The world's biggest problems cannot be solved without capital.

Eric Wu is a Senior Managing Director in the Real Estate Group and Global Co-Head of Real Estate Debt Capital Markets. Mr. Wu was previously Chief Operating Officer of Real Estate Americas.

Prior to joining Blackstone, Mr. Wu spent over 5 years at Barclays where he was Head of Originations for the commercial real estate lending business in the United States. Prior to Barclays, Mr. Wu worked at Morgan Stanley where he held various roles in the CMBS and merchant banking groups in the US and in Europe.

Mr. Wu received a BS in Economics and a BA in Chemistry from Duke University where he graduated magna cum laude and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Chris Varelas is a Co-founding Partner of Riverwood Capital. Prior to establishing Riverwood, Chris worked at Salomon Brothers/Citi as Global Head of Technology, Media & Telecom Investment Banking, Head of Citi's National Investment Bank, member of Citi's Global Operating Committee and Culture Czar for all of Citi.

Chris earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and a BA from Occidental College in Los Angeles, California for which he serves on the Board of Trustees. He is a moderator for the Aspen Institute for which he recently founded the Aspen Finance Fellows program created to produce effective enlightened leaders in the financial services industry.

John Taft is Vice Chairman of Baird and a member of the firm's Executive Committee. Prior to joining Baird, he served as CEO of RBC Wealth Management, a full-service brokerage firm with nearly 2,000 financial advisors and over $280 billion in assets, for more than 10 years (2005-2016). He is a past chairman of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), where he advocated for responsible financial reform.

John's other past roles include president and CEO of Voyageur Asset Management; president and CEO of Dougherty Summit Securities; a member of the board of directors of Segall Bryant & Hamill, The Clifton Group and Columbia Threadneedle Funds; and a managing director at Piper, Sandler & Hopwood. Investment Advisor magazine named him to its 2013 IA 25 list of the most influential people in the financial industry and he made the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business list by Trust Across America in 2014 and 2015.

John is a frequent public speaker and media contributor, and has authored two books, "Stewardship: Lessons Learned from the Lost Culture of Wall Street" and "A Force for Good: How Enlightened Finance Can Restore Faith in Capitalism."

Deeply committed to community involvement, inclusion and diversity and many other important issues, John credits his family, including his great grandfather, 27th U.S. President William Howard Taft, for instilling strong core values that shape his definition of business success and belief in the importance of treating all people with dignity.

Nico Suarez is an investment professional with experience in e-commerce mergers and acquisitions. He was previously an Investment Lead at Heyday, where he focused on sourcing and executing acquisitions of digital-first consumer brands.

Before Heyday, Nico worked at PGIM Private Capital, supporting the underwriting and management of a portfolio of private placement investments. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. In addition to his professional work, Nico served as an elected director on the board of his national fraternity, helping shape policy and represent undergraduate members across Midwestern chapters. He is currently an Investment Principal at Ascend Equity Partners.

Trae Stephens is a Partner at Founders Fund, and additionally the Co-Founder and Chairman of Anduril Industries.

Trae was a senior in high school on 9/11 and was inspired to attend Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service focusing on Arabic and Security Studies, later serving as a computational linguist building enterprise solutions to Arabic/Persian name matching and data enrichment within the United States Intelligence Community.

After his time in the Intelligence Community, Trae joined as an early employee at Palantir Technologies, where he led teams focused on growth in the intelligence/defense space as well as international expansion, helping large organizations solve their hardest data analysis problems. He was also an integral part of the product team, leading the design and strategy for new product offerings. He simultaneously served as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University.

Trae has also served in the office of then Congressman Rob Portman and in the Political Affairs Office at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. immediately following the installation of Hamid Karzai's transitional government.

DeShawn S. Spellman is the former Assistant Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Collaborations at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. He has more than 15 years of experience in program strategy, events, workforce development, partnerships, and community engagement across nonprofit, higher education, and corporate organizations. His previous roles include leadership positions at Lyft and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, where he managed national programs, large-scale conferences, early talent initiatives, and multimillion-dollar budgets.

Aarthi Sowrirajan is a Managing Director and Co-Head of Portfolio Management for the BlackRock Impact Opportunities (BIO) Fund within the Equity Private Markets team.

She is responsible for managing the implementation of EPM's social impact investment strategy, including the execution of BIO's mandate of advancing racial equity through opportunistic investments. Aarthi is currently Chair of the Board of Directors of Acelero Learning, a Board Director of Lift Retro Fitness FTX, LLC and a Board Observer of Conexon LLC, all of which are BIO Fund portfolio companies. Aarthi serves on the Los Angeles Leadership Team and chairs community engagement efforts for the Los Angeles office. Aarthi has over 15 years of experience in financial services with a focus on private markets investments in underrepresented markets. She has transactional experience in real estate private equity, infrastructure development, structured products, securitization and credit.

Prior to BlackRock, Aarthi was on the founding team of Turner Impact Capital, a $2 billion impact investment firm focused on driving financial and impact outcomes through real estate and infrastructure investments across education, workforce housing and healthcare. She served as Managing Director and Partner and led the establishment of the Turner-Agassi Charter School Facilities Fund in 2011, one of the first institutional-backed impact funds in the US. During her decade-long tenure at Turner, Aarthi held primary responsibility for sourcing, structuring, managing transaction teams, leading due diligence efforts and monitoring investments. She held management responsibilities of overseeing operations, fund management and business development.

Aarthi has partnered with academic institutions and industry practitioners to advance the social impact investing ecosystem and drive thought leadership. She has guest lectured at The Wharton School, Harvard Business School, The University of Chicago, UCLA and USC on impact investing. Aarthi began her career as a member of the Structured Products Group at Deutsche Bank and has also worked in the investment banking division of Bank of America (Chicago), sales and trading at Credit Suisse (New York) and real estate private equity at Canyon Partners (Los Angeles).

Aarthi serves on the Board of Directors of Equitable Facilities Fund (EFF), a nonprofit social impact fund for high-performing charter schools. Aarthi served on the Board of Directors for Equitas Academy, one of the highest performing charter schools in Los Angeles, from 2012 until 2020, including two years as the Chair of the Board and several years as Treasurer. She received an A.B. Honors from the University of Chicago with a concentration in Economics and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Stephen joined Scholars of Finance as the Chief Operating Officer in January 2020. He was most recently a senior manager and VP of U.S. Bank. Previously he was a commissioned officer in the Minnesota National Guard's chaplain corps and the founder and CEO of Beyond Demographics, LLC. Stephen earned a Master's of Divinity from Bethel University and is academically published in the Journal of Pastoral Psychology. Today Stephen lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife and two kids. He invests his free time into his family, friends, and music.

Michael Sonnenshein is the former CEO of Grayscale Investments, a digital currency asset manager. During his tenure, he led the firm’s growth and expansion of its crypto investment products, including single-asset and diversified offerings. He has been featured on CNBC and Bloomberg and was named one of Business Insider’s 100 People Transforming Business in 2021 and one of its Rising Stars of Wall Street in 2018.

Prior to joining Grayscale, Michael was a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities, covering high-net-worth individuals and institutions, and an analyst at Barclays Wealth, providing coverage to middle-market hedge funds and institutions.

