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Finance IBD Panel

Erica Dorfman - Moderator Analyst in Diversified Industries Group at J.P. Morgan         Erica is a second year analyst in the Diversified Industries group at J.P. Morgan. She graduated from Columbia University in 2011 with a B.A. in Economics.         While at Columbia, she interned at equity research firm Brean Murray, Carret & Co. as well as a small-cap mergers and acquisitions firm, Bruml Capital Corporation in her hometown of Cleveland, OH.         On campus, Erica served on the CWBS Executive Board for two years, in addition to being on the executive board of Kappa Alpha Theta, a member of the Greek Honor Society, and a volunteer for the Afterhours Tutoring Program. Stephanie Balint Associate in Corporate Advisory at Evercore Partners         Stephanie Balint is an Associate in Evercore's corporate advisory business. Prior to joining Evercore, Ms. Balint was an analyst at Berkshire Capital Securities, where she focused on M&A transactions in the asset management and brokerage sectors.         Ms. Balint graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Duke University with a B.S. in Economics and a Certificate in Markets and Management Studies. Katherine Carrington Analyst in Financial Institutions Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch         Katherine grew up in the U.K. and moved to the U.S. in 2003. She studied economics at Columbia University and graduated in 2011. While at Columbia she spent two and a half years competing on the cross country and track teams and spent a semester studying in Paris through Columbia's Reid Hall program. She interned at Aquiline Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on the financial services industry, during the summer between her junior and senior years. She continued as a part-time employee at Aquiline during her senior year at Columbia and received an offer from Bank of America Merrill Lynch in the fall of her senior year. Katherine is now a 2nd year analyst in Bank of America Merrill Lynch's Financial Institutions Group within the Investment Banking Division. Deals that Katherine has worked on include the sale of Merrill Lynch's International Wealth Management Business to Julius Baer ($880mm) and the IPO of FX Alliance, Inc ($72mm). Ali Hawkins Analyst in Consumer Retail Coverage Group at Goldman Sachs         Ali Hawkins is an analyst in the Consumer Retail Coverage group at Goldman Sachs. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from University of North Carolina in 2010 with a double major in Economics and Political Science.         Ali was also a student-athlete at the University of North Carolina, and she led her team to NCAA titles in her three competitive seasons in 2006, 2008, and 2009, captaining the 2008 and 2009 squads. She was a member of the U.S. U23 National Team, and she played for the Los Angeles Pali Blues Women's Semiprofessional soccer team.         Outside of soccer, she was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and established an intercollegiate group, Student Athletes Leading Social Change, to provide former and current student-athletes with an avenue to promote and participate in local, national and international social development through service activities. Nancy Hung Analyst in Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Credit Suisse         Nancy Hung is a 3rd year analyst in the Mergers & Acquisition group at Credit Suisse. She graduated from Harvard College in 2010 with an A.B. in Economics and is originally from Dallas, Texas.         In the M&A group at Credit Suisse, Nancy is a generalist and has worked in the following industries: Healthcare, Consumer/Retail, Industrials, Technology/Media/Telecom, Real Estate and Oil & Gas. Most of her work, however, is in the Healthcare and Consumer/Retail groups. Prior to joining Credit Suisse full-time, Nancy completed internships at Credit Suisse Singapore and GIC (Government of Singapore Investment Corporation), working on transactions throughout Southeast Asia.         While at Harvard, Nancy was heavily involved in Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business and served as President of the Harvard Radcliffe Asian American Association. Back to the top

