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In celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day theme (“Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”), Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship is spotlighting Duke-affiliated women who have made an impact by directing capital via venture capital, investment banking, philanthropy, and other channels.
We celebrate the work they are doing—enabling startups and small businesses to scale and thrive, fostering innovation, transforming industries, supporting sustainable growth, and strengthening an interconnected global economy.
On Friday, March 8, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn as we spotlight these Duke students, alumnae, faculty, and staff throughout #IWD.
Adelina Dasso MBA '16
Partner for Latin America, Accion Impact Management
Adelina is passionate about financial inclusion, women's equality, and education. She has 15 years of investment experience across markets and sectors, with the last 8 years at Accion. She is Partner for Latin America at Accion Impact Management and co-founder of MBA Women Peru. Adelina loves teaching impact investing.
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Andrea Inokon '00
Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer, Cadence Cash
Andrea is a seasoned executive, lawyer, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in finance and tech. As co-founder of Cadence Cash, she champions innovative financial solutions for underrepresented entrepreneurs. Andrea holds degrees from Duke and NYU Law and serves on advisory boards for The RAND Center and Duke I&E.
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Ann Mathews-Pereira '10
Private Equity Investor, Vista Equity Partners
Ann is an investor at Vista Equity Partners and is currently a member of the private equity Foundation team. In this role, she invests in enterprise software businesses in the middle market. Ann currently sits on the board of Khoros and is actively involved with the firm’s investments in AlertMedia and TRG Screen. She was previously involved in the firm’s investment in AGDATA.
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Anna Tye '03
Co-Head of Technology Investing, The Carlyle Group
Anna is co-head of Carlyle’s technology investing efforts and is among the most senior women in private equity. She is passionate about developing diverse talent in finance and technology, and she recently joined the Board of Visitors for the Pratt School. Anna lives in Washington, DC with her husband and three children.
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Camille Samuels '93
Partner, Venrock
Camille is a partner at Venrock. She loves to help brilliant and big-hearted entrepreneurs turn science into world-improving products. Investment examples include Cavalry, Corvidia (sold to Novo), Kythera (to Allergan), Novacardia (to Merck), RegenXBio (RGNX), and Spirox (to Stryker). Prior to Venrock, Cami worked at Versant Ventures, Tularik, and LEK. Cami earned high honors at both Duke (Biology) and the Harvard Business School.
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Caroline McGeough '10
Co-Founder, Wavelength Infrastructure
Caroline co-founded Wavelength Infrastructure to finance projects that decarbonize industry. A career investor, she scales new climate solutions with creative funding. Caroline serves on the board of the Natural Areas Conservancy, protecting 20,000 acres of forests and wetlands in New York City.
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Cassie Young '05
General Partner, Primary Venture Partners
Cassie is a general partner at Primary, a $1 billion AUM early-stage fund, where she invests in B2B software and runs Primary's portfolio team. Prior to VC, Cassie spent 15 years as an operator; she was previously the CRO of Sailthru and later the CCO of Marigold after Marigold acquired Sailthru.
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Christina Liang '24
Investment Partner, Dorm Room Fund
Christina is a senior studying Statistical Science and French. She is an investment partner at Dorm Room Fund, the original student-run venture fund spun out of First Round Capital, where she invests in and supports student founders. She is also interested in climate tech and works part-time at Eli, an early-stage startup focused on making home electrification accessible for everyone.
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Isela Bahena MBA '04
Managing Director, Private Equity Infrastructure Investments, Nuveen
Isela brings 25 years of investment and portfolio management experience across a variety of sectors and asset classes. She leads deal teams that originate and structure across the private equity infrastructure spectrum, including digital infrastructure, transportation, and energy transition assets. She serves on investment corporate boards in Europe and North America.
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Jamie Jones
Director, Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Professor Jamie Jones, Director of Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship, teaches new venture formation and execution. She has deep expertise connecting user insights to technology commercialization pathways and business model development and has worked on projects ranging from sanitation and energy to agriculture and health. She is the co-founder of Impact Engine, an investment firm with a mission to bring more capital to a market where financial returns are linked to positive social and environmental impacts.