Michael earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and a Master of Business Administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Greg Shell is a partner at Goldman Sachs. Previously, he worked at Bain Capital Double Impact as a managing director where he advocated for purposeful investment of capital to not only grow businesses but bring prosperity to people and communities.

Before joining Bain Capital, Shell served as a lead portfolio manager at GMO, senior equity analyst at Columbia Management Group, and as a consultant at Bain & Company in its strategy and private equity practice areas.

Greg earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Michelle Seitz is a veteran CEO, investor and expert on global financial markets. She is the Founder and CEO of MeydenVest Partners, LLC., a private investment and strategic advisory firm.

Michelle served as Chair and CEO of Russell investments from 2017-2022. In 2022, Russell was one of the largest advisors in the world with over $300 billion in AUM and $1.2 trillion under advisement for clients in 31 countries. During her five year tenure as Chair and CEO, she reset the firm's vision and strategic direction, strengthened the executive team, modernized client offerings by adding leading-edge capabilities around private markets and ESG investing, and elevated diversity and inclusion programs. Michelle expanded the company around its purpose to improve people's financial security.

Michelle is a frequent keynote speaker on global markets, financial security, inclusive capitalism, diversity and inclusion, leadership, and innovation. With over three decades of success as an investor and CEO, she consistently appears on Barron's list of "The Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance," and American Banker's list of the "Most Powerful Women in Finance." She was awarded an 'Alumni Fellow' by Indiana University's Kelley School of Business in 2017.

Deb Schoneman serves as President of Piper Sandler. She joined Piper Sandler in 1990 in the accounting department, and has held several senior management positions, including global head of equities, chief financial officer, finance director of both equity and fixed income capital markets, and treasurer.

Schoneman serves on the board of directors of SIFMA. She also serves as vice chair of the board of directors of Allina Health, a not-for-profit health care system based in Minneapolis, MN, and is chair of its finance committee; and is a director emeritus of BestPrep, a nonprofit organization focused on business, career and financial literacy skills, and was its chair for two years. She has completed three mission trips to Haiti through the organization, Healing Haiti, and was awarded "CFO of the Year" by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal in 2014.

Schoneman earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Minnesota State University Mankato and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis.

Elizabeth is a seasoned senior executive with 25 years of experience as a Head of Strategy and Chief Operating Officer for multi-national divisions of global financial services organizations. Most recently, Elizabeth was COO for Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies (BREDS), the private equity firm's $30bn AUM real estate debt fund, mortgage REIT (NYSE:BXMT) and real estate securities hedge fund business. Prior to Blackstone, Elizabeth spent 16 years at Deutsche Bank, where she was COO of Group Risk and a member of the Bank's Global Operating Committee.

Yassaman is a partner in the Healthcare Investment Banking Group and runs the medical device coverage effort. She served as the group's business unit manager in 2008.

Yassaman is co-head of the Georgetown University undergraduate and MBA recruiting efforts for the Investment Banking Division. She joined Goldman Sachs in 2005 as an associate and was named managing director in 2013 and partner in 2020.

Prior to joining the firm, Yassaman worked in the Investment Banking Division of Morgan Stanley and in the Corporate Development group at Avaya. Yassaman earned a BS in Foreign Service and an MBA, both from Georgetown University.

Armel R. Kouassi is a seasoned finance professional with over 15 years of experience in financial services. His experience includes a wide range of managerial roles with assignments in several major financial institutions and a Big 4 Audit Firm. He has worked and lived in numerous locations throughout the United States, Europe & Africa. Mr. Kouassi is Head of Asset Liability Management Modeling for Northern Trust.

Armel has shifted between entrepreneurial and senior banking roles in his career. Armel is a frequent speaker and author in banking magazines in USA and Europe, he is certified Financial Risk Professional and a member of Global Association of Risk Professional.

Previously, Armel held various roles in Asset Liability Management, Consumer Credit Risk Management and Mortgage Portfolio Management covering balance sheets ranging from $100 – $500Bn at State Street, M&T Bank, Citi, Merrill Lynch & GE Capital.

Armel received an MBA from the Wharton School, a Master's in finance from ESCP Europe, France and a Master's in statistics and economy with Honors from ENSEA, Cote d'Ivoire. Armel is a father of 3 girls, fluent in English, French and German, he is passionate about Economic Empowerments, Global Affairs, Arts and Music. Armel is member of the Young professional of the Chicago Council of Global Affairs, the Aspen's Society of Fellows and the Manhattan Institute's Young Leaders Circle and an Ambassador for Northern Trust PGA Tournament.

John's passion for investing began at age 12 when his father started buying him stocks as Christmas and birthday gifts. His interest in equities grew while in college and over the two-and-a-half years after graduation he worked as a stockbroker at William Blair & Company. In 1983, John founded Ariel to invest in undervalued small-and medium-sized companies. While our research capabilities have since expanded, his patient approach still anchors the firm today.

He received an AB in economics from Princeton University, where he was also captain of the varsity basketball team. John is active civically and professionally based on his belief that these engagements make him a better leader and a better investor. Beyond Ariel, he is a member of the board of directors of NIKE, The New York Times Company, Ryan Specialty Group Holdings and the Obama Foundation, and was a board member of McDonald's for over 20 years. John also serves as Vice Chair of the board of trustees of The University of Chicago.

Tory Reiss is a three-time founder of venture capital-backed financial technology startups. He's currently the CEO of Equi, the elite destination for alternative investments, providing access to hedge fund strategies that perform in the top 10% in their category.

Outside of business, Tory is an active advocate for criminal justice reform and financial literacy in public education. He's been teaching financial literacy "bootcamps" for over a decade.

Ryan is a Minneapolis, MN native, and after stints in Boston & London, returned to Minneapolis to start his career & help co-found Scholars of Finance. Since 2016 Ryan has called midtown New York home. During the day Ryan works with hedge, mutual, and sovereign wealth fund clients to source & execute their investments in U.S. public equities. After market hours Ryan enjoys running, exploring the city with his wife, and as many trips to the mountains & back to the lakes in MN as his schedule allows.

Jack Pitts is a Senior Managing Director in the Legal & Compliance Group, where he serves as General Counsel of BAAM. Mr. Pitts is a Co-Chair of the Blackstone Diverse Professionals Network Task Force and a member of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation Leadership Council. Since joining Blackstone, Mr. Pitts has been involved in the legal structuring of BAAM's customized multi-manager portfolios as well as the review, analysis and negotiation of investments by BAAM's Special Situations investing group and other direct trading platforms and investment opportunities.

Before joining Blackstone in 2012, Mr. Pitts was an Associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP where he focused on advising sponsors of and institutional investors in private investment funds.

Mr. Pitts received a B.S. in Financial Management from Hillsdale College and a J.D. from Howard University School of Law, where he served as the Managing Editor of the Howard Law Journal.

Daniel Pietrzak (New York) joined KKR in 2016 and is a Partner of KKR. Mr. Pietrzak is a portfolio manager for KKR's private credit funds and portfolios and a member of the Global Private Credit Investment Committee, Europe Direct Lending Investment Committee and KKR Credit Portfolio Management Committee. Mr. Pietrzak is Chief Investment Officer of the KKR / FS Investments joint venture and Co-President and Chief Investment Officer for each of the business development companies managed by the joint venture, including FS KKR Capital Corp., which trades on the NYSE. He also serves on the board of directors of several KKR Credit portfolio companies, including Home Partners of America, Oodle Car Finance, Pepper and Toorak Capital Partners.

Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Pietrzak was a managing director and the co-head of Deutsche Bank's structured finance business across the Americas and Europe. Previously, Mr. Pietrzak held various roles in the credit businesses of Societe Generale and CIBC World Markets. Mr. Pietrzak started his career at Price Waterhouse in New York and is a CPA. Mr. Pietrzak holds an M.B.A. in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Accounting from Lehigh University. Mr. Pietrzak serves on the Advisory Board for the Lehigh University Center of Financial Services.

Since 1992, Joel Peterson has taught courses in real estate, entrepreneurship, and leadership at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, with a focus on the effective management of growing companies and mentoring students as they navigate key life and business decisions. Outside of academia, he is Chairman of the Board of Overseers at the Hoover Institution and Chairman of the Board at JetBlue Airways. Over his 45-year career, Joel has served on more than three dozen boards, including The Dallas Market Center, Texas Commerce Bank, and Asurion, and currently sits on the boards of Franklin Covey and Packsize.

Joel is the Founding Partner and Chairman of Peterson Partners, an investment management firm with over $1 billion under management, having backed more than 200 companies across private equity, venture capital, real estate, and search funds. He previously served as CEO of Trammell Crow Company, then the world's largest private commercial real estate developer. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and was valedictorian and student body president at BYU.

He has received multiple teaching awards at Stanford, including the 2005 Distinguished Teaching Award and the 2016 Robert K. Jaedicke Silver Apple Award. Joel and his wife, Diana, have been married for over 45 years and are the proud parents of 7 children and 25 grandchildren.

Hester Maria Peirce is an American lawyer who serves as a Commissioner on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). She previously served as the director of the Financial Markets Working Group at George Mason University's Mercatus Center.

Peirce was confirmed by the United States Senate in December 2017 to fill a Republican vacancy on the SEC. She was sworn in on January 11, 2018, for a term ending in 2020, and her second term expires in 2025. Peirce is a former staff member of the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and of the SEC. In 2016, she was nominated by President Barack Obama for Commissioner on the SEC, but the United States Senate did not act on her nomination.

Tony is a senior executive and operator with 20+ years of leadership experience at top institutions across banking, fintech, and alternative asset management.

He is currently the CFO at Galaxy Digital, joining in Jan 2025. Prior to Galaxy, he was CFO of Point72 for 4 years, and prior to Point72, he was a Business Unit Leader at SoFi. Before joining SoFi, Tony held senior leadership positions at JP Morgan and Bank of America.

Tony is passionate about leadership, mentorship, and innovation, and serves as an advisor/board member for several start-ups and non-profits. For more background visit: https://apaquette.blog/

Diana Pagliarini is executive vice president and general auditor at State Street Corporation. In this role, she establishes, manages and evolves the company-wide corporate audit plan to ensure that risk is appropriately managed and governed. To maintain independence, which is a critical component of the general auditor role, she has a direct reporting line to the Board of Director's Examining and Audit Committee. She has a dotted reporting line to the Chief Executive Officer. She also participates in the company's Management Committee and Operating Group meetings.

With 35 years of experience in the banking industry and 16 years in board-visible roles, Diana's transformational leadership in developing and executing strategic plans has improved processes, functions and departments while influencing policy changes and risk practices at the enterprise level. Through routine interactions with executive leadership and the board of directors, she has a credible voice in challenging process vulnerabilities, designing risk management strategies and driving improved compliance results. She is known for her leadership impact, process effectiveness and passionate commitment to career and performance coaching.

Ross is the Chairman, CEO & Co-Founder of Scholars of Finance—an organization on a mission to inspire and equip the next generation of purpose-driven, principled, high-performing finance leaders. Under his leadership, SOF has raised more than 10 million dollars and impacted more than 7,000 students to date.

Prior to SOF, Ross held roles in equity research at Piper Sandler, global go-to-market strategy at Twitter (now X), and served on the leadership team that helped launch SoFi Bank. He earned his bachelor's degree from Fordham University and the University of Minnesota, and has completed executive education programs at Cornell and Stanford.

Jim O'Donnell is Global Head of Citi Global Wealth. Previously, he was Managing Director and Global Head of Investor Sales and Relationship Management at Citi Markets and Securities Services. In this role, Jim was responsible for client distribution for Equities, Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities. Jim was appointed to this position in August 2008. Prior to that, he was Co-Head of Global Investor Sales, appointed in November 2007.

For the four years prior, Jim served as Head of Equities, Americas at Citi. He joined the firm in July 1999 as Head of Equities, EMEA. Prior to joining Citi, Jim was President and CEO of HSBC Securities Inc. in New York. He was responsible for all equity, debt, futures and investment banking operations for HSBC in the U.S. and was CEO of HSBC James Capel, HSBC's Global Equity business.

Prior to HSBC, Jim was President and CEO of NatWest Securities in the United States. He held various roles at Drexel Burnham Lambert from 1986 to 1990, including Head of Sales and Trading for International Equities and Co-Head of Global Equity Trading.

Jim holds a bachelor's degree in Comparative Religion from Princeton University.

Robert serves as the Director of Mission Advancement at Scholars of Finance. In this role, he works with our speakers, mentors, and financial supporters to advance SOF's mission.

Robert has over a decade of experience in both the finance and nonprofit sectors. He began his career as a public finance investment banker at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, before moving into the nonprofit sector and fundraising for the Archdiocese of New York and Diocese of Bridgeport, CT.

Robert earned his B.A. in Economics from Columbia University where he also played Varsity Baseball.

Matthew Neisser is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of LendingOne, one of the nation's leading private credit platforms focused on real estate. Under Matthew's leadership, the firm has deployed over $6 billion in capital to real estate investors, developers, and funds across the country. He has overseen all growth and strategic initiatives, scaling LendingOne into a nationally recognized lender known for its reliability, speed, and professionalism.

Matthew brings a strong foundation in finance and real estate to his role, informed by early experience in commercial real estate, where he managed office, industrial, and retail transactions. This hands-on background has shaped LendingOne's client-focused approach and deep understanding of the capital needs of real estate professionals.

LendingOne has earned a reputation for excellence among borrowers and institutional capital partners alike. The firm has received multiple industry accolades, including recognition on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies, LendIt Fintech's Best Technology award, and Best Places to Work honors.

Brian Moynihan leads a team of more than 210,000 employees dedicated to making financial lives better for people, companies of every size, and institutional investors across the United States and around the world.

Under his direction, Bank of America continues to be recognized as a leader in financial services. In 2024, the company was named one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential Companies and appeared on PEOPLE'S 2024 100 Companies that Care list. Bank of America also appears on Forbes magazine's list for World's Best Employers, as well as Fortune magazine's list of World's Most Admired Companies and Best Companies to Work For. The company has recently been named World's Best Bank by Global Finance in 2023 and by Euromoney magazine in 2022, and has also been ranked four times on LinkedIn's Top 50 Companies in the U.S. list.