Finance Panel

Caroline Rose Casey - Moderator Research Analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch         Caroline Rose Casey is a Research Analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where she analyzes Emerging Market corporate bonds. In particular, she covers the Latin American consumer space, and publishes a weekly Asia credit summary that includes the popular section "Top News in Haiku." Caroline joined the bank after a summer internship in 2011. Previously, Caroline had interned in private equity and with a fashion industry trade organization. At B of A, Caroline is a member of the Columbia recruiting team.         Caroline was born and raised in New York City and graduated from Barnard College in May 2012. Her B.A. is in Middle Eastern Studies, and she has proficiencies in Arabic, Swedish, French, and Spanish. Caroline has run two marathons and enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and traveling in her spare time. Her favorite trips have been to Bangladesh, Jordan, and Sweden. Kelley Bloomquist Director within the IB Regional COO office at UBS         Kelley has worked at UBS in various operations and project capacities since 2004 and has worked in the New York, Stamford and London offices. She has managed teams that support the Equity, Fixed Income, and Prime Brokerage businesses. In each role she has worked to the objective of 'eliminating her own role' by identifying process enhancements and implementing corresponding changes. Recently her work has been focused on changes in margining for derivative products shaped by Dodd Frank and an initiative to enhance Trading Mandates across the bank.         Kelley grew up in Minneapolis, MN before attending Carnegie Mellon University where she graduated with a BS in Business Administration and Hispanic Studies. She also received her MBA from NYU Stern Langone in 2012.         Kelley has played soccer throughout her life serving as captain of her college team, a reserve for Chelsea F.C., a member of Queen's Park Rangers, and now plays recreationally in NYC. Kelly Chen Assistant Vice President in Securitized Products Trading at Barclays         Kelly works in the Securitized Products group at Barclays. Specifically, she trades agency CMO derivatives, including floating rate and interest-only structured bonds and synthetic products. She also structures and closes primary CMO deals. Kelly's first exposure to finance was from the Goldman Sachs Scholar Program at the end of high school, and during college she interned at Lehman Brothers, Kempler, a commodities trading fund, and finally Barclays.         Kelly was born in Shanghai but grew up in Northern NJ. She graduated from Columbia University with a joint B.S. in Financial Engineering and M.S. in Operations Research. During college, she was an Executive Board member of the Society of Women Engineers and the Executive Board Vice President of Policy of the Engineering Student Council. Gretchen Clayton Vice President in the Investment Management Division at Goldman Sachs         Gretchen is a Private Wealth Advisor, working with families and charitable organizations on their investment and other wealth management needs. She also serves as Vice President of the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund. Prior to becoming a Private Wealth Advisor, Gretchen spent eight years on the Strategic Wealth Advisory Team, where she worked with US and European investors and their advisors on tax efficient strategies that helped meet their family, philanthropic and structural goals. She returned to the New York office in 2006 after spending 5 years in London where she headed our Strategic Wealth Advisory efforts in Europe. Before joining Goldman Sachs in 2000, Gretchen worked in the Personal Law Section of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP, where she concentrated on advising families on trust, charitable and business succession planning. In addition, Gretchen has extensive experience in advising trust companies and charitable organizations. She earned her B.A. from Wesleyan University and her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Kristin Stropp Vice President, Business Manager of Fixed Income Sales at BNP Paribas         Kristin Stropp is a Vice President and Business Manager within Fixed Income Sales at BNP Paribas since 2010. Kristin is responsible for delivering global strategic initiatives, managing firm wide projects and working with senior management daily on contributions towards the operational framework.         Prior to joining BNP Paribas, Kristin worked at UBS as a Business Manager in Equity Sales. Outside of business management, Kristin was a Business Development Manager at Citigroup, where she was responsible for cash management sales for large corporate clients. Kristin started her career at Deutsche Bank in 2001 as an analyst in the rotational program for the Chief Technology Office.         Kristin received a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from James Madison University in Virginia. Back to the top

