Education

Alison Cross

Director, Phillips Murrah P.C.

Co-Chairman Education Committee, Dallas

Ms. Cross works with both lenders and borrowers in commercial finance transactions. Focused primarily in the areas of commercial and industrial lending and real estate lending, Ms. Cross documents loans secured by a variety of collateral, including real property, equipment, inventory, securities accounts and other assets. She has experience with loan workouts and restructurings, as well as foreclosure of commercial real estate, oil and gas interests and aircraft. Alison is on the Board of Directors for the Southwest Association of Bank Counsel.

Julia Koprivnik

Business Manager, Brigade Events

Julia is currently the Business Manager at Brigade Events where she manages the accounting, finance, and strategic processes that she set forth within the company, as well as executes on various client events in her free time! Prior to Brigade, Julia was a Senior Business Development Associate at Constellation Advisers where she was responsible for the continued growth of the Constellation brand through marketing, business development and sales efforts. Prior to joining Constellation, Julia was a Fund Controller at Standish Management where she managed the accounting and investor relations for various private equity and venture capital firms. Prior to Standish, Julia started her career in Public Accounting as an Auditor at Deloitte & Touche, LLP, where she gained experience working on several different clients, including large publicly traded corporations, smaller privately-held companies, and government work. In her current and past roles, Julia has always actively participated in recruiting for the firm, as well as holding various leadership and networking roles. Julia graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Science in Accounting and was appointed to the Student Leadership Group for the MSA program.

Kathryn Pothier

Head Of Investor Relations
Trive Capital

Kathryn is the Head of Investor Relations for Trive Capital. She is responsible for maintaining and enhancing relationships with Trive investors, strategically evaluating the institutional landscape, and cultivating relationships with potential future investors.

Prior to joining Trive Capital, Kathryn was VP of Business Development for Silver Oak Services Partners, a Chicago-based private equity fund focused on lower middle market services companies. Prior to Silver Oak, Kathryn was Director of Investor Relations and Business Development at Black Maple Capital, an event-driven hedge fund, and Stark Investments, a global multi-strategy hedge fund, both based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Kathryn began her career as the Director of U.S. Operations for UJAM, Inc., a cloud-based music technology start-up company, in San Francisco, California.

Kathryn received a Master’s degree in International Relations from Cambridge University. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree, Summa Cum Laude, in Music Composition and East Asian Studies from Vanderbilt University.

Valerie Marquez-Salceda 

Client Service Associate, Tolleson Wealth Management
Education Committee, Dallas 

Valerie Marquez-Salceda, serves as a Client Service Associate at Tolleson Wealth Management. She works on the Client Advisory Team to provide operational and administrative support to clients of substantial wealth. Valerie also coordinates information requests for client investment accounts and other business activities in addition to providing concierge services and other account assistance.

Prior to joining Tolleson Wealth Management in 2017, Valerie worked at JPMorgan Chase as a Private Client Banker and worked alongside financial advisors to assist with client planning. Prior to JPMorgan Chase, Valerie worked in various private banking roles since starting her career in 2012.

Valerie graduated from the University of California-San Diego with a degree in Political Science. She enjoys traveling, spending time with friends, and adventures with her husband and German Shepherd named Draco.

Julie Sanders

Senior Associate, Kainos Capital, LP

Julie is a Senior Associate at Kainos with a focus on investor relations and business development. In her role, she is involved in both investor communication and reporting, fundraising and supporting deal sourcing efforts. Prior to joining Kainos in 2017, she served as a member of the Consumer and Corporate Officers’ practices at Russell Reynolds Associates, a global executive search and leadership advisory firm. Previously, Julie served as a management accountant at Oak Hill Advisors, a private investment firm, and she began her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in the Assurance Practice servicing primarily banking and capital markets clients.

Julie received a B.S. in Business Administration at Washington and Lee University, as well as a Master’s in Accountancy at the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce.

Ashleigh B. White, CPA

Audit Senior Manager
KPMG
Co-Chairman Education Committee, Dallas

Ashleigh White is a Senior Manager in the Asset Management practice of KPMG. Mrs. White began her career with Rothstein Kass in 2009 where she worked with various domestic and offshore clients within the alternative investment industry, including hedge funds, fund of funds, private equity funds and management companies.  She joined KPMG as part of the Rothstein Kass acquisition in 2014 and maintains her previous responsibilities.

Mrs. White received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor University and a Master of Science in Accounting from The University of Texas at Arlington. Mrs. White is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA), Texas Hedge Fund Association (THFA) and Texas Young Professionals – Dallas Chapter (TYP).

