Constance Freedman is Founder and Managing Partner at Moderne Ventures as well as Moderne Passport – an early-stage investment fund and industry immersion program which is focused on investing in technology companies in and around the multi-trillion dollar industries of real estate, finance, insurance, hospitality and home services. It has just closed its (over-subscribed) second fund at over $200 m. She sits on numerous boards and has received several awards including Crain’s Business 40 under 40 and Chicago Top Tech 50 (on three occasions).

A fascinating discussion of PropTech and how creating a networking and mentorship ecosystem has been the secret to a successful venture capital fund.

Elina Kovaleva, who is head of research at Velox Capital Partners, an equity long/short market neutral hedge fund firm based in London, a position she has held for 3 years. She previously held a number of research and analyst roles, at investment banks and hedge funds.

A packed podcast detailing a childhood in Russia and an entry into an investment where hedge fund investing has provided a rich and fertile ground for deep industry dives and a true meritocracy where the sky is the limit in terms of career advancement.

Alexandra Noble is an independent strategic advisor to financial institutions and charities, and has a particular interest in mentoring the next generation of investment leaders. Her portfolio career includes a consulting role for Pensions for Purpose, coaching and strategic advice to firms, a Chair role at Future-Fit Ltd and roles as a charity trustee and director.

A look-back at an extraordinary career forged in the days before diversity was a theme, and continued now by giving back wisdom to the next generation of leaders, particularly needed in todays complex world.

Eoin Murray is Head of Investment at the international business of Federated Hermes. He has had a long career in investment management, spending time as a hedge fund manager and a quantitative equity specialist. He recently obtained a certificate in energy innovation and emerging technologies and is a passionate advocate for sustainable investing, greater awareness of climate change and in driving change in the investment industry towards these goals. He also has a diploma in specialist rescue which includes Swift Water Rescue, Powered Boat Rescue, Water Incident Management, & Rope Rescue via Outreach Rescue. It is these unusual intersections that we discuss in this podcast, which is also included in the Fiftyfaces Focus Intersections Series.

A discussion of a career journey that has rarely known limits and is now poised to take on one of the greatest challenges of all.

Bob Snigaroff, who is President and CIO at Denali Advisors, based in San Diego. The firm is named after Mount Denali, the highest peak in the USA located in Bob’s native Alaska (and the name for the mountain means “High One or Great One”). The firm is classified as a minority run firm due to Bob’s native American heritage and we discuss his upbringing in a fishing village in Kenai Alaska and how this influenced him in both striking out from the area and remembering his roots.

A unique insight into Native American heritage, a childhood in Alaska, and how it informed a career in finance.

Susan Martin is MD of Greenstone Consulting, a change and transition management firm. After a long career in the public sector, culminating in a CEO role at a financial services business, she now holds a number of director roles and works as an executive coach.

A committed change agent shares her secrets as to how to successfully execute change at a corporate level and her insights now as a coach and a director.

Amanda Pullinger is Chief Executive of 100 Women in Finance, where she leads a staff team and provides direction to 500 volunteer practitioners globally. 100 Women in Finance is focused on empowering women in the finance industry and inspiring the next generation of pre-career young women and has over 20,000 registered members globally. She previously held a series of roles in asset management and is a member of BAFTA and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

A discussion of multiple careers and pivots, and the central mission of 100 Women in Finance today.

Elois Joseph is co-founder of the Greenwood project, which is an organization that connects Black and LatinX students with career opportunities in financial services and fintech. She previously held a series of roles in investment banks and other financial service firms, mainly in the trading support and compliance divisions.

An uplifting story of opportunity that sprung from a childhood on Chicago’s West Side and the inspiration behind the Greenwood Project and how it provides social capital down the line to future generations.

Johara Farhadieh is Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer of The Illinois State Board of Investment (ISBI), in which she oversees a $20 bn defined benefit fund and a $5 bn dollar defined contribution plan with over 150,000 beneficiaries. She has been at ISBI for over 13 years, and prior to that was a financial analyst. She was named an All-Star Chief Investment Officer by Trusted Insight and ISBI was ranked number one in private equity returns among public pension funds in 2020 by the American Investment Council.

A story about resilience and a refusal to accept “no” for an answer when it comes to building diversity in an institutional portfolio.

David Vafai is Chief Executive Officer at bfinance International Limited, an investment consulting and advisory firm that he founded over 20 years ago. The firm is known for its innovative service model, which has shifted some of the traditional structures in investment consulting, manager selection and asset management.

A fascinating tale of hustle, innovation and thinking outside the box that ultimately launched a disruptive investment consulting business model.