Marketing Panel

Beth Malin - Moderator Sales Assistant at Google, Inc.         Beth graduated from Columbia College in 2011 with a BA in Sociology. At Columbia, she served on the CWBS executive board for 3 years, acting as President in her junior year. She supplemented her CWBS women's leadership activities by serving as the Student Liaison to the Columbia College Women alumni organization. She was also involved in Greek Life through Sigma Delta Tau, serving as Vice President of Recruitment for 2 terms her junior and senior years. Beth was a producer for the Lunar Gala Charity Fashion show her sophomore and junior years. Beth also served as Vice Chair on the Columbia College Senior Fund her senior year.         During her college summers, Beth explored the marketing, sales, non-profit and entertainment industries by interning at NBC Universal in digital ad sales, The United Entertainment group in entertainment marketing, and with the health and wellness non-profit, Energy Up!. Since graduating, Beth has worked as a Sales Assistant at Google, Inc. supporting directors across the financial and automotive digital ad sales industries, with her personal focus in event planning. Janet Balis Publisher of The Huffington Post         Janet Balis is the Publisher of The Huffington Post. In her role, she leads go-to-market strategy for the Pulitzer prize-winning, cross-platform brand across sales and marketing efforts. She is highly focused on HuffPost's most innovative new offerings like HuffPost Live, mobile products, global expansion, and other major partnerships. Immediately prior, Balis served as SVP/Head of Sales Strategy, Marketing and Partnerships for AOL, leading client solutions, branded entertainment, and trade strategy like the 2012 Digital Content Newfronts.         Balis previously served as EVP, Media Sales and Marketing for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, leading revenue across the magazines, television shows, and digital. Prior, Balis served major media entities such as Warner Bros. Television, Turner Broadcasting, and Discovery Communications, through her company, Digital Media Strategies.         Balis also worked for Time Warner for over eight years at both Time Inc. and AOL. She was named a 2010 Ad Age Woman to Watch and 2006 Crain's Top 40 Under 40. She has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Columbia College. Karen Tillson Director of Customer Insights & Marketing Strategy at Bloomingdale's         Karen is the Director of Customer Insights at Bloomingdale's, brought on to establish Customer Insights capabilities and champion the voice of the customer throughout the organization - from store associates to the C-suite. Reporting to VP Marketing Strategy and CMO, scope includes educating management on importance of listening to customers, directing proprietary quantitative and qualitative research studies, mining database for actionable insights, launching engagement tracking study, and translating unmet customer needs into strategic plans that drive growth and make Bloomingdale's like no other store in the world. Karen began her career in advertising working at Ogilvy & Mather and Publicis on brands such as American Express and L'Oreal and spent 15 years at Liz Claiborne Inc. in progressively broader marketing roles before joining Bloomingdale's in 2010. She has an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and a BA from Penn State. Jackie Ugrinovsky Communications Manager at Boots Retail International         Jackie Ugrinovsky is the Communications Manager for Boots Retail International, the iconic British brand that recently arrived stateside. Jackie works within the marketing group for North America managing Digital/Social Media and Public Relations, and supporting across various marketing functions.         Boots skincare and cosmetics brands, including No7, the #1 beauty brand in the UK, and Botanics, have earned countless industry accolades and awards globally. In the US, they are available at Target, Drugstore.com/Beauty.com and Ulta.         Prior to joining Boots, Jackie was an Account Supervisor at Coburn Communication, one of the leading PR agencies in the US. At Coburn, Jackie developed and executed national PR campaigns for brands such as SEGA, Discovery Network, Animal Planet, Demand Media (eHow.com, Livestrong.com) and various Rodale properties (Men's Health, Women's Health, Prevention), among others.         Jackie is a member of Cosmetic Executive Women. She is a Marist College alumnus where she graduated cum laude and played volleyball. Lisa Weiss Senior Director of Marketing at Elite Traveler Media Group / Elite Luxury Publishing, Inc.         Lisa Weiss is responsible for all trade and consumer marketing for Elite Traveler, the private jet lifestyle magazine, and all of the publications and websites that comprise the Elite Traveler Media Group. Her team is responsible for creating and executing multi-platform marketing proposals for luxury brands looking to reach Ultra High Net Worth consumers.         Lisa has been with Elite Traveler for over 11 years, having spent 6 years selling advertising programs to fashion, jewelry and watch companies before her promotion to Senior Director of Marketing in 2007.         Lisa's previous positions in media and marketing include National Advertising Manager for Manhattan Style, a short-lived luxury lifestyle magazine, and multiple positions over a 6-year period in the Advertising Department of Christian Dior, Inc., part of LVMH, the French luxury goods conglomerate.         A graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's Degree in French, Lisa has over 18 years of experience in the luxury media industry. Back to the top

