The 50th episode of "Investing in Integrity" is the second part of our special Chairman & CEO series with host Nishant Singhal, SOF’s Chief of Staff, and Ross Overline as featured guest. Through their enlightening conversation, they discuss why we need to be more optimistic about the future of the financial industry and how to make a positive difference in the lives of others.  Ross' unyielding commitment to societal betterment is what inspired him to co-found Scholars of Finance. He...

The 49th episode of "Investing in Integrity" offers a unique twist: Ross Overline, your usual host, steps into the guest seat for his first of two episodes with host Nishant Singhal, Chief of Staff at Scholars of Finance. Through their conversation, Ross dives deep into his unique journey from a modest farm town upbringing to becoming the champion for ethical finance he is today. Listen as Ross pulls back the curtain on his life before Scholars of Finance. He candidly speaks about his mental...

Prepare to be immersed in a wealth of knowledge as we present our 'Best Of' compilation, distilled from the first 45 episodes of Investing in Integrity. This special edition is custom-made to elevate your financial expertise and turbocharge your personal and professional growth. Segmented into overarching themes of Personal Development, Leadership, and Finance, we have distilled the top talking points of the past 2 years into one blockbuster podcast. Listen from start to finish - you wouldn't...

In this episode of Investing in Integrity, we engage in an enlightening conversation with Anne Ackerley, an esteemed executive at BlackRock. As the overseer of the US Retirement Group, Anne is responsible for over $1 trillion in assets, serving the retirement needs of millions of Americans.  With keen insights and unmatched expertise, Anne takes us on a captivating journey through her life and career in finance, starting from her roots as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch and eventually...

In this episode of Investing in Integrity, we spoke with Daniel Kimerling, Managing Partner of Deciens Capital, an early-stage investment fund. Along with being an experienced startup operator, Daniel is also the Co-Founder of Standard Treasury, a Y-Combinator backed startup. Daniel makes an impassioned case for the role of finance & technology (specifically venture capital) in creating opportunity and driving positive innovation – telling stories about how the financing of Genentech...

In this episode of Investing In Integrity, we spoke with Jonathan Cary, a Senior Managing Director at Guggenheim Securities, one of the leading investment banks on Wall Street. In this episode, Jonathan discusses everything from navigating the financial landscape after the 2008 recession, to unleashing the power of authentic leadership. Jonathan shares several anecdotes of how he steered Guggenheim Securities through the challenging period of the last financial crisis, shaping the...

In this episode of Investing in Integrity, we had an in-depth conversation about risk management and modeling with Armel Roméo Kouassi, Global Head of Asset Liability Management for Northern Trust Corporation. From dissecting the downfall of Silicon Valley Bank to comparative historical analysis of how firms managed and modeled risk in the 1980s, Armel argues throughout the conversation how the complexity and uncertainty of working in finance necessitates strong, principled leadership.  He...

In this episode of Investing In Integrity, we talked with one of sustainable finance’s most innovative and impactful leaders, Kara Succoso Mangone. Kara is a Managing Director and Head of the Sustainable Finance Group at Goldman Sachs where she drives Goldman’s $750B firmwide commitment to providing sustainable finance solutions to clients and investors.This conversation dives into Kara’s perspectives on issues from the pragmatics of global decarbonization, to purchasing nature offsets in...

Citing Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory,” Robin John, CEO of Eventide Asset Management, traces his inspiring, Christ-driven journey in building an investment firm that “makes the world rejoice” by allocating capital to promote “human flourishing.” In this one-of-a-kind episode of Investing In Integrity, Robin John explains how Eventide’s investment philosophy goes beyond, “avoiding the worst examples” of exploitation, to...

“Life’s too short to play games,” says Arvind Purushotham, Head of Citi Ventures, our guest in our latest episode of Investing in Integrity. Arvind traces an impressive career arc from engineering leadership at Intel to making high-stakes investment decisions and advising founders & business leaders at Citi, unpacking how strong technical and product knowledge can equip future investors to make smarter decisions. For those curious about different approaches to venture capital (e.g. the...

In this episode of Investing In Integrity, we spoke with Stephen Sorenson, COO at Scholars of Finance. This conversation is all about balance and leadership.  Stephen defines work-life balance as “being healthy on all fronts - mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual,” and shares several stories about his early days in building SOF – and how being focused and present in the task at hand, whether it is work or spending time with family, benefited him. Stephen also talks openly about...

In this episode of Investing In Integrity, we spoke with Yassaman Salas, Partner at Goldman Sachs in the Healthcare Investment Banking Group.  At Goldman Sachs, Yassaman leads their Medical Technology Banking division, where she’s been involved in some of the biggest Healthcare and MedTech industry deals of the last decade. Yassaman digs into how the pandemic impacted the space, and also discusses several predictions for the industry in the coming years.  Yassaman also co-leads the...

In this episode of Investing In Integrity, we spoke with Arielle Patrick, Chief Communications Officer of Ariel Investments.  Arielle leads an integrated team responsible for all communications for the $16.2 billion global asset management firm and its private equity arm. This episode is a masterclass on essential communication skills for all finance professionals. Arielle also explains the recent rebranding of Ariel Investments, which introduced the tagline, ‘Active Patience.’ She...