Mrs. White serves as the Treasurer for the THFA and has acted as a formal mentor to high school girls through the Foundation for the Education of Young Woman’s mentorship program.

Networking

Vanessa Alix

Senior Analyst, American Beacon Advisors

Vanessa is a Senior Analyst in Asset Management at American Beacon Advisors, a Texas-based investment advisory firm. Prior to this, her experience was in local private equity and alternative asset management. Outside of work, Vanessa sits on the Board of Directors for AID International, a non-profit whose mission is to increase self-sustainability in rural areas of Haiti. Ms. Alix is a resident of Las Colinas, Texas, and is originally from Haiti. She graduated from Harvard University and enjoys traveling, fishing, and spending time with her family.

Abigail Floyd*

Assistant Vice President, Frost Bank

Co-Chair Dallas Networking Committee

Abigail Floyd is an Assistant Vice President on the middle market lending team at Frost Bank. Based in Frost’s Dallas office, she began her career with the firm in 2013 as an analyst and now manages the UHNW and Family Office relationships for the Bank. Abigail also has experience and success in servicing local private equity and alternative asset firms.

Abigail received a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Mays School of Business at Texas A&M University, where she was a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society.

She currently serves on the Great Investors Best Ideas Host Committee, is a member of the Texas Hedge Fund Association and Portfolios with Purpose.

Saaniya Grover

University Liaison, The University of Texas at Dallas

Saaniya Grover is a junior studying finance at The University of Texas at Dallas and is a member of the Professional Program for Finance. She was responsible for initiating the Ambassador Program for the Financial Leadership Association, which is a student-led organization with over 150 members. She is a Venture Capital analyst working with the UT Dallas seed fund to invest up to $100,000 in technology startups in the DFW area. Saaniya has previously worked at North Inc., a sales and consulting firm, as well as D.R. Saur Financial as a private wealth intern serving 400 clients during her time there.

Shule Han

Senior Manager, Ernst & Young LLP

Shule Han is a senior manager in EY’s Financial Services Asset Management team.   She has been working on accounting firms for over 8 years.

She has extensive experience in the private equity and venture capital industry providing tax compliance services in conjunction with client specific investment strategies, researching and creating effective solutions.

Shule has worked with various private equity and venture capital funds to ensure tax efficient structuring.  She has managed numerous client engagements relating to Tax Compliance, State and Local tax planning, and Management Company Tax Provisions.

Shule also has extensive experience in the Oil and Gas industry and a wide range of entity structures.

She received her Masters of Science in Accounting from the May School of Business at Texas A&M University.

Rita Marsanova

Student, The University of Texas at Dallas

University Liaison, Dallas

Rita Marsanova is a senior studying finance and sales at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is heavily involved in the Financial Leadership Association, placing 1^st in their annual Consulting Case Competition co-hosted by EY. She is also a member of three competitive honors programs; The Davidson Management Honors Program, Professional Sales Program, and Professional Program in Finance.

Over the course of her studies, Rita has interned at Longhorn Wealth Management Group, Ericsson, Elm Creek Partners, and JP Morgan Chase. She has also served as a venture capital analyst for UTD’s student-led seed fund and served as Vice President of Philanthropy for her sorority, Delta Zeta.

Martha Nelson*

Phoebe C. Park

Banker, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Dallas City Head

Phoebe C. Park is a Banker at J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank, where she focuses on advising wealthy families and individuals. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan in 2014, she was an Associate in the Audit Practice of Dallas-based accounting firm Wagner, Eubank and Nichols, where she primarily focused on audit engagements for middle market private companies. She holds her CPA license in the state of Texas.

Phoebe received her Master of Science in Accounting from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University, where she was a member of the Student Leadership Group and the Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society. She also received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and minor in Advertising from Southern Methodist University.

Phoebe currently serves as City Head for the Dallas Chapter of Texas Wall Street Women and is actively involved in the Young Professionals in Finance mentoring program at the Boys & Girls Club of Dallas.

Yola R. Portnoy

Director, Telos Capital Advisors

Yola is a 15-year veteran of Wall Street and her experience spans a full range of investment banking activities, including both capital markets and M&A advisory. She spent her first eight years in New York City working for major global investment banks in various capacities in fixed income and equity areas. After relocating to Dallas, she joined a boutique investment bank providing M&A and private placement services to financial institutions.

Yola is experienced at working in cross-functional teams with clients and their advisors to devise an optimal and cohesive capital raise or transaction structure and strategy. She is an outstanding communicator and able to execute in demanding environments.