Moynihan participates in several organizations that focus on economic and market trends, including the World Economic Forum's International Business Council Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics Initiative (chair), the Financial Services Forum, the Bank Policy Institute, the Business Roundtable, The Clearing House Association (chair), the American Heart Association CEO Roundtable (co-chair), the Catalyst Board of Directors, the Council on Competitiveness Board and the Business Council. He also is chair of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, which was founded by His Majesty King Charles III, then The Prince of Wales, in 2020.

Moynihan serves as chair of the company's Global Opportunity and Inclusion Council, as a member of the advisory council for the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Appeal of Conscience Board of Trustees. He also works with public officials, businesses and civic leaders at the local level through his participation on the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council, the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership and the Partnership for Rhode Island.

In addition, Moynihan is the chancellor of the Corporation of Brown University, a volunteer role that leads the 54-member Brown Corporation. Prior to that, he was a member of the Brown University Corporation's Board of Fellows for eight years after having served on the Board of Trustees from 2010 to 2016.

Joseph R. Martinetto is responsible for operations, infrastructure, and products for The Charles Schwab Corporation. This includes Charles Schwab Investment Management, Legal Services, Client Solutions, Community Services, Schwab's registered investment advisor affiliates and market strategists, and the Schwab Center for Financial Research. In addition, he leads Technology Services, Digital Services, Operational Services, and the Schwab Affiliated Banks.

Martinetto joined Schwab in 1997 as Senior Vice President and Treasurer. While he assumed the role of Senior Vice President of retail finance in 2001, Martinetto returned to the treasurer role in 2003, assuming incremental responsibility for financial planning and analysis and management information systems. He became the company's Chief Financial Officer in 2007 and held that position until May 2017.

Prior to joining Schwab, Martinetto was senior assistant treasurer at Transamerica Corporation, overseeing the asset/liability management function. Earlier, Martinetto worked at First Interstate Bancorp in a variety of positions, spanning treasury and financial management. At the time of First Interstate's acquisition by Wells Fargo, he was Senior Vice President and manager of the asset and liability management department.

Martinetto has a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and economics from Claremont McKenna College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley.

Howard Marks is a legend in the world of investing, known for his sharp insights and disciplined approach to risk. As the Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of Oaktree Capital Management, he has grown the firm to manage over $200 billion in assets, specializing in distressed debt and high-yield investments. With a career spanning Citicorp Investment Management and TCW Group, Howard has shaped modern investing through his expertise and widely followed memos. Beyond finance, he is dedicated to philanthropy, serving on the investment committee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and as an emeritus trustee at the University of Pennsylvania.

Teri List currently serves as a Board Director for Microsoft and formerly served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Gap, Inc., where she oversaw its finance, real estate and information technology organizations.

Teri also served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Dick's Sporting Goods Inc., where she oversaw the finance and legal organization. Before this, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Kraft Foods Group. As CFO of Kraft, she led the finance, information services and business process excellence organizations.

From 1994 to 2013, she was with Procter & Gamble, progressing to Senior Vice President and Treasurer. Before this, she spent over nine years at Deloitte & Touche LLP, where she provided financial counsel to large multinational companies.

Teri also serves on the Board of Directors of Danaher Corp. and Double Verify. She has a Bachelor's Degree in accounting from Northern Michigan University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Chris Larsen is Executive Chairman of Ripple's board of directors and former CEO and co-founder of Ripple. Prior to Ripple, Chris cofounded and served as CEO of Prosper, a peer-to-peer lending marketplace, and E-LOAN, a publicly traded online lender. During his tenure at E-LOAN, he pioneered the open access to credit scores movement by making E-LOAN the first company to show consumers their FICO scores.

Scott is the Director of the Office of Personnel Management for the U.S. Government.

Scott was the Managing Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. He was an investing partner focused on growth-stage companies building in the bio and healthcare industries, he manages the firm's investor relations team, and is responsible for the firm's growth initiatives. Scott was the first employee at Andreessen Horowitz and managed the firm's growth from $300 million in AUM to more than $30 billion.

Prior to joining the firm, Scott worked as vice president and general manager of software-as-a-service at Hewlett Packard. Before that, he held numerous executive management positions at Opsware, including senior vice president of global field operations, vice president of financial planning and vice president of corporate development. Prior to Opsware, Scott represented software companies in both financing and mergers and acquisitions transactions at Credit Suisse First Boston and Lehman Brothers.

Scott is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It, and serves on the boards of Cedar, Headway, Foursquare, Labster, Ultima, and SnapLogic. He also served as chairman of the board for the National Venture Capital Association.

Scott graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in public policy with honors and distinction. He also holds a law degree with distinction from Stanford University and is a member of the State Bar of California.

Cary is a leading advisor, author, and educator. He teaches the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Investing at Brown University, supports the Sustainable Investment Fund within the Brown Endowment, and serves as a lecturer at Yale College on various subjects. Additionally, he teaches MBA classes at Concordia and the University of Maryland and has previously helped lead the RFK Sustainable Investing program at Columbia's Earth Institute for Kerry Kennedy's RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights.

His third book, Sustainable Investing: Revolutions in Theory and Practice (Routledge, 2017), examines current investment practices and their necessary evolution for the benefit of both society and financial value.

In 2015, he led a Working Group for the PRI involving some of their largest signatories, which resulted in the development of a Framework for Asset Owner Strategy on Climate Change, released during COP 21 in Paris. He also advised and wrote numerous papers for the UNEP Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System, including The Value of Everything.

Gunjan Kedia is Vice Chair of U.S. Bank Wealth Management and Investment Services, and a member of the U.S. Bank Managing Committee, its senior most leadership group. Prior to joining U.S. Bank in 2016, Gunjan held leadership positions at State Street Financial in Boston, where she served as executive vice president and led the investment servicing business in the Americas; BNY Mellon, where she was head of global product management; and McKinsey & Company, where she was a partner and a core leader of the financial services practice. She brings more than 27 years of financial services experience to her role.

Gunjan holds an MBA, with distinction, from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor's degree in engineering, with distinction, from the Delhi School of Engineering. Gunjan was named to American Banker's Most Powerful Women in Finance 2018, 2019 and 2020 lists as well as Barron's 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance list in 2021. She is also the recipient of the 2018 Carnegie Mellon University Alumni Achievement Award.

Gunjan is active in the community and serves on the boards of PBS, Business Advisors for Carnegie Mellon Business School, Junior Achievement USA, and CorStone.

Robin John is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eventide, a Boston-based investment advisor. Eventide strives to honor God and serve its clients by investing in companies that create compelling value for the global common good, which the company refers to as "investing that makes the world rejoice®." He is responsible for the overall leadership of the organization, including strategy and growth, aligning team culture with mission and values, and the general operations of the company. Under his leadership, the firm has grown into a leader in values-based investing.

Prior to founding Eventide, Mr. John held leadership roles for Bank of New York Mellon. He also served as a business consultant for Grant Thornton. He has a degree in Economics from Tufts University.

Robin and his wife Jaunita co-founded Dil Se Foundation and, through the work of the foundation, founded Darsha Academy, a girl's school in Southern India. The school is committed to educating and empowering young women so that they can pursue career opportunities in the fields of science and fulfill their maximum potential.

W. Bradford Hu is Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for State Street Corporation, responsible for leading our risk management function globally. He is also a member of their Executive Committee, the company's most senior strategy and policy-making team.