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Jessie Tang '11
Principal and Head of Strategic Initiatives, Gratitude Railroad
Jessie is the principal and head of strategic initiatives at Gratitude Railroad, an impact investment firm backing early-stage companies and funds delivering financial and impact returns. She spearheads their inclusive capital strategy to catalyze new female- and BIPOC-led VC funds investing in mission-driven companies.
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Katelyn Donnelly '08
Founder & Managing Partner, Avalanche VC
Katelyn is founder and managing partner of Avalanche VC, investing early in technology companies that transform how people learn, earn, and own. Previously, she was co-founder of Delivery Associates, a leading global public sector advisory firm that exited to private equity in 2022.
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KC Copeland MBA '06
Executive Director, Wealth Management Digital Marketing, Morgan Stanley
As an executive director at Morgan Stanley, KC’s eye is fine tuned to creating inclusive opportunities, especially at the intersection of building wealth and women’s equality. Her role in managing portfolios of transformative work through innovation advances operational and technical platforms. KC’s other favorite roles are mentor, real estate investor, and philanthropist. She resides in Atlanta with her puppy, Domingo.
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Kerstin Dittmar '06
Founder & Managing Partner, L2 Point
Kerstin is the founder, Chief Investment Officer, and managing partner of L2 Point Management. L2 Point is an investment manager with over $400 million in AUM focused on structured equity solutions for late-stage growth companies. Kerstin serves on the boards of directors of Wasabi Technologies, Fabletics, SimSpace, and Revolution Foods.
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Laurinda Rainey '03, MBA '08
Managing Director and General Manager, United Airlines Cobrand at Chase
Laurinda is the general manager of the United Airlines Cobrand Card Portfolio at JPMorgan Chase and is executive sponsor for the firm’s Card DEI Council. Through innovative marketing, she drives accelerated growth. Simultaneously, she facilitates cultural shifts and was recently featured in Forbes for her work as a corporate changemaker.
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Lindy Morris Fishburne '92
Managing Partner, Breakout Ventures
As founding managing partner of Breakout Ventures, Lindy is dedicated to redefining how early stage, science-driven companies develop and grow. She's successfully invested over $200M in founder-led companies commercializing scientific breakthroughs that impact human health and sustainability.
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Lisa Hinds MBA '98
Managing Director, Client Engagement & Sustainability, Xponance
Lisa is Managing Director, Client Engagement & Sustainability for Xponance. Previously, she managed the endowment and foundation business for EnTrust Global, led corporate development and client portfolio management for a distressed hedge fund and a private equity firm focused on sustainable investing, and held senior roles with Morgan Stanley, Standard and Poor’s, and Bear Stearns. Lisa has a distinguished record of public service and is currently the Board Vice Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the United Church Funds. She holds an MBA from Duke, a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University, and a Bachelor of Science from Northeastern University.
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Lisa Blau ’97
Founding Partner, __able Partners
Lisa is a founding partner of __able Partners, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage companies in the health and wellness space. With over 70 companies in the portfolio, and more than 60% with female founders, __able’s investments include Bumble (NASDAQ: BMBL), Daily Harvest, Spring Health, Oura, Maven, Alma, and Compass Pathways (NASDAQ: CMPS). Lisa chairs the investor group of the Leadership Now Project, a membership organization of business professionals committed to renewing democracy. She is a board member of KIPP New York and The Mount Sinai Parenting Center. Lisa has a BA from Duke and an MBA from Harvard Business School and lives in New York City with her husband and three children.
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Lori Wood Cashman ’94
Managing General Partner, Visible Ventures
Lori is the founder of Visible Ventures, an early-stage venture firm backing diverse teams building solutions for the future of commerce, care, and consumer tech. She is committed to supporting often underestimated founders solving problems for overlooked and underserved audiences. At Duke, she is involved with the Sanford School of Public Policy Board of Visitors and previously helped launch the Duke Women’s Forum in Boston.
