Executive Board
As a board, we work cohesively to ensure that our programs, mission, and goals meet and surpass the expectations of CVP members and our partner funds.
To contact us, please email venturepartners@columbia.edu
Anjali Barnabas
Co-President
Anjali is a senior at Barnard majoring in Economics and Art History. This summer, she worked as a Global Capital Markets summery analyst at Scotiabank on the repos desk. In the past year, she has served as a Fall Venture Fellow at Bowery Capital and a Regulatory Relations intern at Scotiabank. She also participated in Hines' Skyline Scholars Program and the Girls Who Invest Online Intensive Program. Previously, she has worked as an Engineering intern at Sixth Street, investing and PR intern at Rosecliff Ventures, and an investing intern at Plug & Play Ventures. Awarded Barnard's Millicent McIntosh Award, she is president of MMatM and in leadership of CWBS. She also serves as a Barnard Student Admissions Representative and Speaking Fellow. Her hobbies include visiting art museums, exploring new restaurants, and making Spotify playlists!
Ryan Fortani
Vice President
Ryan Fortani is a sophomore in Columbia College studying Economics-Political Science & History. This summer, Ryan served as a legislative intern at the United States Senate where he focused on debt ceiling, regional banking, and cryptocurrency policy for the Senate’s Finance and Commerce Committees. Previously, he served as a summer analyst at Star Capital and is currently interning at Plug and Play Ventures. Ryan is also a Residential Advisor and Internal Vice President of Columbia Alpha Partners. In his free time, he enjoys swimming, scouting out new restaurants, and record collecting!
Theodore Chow
President Emeritus
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Theodore is a senior at Columbia College studying Business Management and Political Science. He has experience in both the private and public markets. He interned at venture capital firms, White Star Capital and Plug and Play Ventures, and Goldman Sachs in their Global Markets division. Next year, he will be joining Goldman Sachs full-time. He is also a brand ambassador for La Colombe Coffee Roasters, and in his free time he enjoys exploring the coffee and restaurant scene in New York, traveling, and skateboarding!
Lucy Chen
Co-President
Lucy is a junior at Columbia College studying economics and computer science. This summer, she worked as a TMT corporate credit intern at Guggenheim. She's also a co-founder of The Bulletin. Previously, she worked as a summer associate at Takeoff Capital (construction tech VC). She also was a research assistant for the Columbia Economics Cognition and Decision Lab, a business development intern at Pickle, a growth marketing intern at Pangea, and a co-founder of Codefy, a fiscally-sponsored computer science education nonprofit. Her hobbies include day-trips to the city, hiking, and playing the guitar.
Margarita Demkina
President Emeritus
Margarita is a senior in Columbia Engineering, majoring in Financial Engineering and minoring in Psychology. Previously, Margarita worked on her Fintech startup to help fellow startup founders to find alternative growth opportunities and interned at Picus Capital, a global early-stage tech-focused venture fund. She continues her work at Picus as a Student Venture Partner and enjoys being a part of the Economic Complexity Research Lab at Columbia. Last summer, Margarita joined Evercore as a Summer Analyst in Investment Banking M&A and plans to come back there full-time. She loves to do her daily yoga and meditation routine, occasional karaoke nights, snowboarding, dancing, oil painting, and taking care of her plants in her spare time.
Christina Xiao
Treasurer
Christina is a junior at Columbia College studying Economics and Computer Science. She has experience working at a private equity search fund, machine learning and data infrastructure startups, and most recently a legal consulting firm mainly servicing hedge funds. Outside of CVP, Christina is on the executive board of the Asian American Alliance and the Activities Board at Columbia. In her free time, she loves composing music, discovering new artists, ballet, and improving her NYT mini time (PR 15s)!
Alicia Zhang
Co-Director of Logistics
Alicia is a sophomore in Columbia College majoring in cognitive science and minoring in Classics. She is interested in NLP, behavioral economics, and client-focused investing. Last summer, she interned with Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management in Southern California. On campus, she is a Portfolio Manager for Lion Fund, a member of SACCA, and a sister of Sigma Delta Tau. Her other hobbies include target rifle, figure skating, solving puzzles, and hiking, having been to 16 national parks!
Veni Dole
Director of Communications
Veni is a junior in Columbia Engineering studying Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. This summer she interned at Frezent Biological Solutions while also working at a Columbia research lab. Previously she has worked at Insightfil, a healthcare technology startup. On campus she is involved in biomedical research, the Columbia Organization of Rising Entrepreneurs, the Society of Women Engineers, and the Systems Biology Initiative. Her hobbies include figure skating and ranking restaurants in NYC.
Kevin Xu
Director of Research
Kevin is a sophomore at Columbia College studying Biology and Computer Science. This summer he was a computational researcher at the Greene Lab at Columbia Medical Campus and an intern at Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator, an early-stage, industry-agnostic tech accelerator. On campus, he is a podcast host at Systems Biology Initiative, and a board member of Singapore Students Association and Consult Your Community. In his free time, he likes playing chess, cooking without recipes, and finding cool plants on hikes.
Allison Lin
Director of Programming
Allison is a sophomore in Columbia College, majoring in CS-Math. Last summer, she was a math modeling research fellow at Columbia's Math Department. Her past experiences also include Online Intensive Scholar at Girls Who Invest's, research assistant on carbon markets in Columbia's Economics Department, and the Economic Complexity Research Lab. On campus, she's involved with Spec as a Product Manager and CAP as Treasurer. She loves running, catching sunsets, cafe-hopping, and cooking with/without recipes!