Before joining State Street Corporation, Brad was Chief Risk Officer and Executive Management Team member at Citigroup, where he led a global team of 4,000 professionals overseeing all major risk categories across the firm's $2.3 trillion balance sheet. He significantly reduced the firm's total portfolio stress losses by 30%, contributing to key credit rating upgrades. Previously, Brad was Chief Risk Officer for Asia Pacific, managing risk across 17 markets and a wide range of Citi's business lines. Before Citi, he spent over 20 years at Morgan Stanley, serving as CEO of Morgan Stanley Taiwan and holding senior roles in Institutional Equity, Global Capital Markets, and Investment Banking. Brad brings over 15 years of on-the-ground experience in Asia, having lived and worked in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Taipei.

Brad is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Global Association of Risk Professionals and serves on the Board of Trustees for The Asia Society and The Museum of American Finance. He is a member of the Dean's Advisory Council for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's School of Science and the Advisory Board for the Amos Tuck School of Business.

Brad earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in electrical engineering and computer science with concentration in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1985 and a Master of Business Administration from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration, Dartmouth College in 1989, where he was elected Edward Tuck Scholar.

Daniel J. Hoffman is a finance veteran with over 30 years of experience, holding an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BS in Economics from Binghamton University. He has held senior roles at companies like Bear Stearns and Cerberus Capital Management, where he managed a $16B equity fund specializing in residential loans. Currently, he serves as the Founder of The Monday Group, a multi-family office providing financial advisory services.

In addition to his corporate roles, Daniel has served as an Adjunct Professor at Baruch College and sat on the Board of Directors for Great Ajax Corporation. His governance and academic contributions complement his corporate achievements, where he has closed over $150 billion in loans and managed large teams, steering companies through fluctuating market conditions.

Beyond the office, Daniel is committed to financial literacy through his work with Operation Hope and Scholars of Finance. As an in-class teacher and seminar leader, he focuses on imparting financial knowledge and ethics to the next generation of finance professionals. With a blend of practical and academic expertise, Daniel is a dynamic leader in the financial industry.

Daniel Hibbert is a Managing Director at BlackRock for Equity Private Markets and Head of Strategy.

Prior to working at BlackRock, he had a long history of experience at Goldman Sachs, previously acting as Managing Director for Global Head of People Experience and Transformation.

Daniel is a proud graduate of Tennessee State University (an HBCU in Nashville, TN).

Jennifer Harwood is a nonprofit and education leader with deep experience building programs, partnerships, and revenue strategies that expand opportunity for young people. She currently serves as Vice President of Programs at Scholars of Finance, where she leads work to develop principled finance leaders who can steward capital for the greater good.

Prior to joining Scholars of Finance, Jennifer served as Senior Director of Partnerships at Year Up United, where she led revenue-generating partnerships and supported the launch and growth of new workforce development products, including Career Labs and Career Connect. She previously served as Executive Director of Reading Partners New York, where she led multi-school operations, strengthened board and fundraising strategy, and helped grow revenue by roughly 30% over two years.

Jennifer has partnered with employers, schools, community organizations, foundations, and senior leaders to create practical, scalable solutions that are both ambitious and sustainable.

McGinnis Harvey is a Chapter Success Manager & Leadership Coach at Scholars of Finance, bringing a background in finance, student leadership, and nonprofit work to his commitment to developing principled leaders. Guided by his experiences, he is deeply motivated to expand financial literacy, bridge economic inequality, and increase access to the American Dream. He believes that values-driven leadership in finance is critical to creating long-term opportunity and systemic change.

Before joining SOF full-time, McGinnis gained professional experience in financial services through internships in Investment Banking at Houlihan Lokey and Credit Risk at RBC Capital Markets. During college, he served as President of the SOF Georgetown University chapter and as President of the Georgetown chapter of First Generation Investors, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching high school students from under-resourced communities how to invest. He later supported the SOF Student Impact team as an intern, focusing on peer mentorship initiatives and the development of professional development programming.

McGinnis holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Finance from Georgetown University. Outside of work, he enjoys cross-training, watching Georgia football and Duke basketball, reading and writing, and studying Korean.

Scott Harrison is the founder of charity: water, a nonprofit organization that brings safe drinking water to developing countries. He was recognized in Fortune Magazine's 40 under 40 list, the Forbes Magazine Impact 30 list and was recently #10 in Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business issue. He is currently a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and the New York Times bestselling author of Thirst.

After spending two years on a hospital ship off the coast of Liberia, Scott saw the effects of dirty water firsthand, and came back to New York City on a mission. Upon returning to NYC in 2006, Scott turned his full attention to the global water crisis and the (then) 1.1 billion people living without access to clean water. He established a small core team in a tiny Manhattan apartment and created charity: water.

Fourteen years later, with the help of more than 1 million supporters worldwide, charity: water has raised over $539 million and funded over 64,000 water projects in 29 countries. When completed, those projects will provide over 12.6 million people with clean, safe drinking water.

Britt Harris is a renowned investment leader and educator who has served as CIO or CEO for eight different investment firms, managing over $500 billion throughout his career. As the only executive to serve as CEO across all major asset categories - including Verizon (corporate), Texas Teachers (public), Bridgewater (hedge funds), and UTIMCO (university endowments) - Harris brings unique insight into leadership and financial stewardship. He founded the prestigious Titans of Investing program, which has trained over 1,000 graduates across 35 states and 14 countries, collectively creating 41 businesses valued at over $5 billion. His extensive experience includes serving on advisory boards for the New York Stock Exchange and Dallas Fed, advising five different countries on financial markets, and earning three lifetime achievement awards.

Miguel Guadalupe is a seasoned business leader with deep expertise in strategic development, fundraising, and organizational leadership. A proud graduate of Wesleyan University, Miguel has held key roles in the financial services, technology, and nonprofit sectors, including positions at Merrill Lynch, FirstRain, Gartner, and BRC.

At Merrill Lynch, he gained significant experience in Marketing, Research Operations, and Middle Market International Sales. He then moved into the tech startup space at FirstRain, where he further honed his leadership and strategic skills. At Gartner, Miguel focused on strategic advisory services and market research, and during his tenure at BRC, he served as VP of Development, leading fundraising initiatives that drove organizational growth and impact.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, promoting cultural awareness and educational initiatives. As part of Scholars of Finance, Miguel focuses on guiding supporters of our programs in empowering the next generation of ethical leaders, championing financial literacy and leadership development for young professionals.

Leonardo Gobbi Lopez has been the Engineering Manager at Scholars of Finance since May 2023, where he works directly with the CTO to scale the organization's impact through technology. With deep full-stack and DevOps expertise in web applications, he leads the engineering efforts that power Scholars of Finance's mission.

Leonardo is a seasoned engineering professional with over a decade of experience spanning frontend, backend, and infrastructure. He holds a Master's degree in Automation and Systems from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil) and a degree in Control and Automation Engineering. His career has taken him through more than 15 international projects, leadership roles across startups and tech companies, and hands-on work with technologies like React, Next.js, TypeScript, Django, and AWS. He has a published article in IEEE and a track record of solving complex technical challenges.

Outside of work, Leonardo is a passionate vegetarian and animal lover — proud parent of two adopted dogs. He enjoys staying active through soccer and regular workouts, and unwinds with video games in his downtime.

