For Immediate Release: June 21, 2021

Contact:  Markette Sheppard or Eoin McKenna, wia@naicpe.com

WASHINGTON-The National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC) today announced the inaugural cohort of its new Paradigm Changers internship program for graduate and undergraduate students focused on introducing diverse women from non-traditional fields of study to the alternative investments industry. The internship program was created by NAIC to create a pipeline of women of color in an industry that, despite what research has proven in terms of the positive impact that diversity has on the bottom line, continues to be extremely monolithic in terms of its talent composition.

The competitive internship program, which includes placements at leading NAIC and American Investment Council (AIC) member firms, includes a cohort of more than a dozen talented pre-MBA, graduate, and undergraduate students from a diverse cross-section of backgrounds, experiences, and majors.

“I am thrilled to welcome this exceptional group of young women who are at the start of their careers into our program and introduce them to the exciting world of private equity and hedge funds,”said NAIC Chief Operating Officer, Carmen Ortiz-McGhee. “We know that a diverse mix of experience, backgrounds and ideas generates stronger returns for firms, that’s why it is crucial that we, as an industry, shift the paradigm of how we recruit to be much more inclusive. The NAIC is proud to lead the way and blaze a trail for the next generation of female leaders in alternative investments with this program,”said Ortiz-McGhee.

The Paradigm Changers program is made possible through key partnerships with the American Investment Council, The Robert Toigo Foundation, IMB Partners, Palladium Equity Partners and TPG, in addition to Robert F. Smith’s Fund II Foundation, which will provide educational and career development training to the inaugural Paradigm Changers cohort through its internX digital-learning platform.

Participating firms that will host a Paradigm Changers intern this summer include:

·       American Investment Council

·       Apollo Global Management

·       Avance Investment Management

·       Avante Capital Partners

·       Avenue Growth Partners

·       Brasa Capital Management

·       Crewcial Partners

·       GCM Grosvenor

·       Genstar Capital

·       IMB Partners

·       MVision Private Equity Advisers

·       Neuberger Berman

·       Palladium

·       Equity Partners

·       The Riverside Company

·       TPG

The inaugural 2021 Paradigm Changers interns are:

·       Aisha Ly – University of North Carolina at Charlotte, pursuing a B.A. in Health Administration

·       Alfre Wimberley – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, pursuing an MBA

·       Angie Molina – Georgetown University, B.A. in Economics

·       Ashvi Patel – North Carolina State University, pursuing a B.A. in Business/Management

·       Christina Zhang – University of California at Berkeley, pursuing a B.A. in Business Administration

·       Colby Baylor – The Ohio State University, pursuing a B.A. in Marketing

·       Elena Avdeeva – Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management and Pritzker School of Law, pursuing an MBA and Juris Doctor

·       Fareha Abid – American University, pursuing a B.A. in International Relations

·       Jaida Daniel – Benedict College, pursuing a B.A. in Finance

·       Lillian Murtonen – University of Southern California, pursuing a B.A. in Narrative Studies

·       Lin Duo – Duke University at the Fuqua School of Business, pursuing an MBA

·       Norquata Allen – Harvard University, Harvard Business School, pursuing an MBA

·       Princess Aghayere –  University of Pennsylvania, B.S. Health and Societies

·       Stefanie Cainto – Cornell University, Johnson School of Business, pursuing an MBA

·       Yosselin Melgar – Stanford University, Graduate School of Business, pursuing an MBA

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About National Association of Investment Companies

Celebrating 50 years of advocacy and performance, the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Investment Companies is the trade association for and largest network of diverse- and women-owned private equity firms and hedge funds. NAIC’s membership comprises more than 120 firms that collectively manage over $225 billion in institutional assets. www.naicpe.com