Taylor Gonsalez
Director of Community
Taylor is a senior at Columbia College studying Economics and Art History. She is an incoming full-time analyst at Insight Partners. Previously, she had led the National Corporate Partnerships team for the startup Scholars of Finance, worked as an analyst at the venture capital firm The Artemis Fund, and was an intern at Plug and Play Ventures. On campus, she is involved with CWBS, GRC, SOF, and Bacchanal. In her free time, she likes to go to art museums, spend time with her friends, and try new places to eat!
Christine Kim
Director of Professional Development
Christine is a junior in Columbia College, majoring in biology and economics. She previously worked at Coleville Partners and the Choi Lab at Columbia Irving Medical Center during her freshman summer, and interned at Piper Sandler in their restructuring group her sophomore summer. Christine will be heading to Bain Capital for her junior internship in their Special Situations and Credit group. Outside of academics and work, Christine enjoys going rock climbing and boxing.
Alexis Aiudi
Late-Stage Programming Lead
Alexis is a junior in Columbia GS majoring in Political Science. Before Columbia, Alexis had a career as a professional ballet dancer with San Francisco Ballet performing across the United States and internationally. Alexis spent her sophomore summer interning as a Private Equity Analyst at Access Holdings, a middle-market private equity firm focused on essential services. In addition to CVP, on campus Alexis is involved in CWBS, Ballet & Books, and is on the board of Columbia Repertory Ballet. In her spare time she enjoys exploring new coffee shops in the city, attending work out classes, and doing crossword puzzles. Next summer, Alexis will be joining Volition Capital as a Summer Analyst on the Consumer Team.
Tony He
Director of Partnerships
Tony is a sophomore in Columbia College interested in the intersection of investments, business, and sustainability. This past summer, Tony was a private equity intern with CITIC Capital, a global alternative investment management and advisory firm. Previously, Tony was part of Spectator Publishing Company’s revenue team where he partnered with DoorDash to create publicity campaigns. Previously, he has conducted neuroscience research, worked in journalism, and founded an education startup. His hobbies include learning about architecture and practicing photography.
Helena Yang
Co-Director of Logistics
Helena Yang is a junior from New York City studying Financial Engineering in SEAS. Outside of CVP, she is the Secretary at Columbia Financial Investment Group. In her sophomore summer, she interned at Goldman Sachs in their Asset Management division. Previously, she interned in the Wealth Management division of Morgan Stanley and worked at an EdTech startup. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music, going to art museums, spending time with friends, and watching soccer and Formula 1.
Claire Graham
Director of Alumni Relations
Claire is a sophomore at Columbia College hailing from Toronto, Canada. She is studying Economics and French and Francophone Studies. This summer she worked at Columbia Investment Management Company which manages Columbia University’s $13 billion endowment. She learned about VC while working at IAngels, a women-led venture capital firm based in Tel Aviv with $400 million in AUM. In her free time, she loves to go on runs, bake and explore NYC!
Renee Jiang
Early-Stage Programming Lead
Renee is a sophomore at Columbia College pursuing a joint major in Economics & Philosophy. This past year, she interned at Nine Masts Capital, Starta VC, and Bawse Ventures, working on projects ranging from macro research on China's real estate market to sourcing and screening construction companies in Cleveland, Ohio. On campus, she's a part of Columbia Women's Business Society and Consilience: Journal for Sustainable Development. Her interest include cycling, sudoku puzzles, pilates, photography, and exploring art and shopping in NYC.
Senior Advisors
Mina Liang
Mina is a senior in Columbia College studying economics, statistics, and philosophy. Before Columbia, Mina was the co-founder of ReneCycle, a sustainable bike-share startup that was recognized as a top finalist with Y-Combinator, 2021 Penn Climate Ventures and 2020 Columbia Venture Competition. While working in investment banking for the last two summers with Evercore and SVB respectively, Mina has enjoyed learning about early-stage investing as a VC-intern at Binney Street Capital and Cohort X fellow with RippleX. In her free time, Mina loves bartending, competing in pageants, ranking new spots on her Beli app, and telling bad dad jokes.
Abby Zhang
Abby is a senior in Columbia College studying Economics. This summer, she worked in consumer and retail focused consulting at Alvarez & Marsal's Consumer and Retail Group. Her most memorable past experiences include interning at Southeast Asian spice-kit brand Homiah and studying abroad at Oxford University, St. Anne's College. In her free time, she loves dancing, going to the Met, vintage shopping, reading outdoors with a Hungarian pastry in hand, and catching her favorite artists on tour in NYC.
Benjamin Pinchuk
Benjamin is a senior in the Dual Degree Program between Columbia University and Sciences Po Paris, majoring in Financial Economics. His interests lie at the intersection of technology and financial services. Previously, Benjamin worked at Aperture, an early-stage European fintech venture fund, as a Financial Analyst. He spent his junior summer working at Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, NBIM, as an intern in their equity investments division. His other interests include playing the violin, tennis, and backgammon.
Rohil Sabherwal
Tomer Witelson
Tomer is a junior in Columbia College pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Mathematics-Statistics. In the past, he has worked in software development, private equity, and structured credit, and he is currently working in quantitative finance.
Joon Kyun
Joon is a senior in Columbia College studying Economics and Mathematics. Previously, Joon has interned at a global macro hedge fund as a quantitative research analyst, a Private Equity Search Fund, and an investment bank. This summer, he will be headed to PJT Partners as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst. He enjoys reading, playing the cello, golfing, and museums.