Bill George is an Executive Education Fellow at Harvard Business School, where he has been a professor of management practice and senior fellow teaching leadership and governance since 2004.

Bill is the former Chairman & CEO of Medtronic. He is the author of True North: Emerging Leader Edition and four best-selling leadership books. He has served on the boards of Goldman Sachs, ExxonMobil, Novartis, Target, and the Mayo Clinic. He is a life director of the Guthrie Theater, and a board member of YMCA of the North.

He received his BSIE from Georgia Tech and his MBA from Harvard University, where he was a Baker Scholar. He has received five honorary PhDs, including Georgia Tech and Mayo Medical School.

As an experienced higher education practitioner and first-generation college graduate, Madison utilizes her passion for student development to build strong student relationships and to create beneficial opportunities for future generations as an essential part of her desire to work for others. Prior to joining Scholars of Finance, Madison gained a variety of experience in academic advising, student development programming, residential housing, student identity development and in the field of corporate communications and marketing.

Madison graduated from Christian Brothers University with a bachelor's degree in English for Corporate Communications and a professional writing certificate, as well as a master's of science in Leadership and Policy Studies with a concentration in Student affairs from the University of Memphis. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and attending local book club meetings.

Her Top 5 Gallup Clifton Strengths include Empathy, Harmony, Discipline, Includer, and Maximizer.

MK Escueta is an operations and leadership professional who currently serves as Chief of Staff to Stephen Sorenson, COO and CTO. She has extensive experience leading teams and strengthening organizational effectiveness. Her work centers on people leadership and operational coordination, with a focus on fostering collaborative and high-performing environments. Prior to joining Scholars of Finance, MK gained leadership experience managing teams in the BPO industry, where she honed her skills in coaching, team leadership, and operational excellence.

Outside of her professional life, MK is a proud mother of two beautiful daughters, happily married, and a fan of many forms of art. She also enjoys playing online games and listening to all genres of music, which inspire her creativity and perspective in both life and work.

Renata Dutra serves as a UX/UI designer focused on creating intuitive and user-centered digital experiences. In her work, she designs interfaces and product flows that improve usability, clarity, and overall product performance. She collaborates closely with cross-functional teams—including product managers, developers, and stakeholders—to translate complex requirements into thoughtful, accessible solutions.

Renata brings more than four years of experience in design and digital product development. Throughout her career, she has developed strong skills in user experience design, interface design, and prototyping, with a particular focus on building products that balance business goals with meaningful user experiences. She has worked on a range of digital platforms and initiatives, applying design thinking to improve usability, streamline workflows, and support product growth.

Outside of work, Renata enjoys going to the gym, reading books, watching films and series, visiting her family in her hometown, and playing video games.

Andrew S. Duff served as the chairman of Piper Sandler Companies from 2003 - 2018 and was previously the firm's chief executive officer from 2000 through 2017.

Duff joined Piper Sandler in 1980 in the institutional fixed income sales group. He was later promoted to manager of institutional sales and trading in 1994, and then served as president of the individual investor services and capital markets areas until 1996. During the time period that Piper Sandler was owned by U.S. Bancorp (1996 through 2003), Duff served as president of Piper Sandler and vice chair of U.S. Bancorp for the wealth management group.

Duff currently serves on the board of directors of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the University of St. Thomas board of trustees and the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business strategic board of governors. He is a longstanding member of the Walker Art Center board of trustees, and an advisor to the board of directors of Great Clips, Inc. He is a former board member of Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA).

Steve Dowling is the former Vice President of Communications at Apple, where he worked for 16 years and led global media relations, corporate communications, employee communications, and events. He later served as OpenAI’s first Vice President of Communications and Public Policy. Earlier in his career, he was a journalist at CNBC and established the network’s Silicon Valley bureau.

JC de Swaan is a lecturer in the economics department at Princeton University, where he is affiliated with the Bendheim Center for Finance. He teaches courses on ethics in finance and on Asian capital markets to undergraduate and graduate students. He also teaches at the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge. In the past he has taught at Yale University, Hong Kong UST, and Cheung Kong Business School in Beijing.

Separately, JC de Swaan is a Partner at Cornwall Capital, an investment fund based in New York. Prior to Cornwall, he was a senior advisor on China at a global macro fund and an investment professional at an Asia-dedicated hedge fund. Prior to that, JC de Swaan worked at McKinsey & Company.

At Princeton, JC de Swaan also hosts speakers on the topic of ethics in finance and acts as a faculty adviser to first-year and sophomore students.

JC de Swaan received his B.A. from Yale University in Political Science, an MPhil in International Relations from the University of Cambridge, and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School. He is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an Associate Fellow of Ezra Stiles College, Yale University.

Silvio is a Senior Full-Stack Software Engineer and is responsible for developing and maintaining the front end of the SOF app, shipping features that enhance the day-to-day experience of students and national team members, supporting operations across 40+ chapters nationwide.

With over five years of experience designing and building scalable, production-grade web applications using TypeScript, React, and Node.js–based stacks, he has worked across a wide range of environments — from large brokerage firms (6,000+ employees) to early-stage startups (10+ employees). This breadth of experience has cultivated strong adaptability and the ability to deliver meaningful value under diverse constraints.

In addition to his work in software engineering, Silvio holds a Law degree from the Universidade do Estado da Bahia, in Brazil, and has served as a pro bono lawyer for low-income families in Salvador, his hometown. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games and traveling with his wife.

Davis is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Make-A-Wish America. Prior to working at Make-A-Wish America, he was the Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Bancorp, parent company of U.S. Bank, the fifth largest commercial bank in the United States.

He served as Executive Chairman from December 2007 to April 2018, Chief Executive Officer from December 2006 to April 2017, President from October 2004 to January 2016, and Chief Operating Officer from October 2004 to December 2006. Davis was an Executive Vice President at Bank of America and Security Pacific Bank prior to joining Star Banc Corporation, which was one of U.S. Bancorp's legacy companies.

During his career, he has served as Chairman of the Financial Services Roundtable, Chairman of the Consumer Bankers Association, Chairman of The Clearing House, and representative for the Ninth District of the Federal Reserve, where he was President of its Financial Advisory Committee. Additionally, he currently serves as a director of the Mayo Clinic. He was also one of three executive co-chairs of the 2018 Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee.

Davis brings global business and leadership experience as a former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of a public company, particularly in industries subject to extensive regulation. He has extensive experience and knowledge of international business operations, financial services and capital allocation which is particularly important given the global presence and financial aspects of the company. Davis has additional public company board experience across the financial services and medical industries resulting in additional corporate governance and compensation experience, financial expertise and board leadership experience.

Davis also serves on the Mastercard Incorporated Board of Directors (since June 2018). Davis served on the Xcel Energy Board of Directors from March 2006 to May 2020, the DowDuPont Inc. Board of Directors from July 2018 to April 2019, the DowDuPont Materials Advisory Committee from September 2017 to April 2019, and The Dow Chemical Company Board of Directors from 2015 to August 2017.

Natalia Cucunubá serves as Project Manager at Scholars of Finance, where she helps oversee and execute strategic initiatives across the organization's Corporate Partners and Student Impact teams. In this role, she manages cross-functional projects, coordinates internal stakeholders, and supports the successful delivery of programs and partnerships that advance Scholars of Finance's mission of developing principled leaders in the finance industry.