Yola lives in Dallas with her husband Scott, two children and a Goldendoodle. She is a member of Texas Wall Street Women, and the DFW Chapter of the Ellevate Global Women Network. Yola is a FINRA registered representative holding Series 7, 63, and 79 designations. She is fluent in Polish.

Hiral Shah, CFA

Director, Grant Thornton LLP

Hiral Shah is a Director for Grant Thornton’s Valuation Services Group in Dallas.  Hiral performs financial valuations for business enterprises, private equity and various types of intangible assets for public and privately-held business.   She provides a range of valuation and financial advisory services for financial reporting, estate and gift tax planning, tax reporting and other strategic purposes.

Hiral has provided valuation consulting services for small private to large publicly traded companies in various industries.  Her valuation career spans over 12 years.  Prior to joining Grant Thornton in 2016, Hiral worked as a Senior Manager with Duff & Phelps, a global valuation consulting firm.  Prior to her time with Duff & Phelps, she has worked with Healthcare Appraisers, a boutique healthcare consulting firm and prior to that with CBIZ Valuation Group, a national independent valuation firm.  Hiral holds a Masters of Business Administration in Finance from University of Texas, Arlington and a Bachelor of Engineering, Computer Science from University of Mumbai.

Meredith Zevallos, CFP®

Client Advisor, J.P. Morgan Private Bank

In her role as a Client Advisor, Meredith works closely with individuals and their families to assist them in achieving their current and future financial objectives.  Her background in financial planning allows her to deliver comprehensive wealth planning solutions tailored to address each client’s individual priorities.

Meredith has always held a keen interest in finance and began her career working in the real estate principal investing groups at both Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.  She has also served as head of Business Development for Matador Capital, a Latin American hedge fund based in Dallas.  Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Meredith worked as a Wealth Planner for UBS Texas Private Wealth.  She attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning a BBA in Business Honors and Finance.

Philanthropy

Maegan Anders

Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer
Bowie Capital Management LLC

Ms. Anders has 20 years of experience in various aspects of private investment partnerships including formation, accounting, tax, operations and compliance.  She currently serves as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at Bowie Capital Management LLC.  Bowie Capital Management LLC provides investment advisory and management services to high net worth individuals and institutional investors through a combination of an investment fund and separately managed accounts.  Prior to joining Bowie Capital, she was a Managing Director at Blue River Partners, helping clients launch new funds and serving as their outsourced CFO/COO.  Her career also includes serving in role of CFO/CCO of Fountainhead Partners, advisor to two hedge funds Durango Partners LP and Phoenix-Durango Partners LP. She began her career at Q Investments on their Financial Controls team.  Ms. Anders earned her Bachelor in Business Administration in Finance from Abilene Christian University.

Rianna Carter

Audit Associate, BKD
Co-Chairman Philanthropy Committee, Dallas

Rianna Carter is an Audit Associate for BKD, LLP, a national, middle-market public accounting firm. Rianna serves as the engagement in-charge for clients from various industries. Her primary focus involves audits for private equity funds and privately owned oil & gas companies. She graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Oklahoma City University with a Master of Science in Accounting.

Ali Daubert, CPA

Consulting Services Senior Manager – Fund Administration, Baker Tilly

Ali is a Consulting Senior Manager at Baker Tilly (formerly Montgomery Coscia Greilich LLP), a full-service professional accounting firm with expertise in traditional accounting services as well as transaction advisory, fund administration, and strategy/management consulting. At Baker Tilly, Ali leads the firm’s fund administration practice.  Additionally, Ali specializes in fund administration, deal quarterbacking, strategy and management consulting, key accounting development and management as well as all things M&A. Prior to joining Baker Tilly, Ali was an investment professional at Rubicon Technology Partners in Menlo Park, California, where she spent three years completing private equity transactions, collaborating closely with management teams on operational initiatives, serving on the board on several investments, and managing the firm’s back office. Ali began her career at PwC in audit and was also a manager in Grant Thornton’s Transaction Advisory Services group. Ali received her B.B.A. magna cum laude in Accounting and a Masters of Accountancy degree from Baylor University. She is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Texas and is a member of the AICPA.

Julia Geiger

Senior Associate
Constellation Advisers

Julia is currently a Senior Associate at Constellation Advisers, a full service investment management consultancy, where she is in charge of all new client onboarding’s and project management. Prior to joining Constellation, Julia was a Fund Controller at Standish Management where she managed the accounting and investor relations for various private equity and venture capital firms. Prior to Standish, Julia started her career in Public Accounting as an Auditor at Deloitte & Touche, LLP, where she gained experience working on several different clients, including large publicly traded corporations, smaller privately-held companies, and government work.