Social Enterprise Panel

Ellie Zeitlin - Moderator Member Engagement Manager at DoSomething.org         Ellie Zeitlin is the Member Engagement Manager at DoSomething.org, the country's largest organizations for young people and social change. In this position, Ellie runs the social entrepreneurship programs including the Do Something Awards on VH1 - the premier award show for young people changing the world.         Her prior experience includes working at a not-for-profit dance organization and teaching English to underprivileged students in France. Ellie graduated from Barnard College in 2011 with a B.A. in Political Economy and a minor in French. She now lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn and is a fierce lover of good food, good walks, and good ideas. Sarah Buitoni Senior Associate at Women's World Banking         Sarah Buitoni is a Senior Associate in WWB's Center for Microfinance Leadership. The Center for Microfinance Leadership supports senior executives of microfinance institutions as they face the demands of an increasingly complex environment.         She is responsible for individual capacity building programs including coordination and curriculum design for workshops, trainings and exchanges. She also leads the monitoring and evaluation of these activities and manages alumni relations for the Center including creation and management of post-program peer-learning networks. As a certified trainer she also conducts Management Development Trainings globally to microfinance practitioners.         Prior to joining WWB, Ms. Buitoni served as a Consultant in the Education Section at UNICEF where she worked on post-conflict and alternative education initiatives. She has worked with the Women's Refugee Commission in New York and Uganda to develop market-driven approaches to vocational training, with Innovations for Poverty Action researching intra-household dynamics of microfinance in Mexico, and the United Nations Development Program. Formerly, at the Institute of International Education, she coordinated enrichment programs for over 1500 foreign Fulbright scholars.         She also contributed research to WWB's 2008 publication "Transforming the Landscape of Leadership in Microfinance: Maintaining the Focus on Women" and is co-author of the Women's Refugee Commission's 2008 "Market Assessment Toolkit for Vocational Training Providers and Youth."         She received a Master of International Affairs at Columbia University with a concentration in Economic and Political Development and a professional focus on Microfinance. She also holds a bachelor's degree in Latin American studies and Spanish from Barnard College. Ms. Buitoni is fluent in English and Spanish. Jessica Edelman Director of District and Community Partnerships at Teach For America         Jessica received her BA in Education and Interdisciplinary Studies from Wheaton College (Chicago, IL) in 2006. She then joined Teach For America as an '06 Los Angeles corps member and taught social studies and ESL for two years at Gompers Middle School. In 2008, she moved to New York City to pursue an MA in Comparative and International Education from Teachers College, Columbia. From there, Jessica joined the staff of Teach For America in the Greater Newark region where she has worked for the past 3 1/2 years, first in operations and then on the Growth, Development, and Partnerships team. Her responsibilities include building relationships with principals, district leaders, and community members and managing the team charged with corps member on-boarding, placement, and teacher certification. Eunice E. Hong Senior Business Development Manager at The Salvation Army         Eunice is responsible for creating collaborative partnership opportunities with corporations that yield financial donations and in-kind contributions, increase visibility, drive branding, and advance volunteerism. She has over 10 years of critical multi-sector experiences in the private and nonprofit organizations, including a hedge fund and the American Red Cross.         She joined The Salvation Army after receiving a Master of Public Administration and Policy from the NYU's Robert Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and holds a BA from Barnard College. She is passionate about volunteer work and currently serves on numerous nonprofit boards including Women's Venture Fund and Helping Is Easy. Additionally, she actively participates as a mentor to her alma mater.         She enjoys cooking, tennis, running, reading (nonfiction), and traveling and lives in Manhattan. Leslie Puth Senior Director of Resource Development at ACCION         Leslie is responsible for stewarding and promoting individual major gifts for Accion in the greater New York area. Leslie joined Accion recently after receiving a master's degree at the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where she focused on development economics and microfinance. Prior to attending Fletcher, Leslie spent eleven years working in the investment banking sector in NY. She then left the paid workforce to raise three children and subsequently became involved in fundraising for several non-profit organizations in Brooklyn. Leslie has been an active participant on numerous non-profit boards, including the Prospect Park Alliance and the Berkeley Carroll School in Brooklyn. She currently serves on the boards of the Brooklyn Museum, the Fletcher Board of Advisors, and the Neighborhood House Charter School. Leslie holds a MALD from the Fletcher School, an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and a BA in economics and French from Wellesley College. Back to the top