Natalia brings more than six years of experience across operations, logistics, and nonprofit program management, where she has developed strong skills in coordinating complex initiatives, improving operational systems, and collaborating with diverse stakeholders. Earlier in her career, she worked in logistics and international operations roles managing high-volume processes and global coordination.

Natalia graduated with a degree in International Business from Universidad del Norte, in Barranquilla (Colombia) and is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in Project Management at Universidad Sergio Arboleda. She is passionate about contributing to mission-driven organizations that create meaningful opportunities for students and young professionals. In her free time, she enjoys spending time in nature and exploring cinema and music.

Mandell Crawley joined Morgan Stanley in October 1992 as a High School Intern and now serves as Chief Human Resources Officer for the Firm. Prior to this assignment, Mr. Crawley was Head of National Business Development and Talent Management for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (MSWM) where he led an organization responsible for driving revenue and asset growth across the firm's industry leading platform and improving the proficiency of our financial advisors, sales support, and field leadership talent. Mr. Crawley held a succession of roles within the Business Development Organization as both a Regional and Divisional Business Development Manager for several key geographical markets across the wealth management unit. He was also Head of U.S. Fixed Income Sales and Distribution for MSWM's Capital Markets Group, overseeing a large coverage team specializing in Interest Rates, Credit, Asset Back, Structured Products, and Municipal Bond Securities. In aggregate, Mr. Crawley spent 14 of his 22 years working within Fixed Income Capital Markets in various producing and managerial capacities. He is a member of MSWM's Management Committee, Field Management Operating Committee, Private Banking Advisory Board, Global Product Review Committee and the Multicultural Client Strategy Committee. Mr. Crawley received an MBA with honors from Fordham University and a B.A. in Economics from Northeastern Illinois University. He resides in Westchester County, NY with his wife Alison, and twin daughters, Jordyn and Jaedyn, and is a proud native of Chicago.

Alicia Castro joined Scholars of Finance in March 2026. She serves as Chief of Staff to Miguel Guadalupe, VP of Community Development. In this role, she partners closely with leadership to drive execution across key initiatives, strengthen operational systems, and ensure alignment across cross-functional workstreams. She focuses on bringing clarity, accountability, and structure to complex priorities, enabling the team to operate with greater speed and impact.

Alicia brings experience in operations, project management, and executive support, with a strong emphasis on building scalable systems and improving workflows in fast-paced environments. She is deeply committed to operational excellence and takes pride in translating strategy into consistent, high-quality execution.

She is passionate about contributing to mission-driven organizations and is especially inspired by Scholars of Finance's commitment to developing character-driven leaders who will steward capital with integrity and purpose.

Outside of work, Alicia enjoys traveling, practicing pilates, journaling, and discovering new coffee shops where she can read and reflect.

Christopher E Campbell is one of the world's leading experts in the economy and business markets, Christopher Campbell is the former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Institutions. In one of the most critical roles in the Treasury department, Campbell was responsible for coordinating efforts regarding the legislation and regulation of financial institutions, federal agencies that regulate or insure financial institutions, and securities markets.

Overseeing a staff of 200, he managed programs including government-sponsored enterprises, cyber security and compliance policy, the Federal Insurance Office (FIO), as well as small business, community development, and affordable housing policy.

Prior to his role at the Treasury department, Campbell was the majority staff director to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. He designed, managed, and coordinated the U.S. Senate agenda in the areas of international and domestic taxation, international trade, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the U.S. National Debt, and oversight of three presidential cabinet secretaries.

Ray was most recently a Managing Director at BlackRock. Most recently he led Corporate Client Strategy & The Strategic Partner Program for the Americas. He was also previously the Head of BlackRock's Investment Stewardship team for the Americas region based in New York. In this role, Ray led a team of specialists responsible for engagement and proxy voting activities in relation to the companies in which BlackRock invests on behalf of clients. Through direct engagement with companies, the team encouraged corporate governance practices that support sustainable financial performance over the long-term.

Prior to joining BlackRock, Ray managed the corporate access engagement practice at several investment banking firms, including Stifel and Cowen. In these capacities, he oversaw teams that established and enhanced constructive dialogue with hundreds of portfolio companies' boards and management teams.

Ray started his Wall Street career at Morgan Stanley on the institutional equity sales desk. After spending several years as a generalist, he became a technology specialist. It was in that capacity, he recognized the potential of corporate access as a stand-alone business opportunity. Ray is credited for creating and managing the first fully integrated corporate access team on Wall Street. His team included a diverse group of sector specialists who were responsible for driving engagements in their respective industries and enhancing relationships with corporate boards and management and with internal investment professionals within the firm.

He was subsequently recruited to re-engineer the corporate access engagement practice at Lehman Brothers. There he successfully maintained the entire team through the Lehman bankruptcy filing and the eventual acquisition of equity assets by Barclays.

Ray earned his Masters of Business Administration degree from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas and his Bachelors of Business Administration degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

As the CFO of General Mills, I'm proud to lead a passionate team committed to supporting the business and our brands across the globe. I joined General Mills in 2009 and have held Finance leadership positions throughout my tenure. I received my MBA from the University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business and completed my undergraduate studies at Stanford University.

Judson Brewer, MD, PhD ("Dr. Jud"), is a New York Times best-selling author and a leading authority on habit change and the science of self-mastery. He serves as the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and as a professor at Brown University. An internationally recognized psychiatrist specializing in mindfulness for addiction, Dr. Jud has developed innovative mindfulness programs—both in-person and app-based—for smoking cessation, emotional eating, and anxiety. He has investigated the neural mechanisms of mindfulness using standard and real-time fMRI and EEG neurofeedback. He has trained U.S. Olympic athletes, coaches, and foreign government ministers. His work has been featured on "60 Minutes," TED (one of the most-viewed talks of 2016 with over 20 million views), The New York Times, Time magazine, Forbes, BBC, NPR, Al Jazeera, Businessweek, and more. Dr. Jud founded MindSciences—now part of Sharecare Inc.—to bring his discoveries directly to consumers. He also co-founded Mindshift Recovery, a nonprofit aiding those suffering from addiction and more recently, co-created Going Beyond Anxiety, a next-generation program to help anyone with anxiety. He is the author of The Craving Mind (Yale University Press, 2017), the New York Times bestseller Unwinding Anxiety (Avery/Penguin Random House, 2021), and The Hunger Habit (Avery/Penguin Random House, 2024). For more information, visit www.drjud.com or subscribe to his Substack newsletter called Inside the Curious Mind.

Kristine Braden is a global banker with extensive experience working in Europe, Asia, the United States and Latin America. Currently, Kristine serves as Board Director at Vontobel, a Swiss investment firm, as Board Director at KBC Group, a Belgian bank-insurance group and on the Advisory Council of Frontier Tech Capital Pte. Ltd, an Asian technology fund headquartered in Singapore. She is also active on non-profit boards with International Care Ministries in the Philippines, TrustBridge Global Foundation in Switzerland and Be Still Media Foundation in the US. Kristine worked for 26 years with Citigroup in a variety of senior roles, most recently leading its European franchise including as CEO for Citigroup Global Markets Europe AG in Germany and CEO of Citibank Europe Plc. in Ireland. Kristine holds a B.A. with honors in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley and completed graduate coursework in accounting and corporate finance at Johns Hopkins University, SAIS. She is a certified director with the National Association of Corporate Directors in the US.

