement speech to the graduates, titled “Principles for Success,” that was recognized by Time as one of the most motivating commencement speeches of the year.

Oscar Salazar

Entrepreneur and Technologist,
Ogon, LLC

Oscar Salazar Gaitan is a seasoned entrepreneur, senior executive, and investor in numerous successful technology firms.

Mr. Salazar was the Founding Architect of Uber. Through Uber he was instrumental in helping to redesign the architecture of on-demand transportation worldwide. Mr. Salazar provides his telecommunications and engineering expertise in the design and architecture of innovative products and systems to make a positive impact in people’s lives.

As founder and CEO of Citivox (2010-2013), Mr. Salazar helped create technology to enable non-governmental organizations and individuals to monitor and report electoral fraud, crime and infrastructure problems that needed attention in Mexico.

In 2013, Mr. Salazar co-founded Pager Inc., a telemedicine company that connects patients with high-quality care providers through innovative technology applications. Mr. Salazar has recently launched Ogon LLC, an advisory company through which he provides strategic, technical and marketing advice to entities such as Rubicon Global Inc., ALEX AND ANI, Sontra Cargo and many others, both in the U.S. and internationally.

Mr. Salazar sits on the board of many companies and NGOs. He is greatly committed to support philanthropic endeavors on education, fight against extreme poverty, and gender equality throughout the world.

Mr. Salazar holds a B.S. in Telematics (University of Colima, Mexico), an M.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering (University of Calgary, Canada) and a Ph.D. in Telecommunications (Paristech, France).

Julian C. Salisbury

Global Head of Merchant Banking,
Goldman Sachs

Julian is global head of the Merchant Banking Division (MBD). He is a member of the Management Committee and co-chair of the Partnership Committee and Firmwide Investment Policy Committee. Julian is co-chair of the MBD Corporate Investment Committee, MBD Credit Investment Committee, MBD Growth Investment Committee, MBD Infrastructure Investment Committee and MBD Real Estate Investment Committee. He is also a member of the Board of Advisors of Launch With GS, Goldman Sachs’ $500 million commitment to invest in companies and investment managers with diverse leadership.

Prior to assuming his current role, Julian was head of the Global Special Situations Group (GSSG) from 2013 to 2019. Prior to GSSG, he was head of the European Special Situations Group (ESSG) from 2008 to 2013, based in London. From 2007 to 2008, Julian worked in Moscow establishing ESSG’s business covering the former Soviet Union, and was a founding member of ESSG in 2003. Prior to ESSG, he held roles in Bank Loan Research, High Yield Research and Product Control. Julian joined Goldman Sachs in 1998, and was named managing director in 2005 and partner in 2008.

Prior to joining the firm, he worked in the audit practice of KPMG. Julian qualified as a chartered accountant in 1998 and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

He serves on the Board of Trustees of The Nightingale-Bamford School.

Julian earned a BSc in Sports Science and an MSc in Biomechanics from Loughborough University in 1993 and 1994, respectively.

Edward Tam*

Managing Director,
HPS Investment Partners, LLC

Ed Tam is a Managing Director of Highbridge Principal Strategies. Mr. Tam’s responsibilities include origination and execution of transactions for the private debt funds including Senior Loan Fund, Mezzanine Fund and various managed accounts.

Prior to joining Highbridge in June 2008, Mr. Tam spent four years as a partner for the publicly traded mezzanine fund, Apollo Investment Corporation (“AIC”). AIC is a $4 billion fund investing primarily in private mezzanine debt, public subordinated debt and private equity. Prior to joining Apollo, Mr. Tam worked at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette/Credit Suisse from 1991 to 2003. During his tenure with the firm, Mr. Tam focused primarily on corporate finance transactions including mergers and acquisitions transactions, debt and equity fund raising, restructuring, and private equity. In 1999, Mr. Tam joined DLJ Investment Partners LP, a $1.6 billion mezzanine fund and focused on sourcing, diligencing, and structuring investments. Mr. Tam is a graduate of Cornell University and has a B.S. in Operations Research/Industrial Engineering and an M.B.A. in Finance.

Kathryn Wylde

President & CEO,
Partnership for New York City

Kathryn Wylde is President and CEO of the nonprofit Partnership for New York City, the city’s leading business organization. Its mission is to work with government, labor, and the civic sector to build a stronger New York, with a focus on education, infrastructure, and the economy.

Prior to taking over the Partnership presidency in 2001, Ms. Wylde was the founding CEO of both the Partnership’s housing and investment fund affiliates. She was responsible for developing and managing affordable housing and economic development programs that contributed to the renaissance of blighted urban neighborhoods across the five boroughs. With the investment fund, she developed a network of business leaders and investors that nurtured the growth of the city’s “innovation economy,” creating thousands of jobs and promoting entrepreneurial business initiatives across the five boroughs.

An internationally recognized expert on urban policy, Ms. Wylde has been awarded honorary degrees from Fordham University and St. Francis College, and serves on the boards of many nonprofit institutions, including the Lutheran Medical Center, NYC Economic Development Corporation, The Fund for Public Schools, Manhattan Institute, and the Governor’s NYC Regional Economic Development Council.