Working in finance is essentially “safeguarding people’s lives and dreams,” according to Gunjan Kedia, Vice Chair of Wealth Management and Investment Services at U.S. Bank. “The most successful leaders and firms in finance,” Gunjan argues, are those who carry this obligation “close to heart, and never let people become just a statistic.” U.S. Bank, Gunjan explains, follows this principle through efforts to bring equal access to wealth management and robo-advisory technology in serving...

In this episode of Investing in Integrity, Ross had the pleasure of speaking with Rory Gwozdz in our first ever alumni interview. Rory was one of the Co-Founders of our UC Berkeley chapter and is currently a trader at the hedge fund The Voleon Group. Rory shares his experience of charting his initial path in finance. As a recent graduate of UC Berkeley, he offers relatable insights into choosing your professional careers from a student perspective. He candidly takes us through his journey...

In this episode of Investing In Integrity, Ross Overline spoke with Michael Sonnenshein, CEO at Grayscale Investments. For context, Grayscale is the world’s largest digital currency asset manager, and its flagship product, the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, or GBTC for short, has had major ups & downs in the last couple years – just like Bitcoin.  Ross & Michael dig into some of the major controversies and flashpoints in crypto, from the recent collapse of FTX, to Grayscale’s clash with the...

In this episode of Investing In Integrity, Ross Overline spoke with Tim Welsh, Vice Chair of Consumer and Business Banking at U.S. Bank. This conversation is all about helping other people to achieve their goals, and how a mindset grounded in humility, compassion, and integrity should be at the center of banking. Tim’s career started in management consulting, spanning over two decades at McKinsey. He discusses in-depth how a leadership foundation in solving problems and helping clients has...

In this episode of Investing In Integrity, Ross chatted with Vijay Tirathrai, Managing Director of Techstars, a juggernaut startup accelerator which has had 2,900 companies go through its accelerator programs, adding up to a combined market capitalization of over $70 billion. Vijay’s journey spans founding, failing, building, scaling, and exiting as a serial startup founder – and then investing, advising, and mentoring as a venture investor at Techstars. Vijay emphasizes the role of...

In this year-end episode of Investing In Integrity, we’re joined by Peter Akwaboah, the Chief Operating Officer for Technology and Head of Innovation at Morgan Stanley. It’s alright to “slow down,” Peter says. “The pandemic taught us we can take time out and calibrate; things will survive and still run.” As we wrap up a year marked by so much uncertainty and kick off 2023, Peter reminds us that “it doesn’t matter what we do – taking care of yourself is the only way we continue to have...

In this episode of Investing In Integrity, we’re joined by Jack Pitts, Senior Managing Director in the Legal & Compliance Group, where he serves as General Counsel of Blackstone Alternative Asset Management (BAAM).  “I’m only as good as the people around me,” Jack said, praising his colleagues at Blackstone. “I can’t do anything without an offensive line in front of me or a receiver to throw to,” the former quarterback added. Educated at Howard University School of Law, Jack explains...

“Impact is the next big shift in finance,” says Aaron Yeo, SOF UCLA member and Founder of Purposeful Finance, a purpose-driven media initiative to illuminate and amplify stories of finance making an impact, showcasing how rapidly-expanding disciplines like Impact Investing & Sustainable Development are changing the world for the better. A UCLA student interested in pursuing a career in finance who started his adult life in Singapore’s armed forces, Aaron reflects on how he founded...

In this episode of Investing In Integrity, we were joined by three student members of SOF: Amirta (USC), Drake (UPenn) and Serena (UVA). This conversation was all about culture and  community–not only how each student has experienced SOF on their campus, but how their broader experiences in college and interactions with the industry–from networking conversations to recent internships–have shaped their pursuits of a career in finance. With recruiting and networking top-of-mind for many...

In our latest episode of Investing In Integrity, we unpacked the changes & growth happening in our programs with our own Miranda Jenkins, Chief Program Officer at Scholars of Finance. This conversation offers a behind-the-scenes perspective, connecting the dots between our student members’ experiences; the involvement of professionals as speakers and mentors; and the support of corporate partners and donors. A decade-long leader in financial services, including a stint at Goldman Sachs,...

“Don’t you dare sell anything you wouldn’t want your grandmother to have,” says Richard Davis. “Get it off the shelf!” This ‘Grandmother Quotient’ is one of many leadership principles that the former CEO of U.S. Bank and now President & CEO of Make a Wish America shares in this episode. It’s no secret that U.S. Bank during Richard’s (nearly two-decade) tenure set a standard of excellence, frequently being cited as one of the best places to work in America; racking up prestigious...

This episode of Investing In Integrity features a highly respected leader in Private Equity, Daniel Pietrzak. Daniel is a Partner at KKR where he co-leads the firm's private credit funds with about $72B in assets under management. Daniel recently launched a $2.1B asset-based finance fund, which is the firm’s first fund which finances assets secured against collateral-based cash flows, like consumer mortgages and commercial leases. Daniel not only takes us through the backstory of launching...