Consulting Panel

Nikki Lugo - Moderator Consultant at Oliver Wyman         Nikki graduated from Columbia University (SEAS) in 2012 with a BS in Chemical Engineering. In her time at Columbia, Nikki was a four-year member of Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity and served on the Executive Board as Vice President of Education. She was also a four-year member and served as President of Sabor Latino Dance Troupe, was a member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and spent a semester studying abroad in Paris, France.         Nikki joined Oliver Wyman Financial Services as a full-time consultant in July 2012, following a summer internship in 2011. Nikki has been a part of projects in several of Oliver Wyman's domains including Retail & Business Banking, Finance & Risk, Corporate Institutional Banking and Insurance. She has also had the opportunity to travel to cities such as Port of Spain, Toronto, and Mexico City. Shivani Kumar Senior Consultant at Booz & Company         Shivani graduated from Wesleyan University in 2008 with degrees in Economics and Psychology. After working at Capco, a financial services focused consulting firm, for two years, Shivani joined Booz & Company as a Senior Consultant, aligned to the IT practice. Shivani has worked in a range of industries during her time at Booz, including media, information services, financial services and education. Sara Mangiapane Senior Business Analyst at McKinsey         Sara Mangiapane is a senior Business Analyst at McKinsey and Company's New Jersey office. Currently she works with the firm's Marketing and Sales practice, serving CPG and retail clients on projects such as digital marketing, category strategy, and consumer insights and analytics. Outside of client work, Sara also is deeply involved with McKinsey's Women's Initiative which seeks to excite and develop female talent and leaders in the firm. Sara has a B.A. in Medieval and Renaissance History from Barnard College and a M.Sc. in Global History from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. Carolina Perez Business Analyst at Monitor Deloitte         Carolina Perez is a second year business analyst at Monitor Deloitte within the Strategy & Operations group of Deloitte Consulting LLP. Since starting at Monitor in fall 2011, she has worked on corporate strategy in healthcare and private equity, marketing strategy in life sciences and retail, and a nonprofit case with the Rockefeller Foundation. Prior to consulting, she interned at the Council on Foreign Relations (a foreign policy think tank), Endeavor Global (a nonprofit focused on entrepreneurship), and a new media startup.         Carolina graduated magna cum laude from Columbia in 2011 with a major in history and a concentration in political science. Carolina is actively involved with her firm's Diversity and Women's Networks, and outside of the office, enjoys working as a mentor for Columbia Women's Business Society and Management Leadership for Tomorrow. Her interests include technology, innovation, and emerging markets. She loves to read about the latest in business and technology and explore new cities. Sheila Shah Senior Consultant at Ernst & Young         Sheila is a Senior Consultant in Ernst & Young's Healthcare Advisory Practice. In her current role, she works with healthcare organizations across the nation targeting operational efficiency issues.         After graduating from Barnard College with a double major in Economics and Political Science in May 2009, Sheila volunteered with the Civic Corps, an initiative of the Bloomberg administration to develop sustainable volunteer programs among partner organizations and nonprofits. She later joined New York Presbyterian Hospital as a Strategic Sourcing Financial Analyst, where she gained an inside look into hospital supply chain management.         Sheila serves as a Barnard Alumnae Admissions Representative, mentors a high-school student in NYC, and is a contributor to online career advice sites. She is an active runner, having just completed her third half-marathon and currently training for her first full one. In her spare time, Sheila enjoys watching USA network programming and spending time with her niece. Back to the top