In her current and past roles, Julia has always actively participated in recruiting for the firm, as well as holding various leadership and networking roles. Julia graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master of Science in Accounting and was appointed to the Student Leadership Group for the MSA program.

Lauren Hein

Regional Director at Global X ETFs

Lauren is a Regional Director at Global X ETFs where she is responsible for leading the firm’s distribution efforts across all channels in Texas and the surrounding states. Previously, she worked at State Street Global Advisors, where she spent two years as a Vice President working with a broad range of financial professionals. Her engagement included aiding in business development and providing education around the ETF industry, as well as working to develop strategic relationships. Ms. Hein began her career at First Trust Advisors, where she was deeply involved in developing and maintaining relationships with financial professionals. She received her BA in Economics from Wheaton College.

Liliya Leontyeva

Private Wealth Advisor
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

Liliya works as a Private Wealth Advisor on a team that serves high net-worth individuals in the Southwest United States.  Before joining Goldman Sachs, she worked at Deloitte Consulting, advising Forbes 100 companies.  Liliya holds her BBA and MBA from Southern Methodist University.

Brianna Letzelter

Director of Investor Relations, Baymark Partners
Co-Chairman Philanthropy Committee, Dallas

Brianna Letzelter is the Director of Investor Relations at Baymark Partners, a growth-equity private equity firm. She focuses on raising capital from high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutions for private equity deals.  Prior to Baymark Partners, Brianna was Vice President of Capital Introduction at Cowen Group in Dallas, TX.  She provided clients with additional resources for their sales and marketing strategy and assisted managers in raising capital from investors such as family offices, fund of funds, wealth advisors, foundations, endowments and emerging manager platforms.

Previously, Brianna served as Director of Operations and Business Development for Park City Capital, a long/short equity hedge fund based in Dallas.

Prior to Park City Capital, she spent 3 years in New York City as an Operations Analyst for Highbridge Capital Management, a $25 billion alternative management investment firm founded in 1992.

In 2010, Brianna received her B.A. in Finance from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX.

Ms. Letzelter is active in the Dallas community. She is on the Texas Hedge Fund Association committee and a member of Young Texans Against Cancer (YTAC).

Katie Marshall

Vice President, Business Development Officer
PNC Business Credit

Katie Marshall is Vice President, Business Development Officer for PNC Business Credit, PNC’s senior secured lending group. She is responsible for identifying and executing on lending opportunities with existing and prospective clients in North Texas and Oklahoma. Katie has been with PNC Business Credit since graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2006 and has held many different roles within the organization since joining in June 2007, including collateral, credit and origination based roles. Katie graduated with Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree, majoring in Finance and Accounting and minoring in French.

Outside of PNC, Katie is involved with many different professional and non-profit organizations. She currently serves as a board member for the DFW Chapter of the TMA, co-chairing the University Relations committee. Additionally, Katie serves on the Women’s and Young Professionals’ Committees of the DFW ACG and on the Philanthropy Committee of Texas Wall Street Women’s Dallas chapter. Katie is a supporter of the arts and enjoys traveling, running and reading in her spare time.

Rebecca Montes

Client Specialist
Edge Capital Partners

Rebecca Montes is a Client Specialist, for Edge Capital Partners. Rebecca works with Portfolio Managers and Senior Investment Advisers to meet clients’ daily needs. Rebecca previously worked as an Investment Analyst in San Antonio, Texas and is a CFA Level II Candidate. She is born and raised from El Paso, Texas and attended St. Mary’s University in San Antonio where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance. In addition to her involvement in Texas Wall Street Women, Rebecca actively encourages women to pursue careers in finance through her volunteer work with CFA Dallas/Fort Worth.

Sufiana Tian

Riveron Consulting

Sufiana has over 21 years of experience serving as strategic business partner taking Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer roles with responsibilities for publicly listed and privately held companies with global operations, head of financial reporting and analysis for investment banking with over $250 billion assets under management, accounting and business advisory services such as mergers, acquisitions, and divestiture, deal structures, business improvements, SOX compliance, SEC reporting, IFRS conversion for life and general insurance, consumer lending, private equity, registered investment companies, consumer products, technology, and energy. She is a Certified Public Accountant, and also holds a Chartered Global Management Accountant Certification.