With over ten years of professional experience in managing, advising, teaching, and coaching, I am excited to bring a person-centric and problem solving approach to all types of teams. I hold a consistent commitment to fostering integrity, individualization, continuous learning, and diversity in all facets of my life. My expertise is enhanced by a Master's degree in Communication Management and a Bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management, complemented by my near completion of a Doctorate in Educational Leadership & Policy.

I am dedicated to continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible in professional settings, ensuring that every program I work with is as inclusive, efficient, and empowering as possible.

Clifton Strengths: Strategic, Relator, Individualization, Ideation, Developer

Mike Bontrager has spent his career starting and operating both for-profit and nonprofit organizations that are purpose-driven with multiple bottom lines. In 1991, he founded Chatham Financial and built it into the largest independent financial derivatives advisory services and technology firm. In 2019, he retired from Chatham and founded Square Roots Collective (SRC) to launch ventures under one umbrella to cultivate a community where everyone can thrive and meet their potential. Mike holds a BA in economics from Wheaton College and received an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Sheila Bair has had a long and distinguished career in government, academia, and finance. Twice named by Forbes Magazine as the second most powerful woman in the world, she is perhaps best known as chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) from 2006 to 2011, when she steered the agency through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

A former finance professor and college president, Ms. Bair has been nationally recognized for her innovative initiatives to make college more accessible and affordable to all students. She is a frequent commentator and op-ed contributor on financial regulation and the student debt crisis, as well as author of the NY Times Best Seller, Bull by the Horns, her 2012 memoir of the financial crisis.

She is a founding director of the Volcker Alliance, established by Former Federal Reserve Board Chair Paul Volcker to build trust in government and is the founding chair of the Systemic Risk Council, which advocates for financial stability.

Omar joined Scholars of Finance in August 2026. He serves as Operations Manager, driving cross-functional execution, process automation, and operational efficiency across the organization. In this role, he partners with leadership to streamline workflows, eliminate bottlenecks, and build scalable systems that allow teams to move with speed and clarity.

Omar brings extensive experience across operations, project management, and international business consulting. He specializes in turning complex challenges into straightforward, automated solutions, with a strong focus on operational excellence, continuous improvement, and practical technology adoption. He is dedicated to building robust infrastructure that empowers teams to perform at their best.

Outside of work, Omar is committed to fitness and health, enjoys outdoor activities, cooking, traveling, following European football, and spending time with his family and friends.

Marielle Arias serves as Accountant & Financial Analyst, where she supports the finance team's day to day operations, helping ensure accuracy and accountability across the organization's financial processes.

Prior to joining SOF, Marielle was a supervisor for a payments team, where she managed people and developed strong skills in attention to detail, problem-solving, and customer service, skills she now brings to her work in finance.

Marielle graduated with honors from Universidad IEST Anáhuac Tampico with a degree in Finance and Public Accounting. During her time there, she was an active member of the student alumni association, helping plan events, and was also part of the social action group. In her free time, she enjoys singing and dancing, going to the gym, discovering new places, and spending time with family and friends, including taking her husky, Toby, on walks.

Andrea joined Scholars of Finance in May 2023. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff to Ross Overline, CEO and Chairman.

Before joining SOF, Andrea led a team at a non-profit organization focused on developing social skills and supporting the career and personal growth of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

She also served as president of the Social Action Committee within Anahuac's Leadership Excellence Program, where she organized activities to raise social awareness and fostered partnerships with companies and business leaders to teach young professionals and students about leadership, success, integrity, and social impact.

Andrea enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with loved ones, and contributing to animal shelters.

Christine Anderson is the Global Head of Corporate Affairs, overseeing Blackstone's Public Affairs, Marketing, and ESG functions.

She leads Blackstone's efforts related to Environmental, Social and Governance issues and she serves as the primary spokesperson for the firm, advising Blackstone's senior leaders and business groups, as well as companies across Blackstone's portfolio.

Before joining Blackstone in 2009, Ms. Anderson served as Communications Director and Director of Marketing to the former Governor of New York as well as Communications Director on the 2006 gubernatorial campaign. Before working in state government, Ms. Anderson was an Associate Director of Corporate Communications at UBS AG supporting U.S. media relations and serving as a spokesperson for the company's Wealth Management division. During the 2004 U.S. Presidential election cycle, she served as a Deputy Press Secretary on the Kerry-Edwards campaign. Ms. Anderson also previously worked as an Account Director at the public relations firm Brunswick and as a Segment Producer for ABC News' "Good Morning America" after starting her career in the Press Office of the Clinton White House.

Ms. Anderson received a BA from The College of the Holy Cross, and serves on the boards of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Bumble, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Diligent.

Gary Albano, the Sr. Manager of Development & Partnerships at Scholars of Finance, brings his operations, strategy, and management expertise to enhance our team's impact and outreach.

Before joining Scholars of Finance, Gary applied his strategic development, operations, and client acquisition skills, contributing to the growth of several businesses in his area. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Rutgers University.

Omar Aguilar is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Schwab Asset Management, and President and CEO of Charles Schwab Investment Advisory, responsible for leading, developing, and overseeing the firm's investment strategies. He is also responsible for the Schwab Center for Financial Research, which provides quality research and education, timely market insights, and practical guidance to help millions of investors make informed financial decisions.

Omar has more than 25 years of broad investment management experience in the equity markets, including managing index, quantitative equity, asset allocation, and multi-manager strategies. Before joining Schwab Asset Management in 2011, Omar worked at Financial Engines where he was responsible for managing more than $40 billion in assets from leading retirement plan sponsors in the defined contribution market. Before that, he served as head of quantitative equity for ING Investment Management (now known as Voya Investment Management), building and developing the group and managing more than $20 billion in assets with 15 global active, index and enhanced index strategies for pension funds, variable annuities, and mutual funds. Omar also served as head of quantitative research for Lehman Brothers' alternative investment management business and as a director of quantitative research and a portfolio manager with both Merrill Lynch Investment Management and Bankers Trust.

One of Wall Street's most respected technical analysts, Ralph has been consistently ranked by Institutional Investor for more than 10 years. With 47 years of experience, he is a pioneer in the development of market analytics and has a global reputation as a technical analyst and market historian.

Ralph is a Senior Managing Director at Altaira Ltd., which offers wealth management services to family offices and high net worth individuals. He is regularly consulted for his market opinion by CNBC, Fox Business, Barron's, and others. Ralph is a trustee on the board of the Security Industry Institute and is involved in the establishment of the Securities Traders Association University. He is also the founder of the Chartered Market Technicians Association, which today has more than 80 chapters and 5,000 members globally. He also founded and was the first chairman of the International Federation of Technical Analysts.

A former director of technical research at Knight Equity Markets, Ralph worked for 15 years at Prudential Equity Group as director of technical analysis. He worked at several of the financial industry's top firms, including Kidder Peabody & Co. and Smith Barney.

He is the Co-author of the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) examination and author of The Fourth Mega-Market, Now Through 2011: How Three Earlier Bull Markets Explain the Present and Predict the Future.