Entrepreneurship Panel

Libby Brittain - Moderator Director of Development at Branch         Libby Brittain leads business development and community at Branch, a technology company building a new way to talk to each other online. Branch is backed by investors including Twitter's Evan Williams and Biz Stone, Huffington Post's Eric Hippeau, Buzzfeed's Jonah Peretti, Betaworks, Crunchfund, and SV Angel. Previously, Brittain worked at Hearst Ventures, the New York Times, and startups drop.io and outside.in, which have since been acquired by Facebook and AOL, respectively. She graduated from Barnard College of Columbia University in 2011 with a B.A. in Economic History. Caroline Ghosn Co-Founder and CEO of The Levo League         Caroline Ghosn is Co-Founder and CEO of Levo League, a thriving community of young professionals, role models, and innovative companies taking Gen Y by storm.         Founded in 2012, Levo League is designed to help professional women elevate their career by providing the best job opportunities, skill building tools and networking connections to accelerate their success.         Ghosn met Co-Founder Amanda Pouchot at McKinsey & Company, where they were the youngest in their respective assignments and frequently the only women. Inspired by their personal experiences, the duo launched Levo League to provide young professional women with the tools necessary for personal and professional success.         Ghosn graduated from Stanford University in 2008 with a B.A. in International Political Economy and Environmental Economics. She is the first woman in her family to graduate from college, and has been passionate about entrepreneurism and social change from an early age. She has lived in six countries, speaks four languages and has a dynamic understanding of global business.         Ghosn has spoken at LeWeb London, The New York Times Women Innovate Mobile Mentorship Panel, 2011 Women's Forum, as well as the French Institute Alliance Francaise Young French Leaders Luncheon. Ghosn also attended the 2012 World Economic Forum with the Young Global Leader program.         Ghosn is a contributing writer for Fortune.com and The Huffington Post, and has been named by Mashable as one of the forty female founders every entrepreneur should know. Levo League has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The San Francisco Chronicle, CNBC, Teen Vogue, Mashable, TechCrunch, Fast Company, CNN Money and Wired. Yvonne Najor Director of Events at Host Committee         Yvonne started her career as a Special Events Curator for a private global dining club. Yvonne worked closely with sponsors and venues to craft unique experiences for new club members in Los Angeles, building towards the club's successful Los Angeles launch.         Given her passion for creating memorable experiences, Yvonne went on to co-found DBD Social in 2010. DBD was an event planning service that organized social events and parties at top venues throughout New York, focused on offering clients a high-end experience by matching groups of partygoers with their ideal venues. In 2011, DBD Social was acquired by Host Committee where Yvonne is now Director of Events.         Yvonne is a graduate of the University of Southern California. Selena Soo Founder of S2 Groupe         Selena Soo, founder of S2 Groupe, is a publicist and business strategist. Her greatest passion is helping visionary entrepreneurs, experts, and authors reach larger audiences and make their biggest impact. She also teaches a class called "Elevate Your Brand." Selena helps her clients clarify their business goals, build powerful and memorable brands, develop stronger relationships with the people they serve, secure high-profile press, and connect them to influencers and strategic partners who can help move their business forward. Selena has spent close to 10 years cultivating relationships with business leaders and influencers in media, technology, and the women's empowerment space.         To learn more about Selena visit her website (www.S2-Groupe.com), where you can join her weekly newsletter. You can also find Selena on Facebook (www.facebook.com/S2Groupe) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/S2Groupe). Alisa Vitti Founder of FLO Living         Alisa Vitti, HHC, AADP founded FLO Living (www.FLOliving.com) in 2001 to help women recover from menstrual disturbances, fertility challenges, energy and low libido issues in their 20's, 30's, and 40's. Alisa pioneered a nutritional protocol that restores hormonal balance naturally. She received degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Alisa was featured in Dr. Christiane Northrup's Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom in 2010. She gave her first TedxWoman talk in December 2011. She is currently writing her first book for Harper Collins due out in March 2013. Back to the top