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Lyndsay Lyle '03
Managing Partner, Skyline Capital
Lyndsay is a managing partner at Skyline Capital, a family office focused on supporting and investing in high-growth businesses. She previously ran user operations for YouTube and was the general manager for multiple early-stage products at Google. Lyndsay has her BS in Biology from Duke and her MBA from Harvard Business School. She resides in Sun Valley with her husband and three children.
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Margot Hill Kirby '04
Managing Director, Morgan Stanley
Margot is a managing director at Morgan Stanley in prime brokerage, where she leads the capital introductions, business consulting, and content teams, helping the firm’s hedge fund clients launch, grow, and evolve their businesses. She has spent her entire career working in different capacities at Morgan Stanley, including as Deputy Head of Alternatives Strategy for Investment Management. Margot graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in English. She lives in New York City with her husband (Colin), son (Axel), daughter (India), and dog (Sally).
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Marsha Alexander Janke '01
Managing Director, Apollo Global Management
Marsha is a managing director at Apollo Global Management, where she is responsible for institutional capital raising efforts across all asset classes, including private equity, credit, and real assets. Prior to joining Apollo in 2021, Marsha worked at Goldman Sachs and Oaktree Capital. She received her MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Marsha lives in Greenwich, CT with her husband and two children.
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Meranee Phing Naaman '98
Senior Investment Partner, The Riverside Company
Meranee is a senior investment partner at The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm. She is passionate about mentoring diverse talent interested in finance. She has overseen the rapid and successful growth of several leading middle market companies and brands and helps lead the firm's global consumer products and services investing efforts. Meranee graduated with a BS in Biology and History from Duke and an MBA from Kellogg at Northwestern University. She serves on Duke’s Trinity Board of Visitors and Kellogg’s PE Advisory Council, and she resides in Bethesda, MD, with her husband, Charles, and three children.
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Michelle Egger MBA '20
Investment Partner, Xfactor Ventures
Michelle is a classically trained scientist, founder, and global food executive at Griffith Foods. As founder and CEO of BIOMILQ, she successfully raised $25M from top-tier VC and built a team of 40 united behind the mission of leveraging biotechnology to synthesize human breastmilk outside of the body. With a background in global aid investment through the Gates Foundation and current deep tech investing at X-Factor Ventures, Michelle has led deals across the food and ag value chain, climate tech, life sciences, and synthetic biology.
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Robin Rasor
Associate VP, Duke Office of Translation & Commercialization
As Associate VP for Translation & Commercialization, Robin oversees all functions of the tech transfer process at Duke. She previously led licensing efforts at the University of Michigan and The Ohio State University. She is past president and chair of the Board of Governors of Certified Licensing Professionals, Inc., as well as past president of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) board of trustees.
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Ronna Glick '93
Global Head of Client Strategy & Client Analytics, Citi Global Wealth
Ronna is Global Head of Analytics for Citi Global Wealth, responsible for leading the client data strategy and analytics discipline for the business. Previous to this role, she was Global Head of Client Strategy & Analytics for Citi Markets and held other leadership roles at Citi. Previously, Ronna was a founding member of a payment solutions startup, building on her rich entrepreneurial experience at the Boston Consulting Group. Ronna earned an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Duke, graduating with honors from both institutions.
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Sarah Johnson '98
Head of Litigation Investing, The D. E. Shaw Group
Sarah heads the Litigation Investing team at the D. E. Shaw group, a global investment and technology firm. The team provides financing solutions to law firms, plaintiffs, and other parties involved in litigation. Sarah previously worked on corporate restructurings as an investor, lawyer, and banker. She lives in NYC with her husband and two children and serves on a variety of advisory boards.
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Shannon J. McCall MD '00
Director, Duke BioRepository & Precision Pathology Center
As director of the Duke BioRepository & Precision Pathology Center, Dr. McCall led strategic deployment of a five-year, three-million-dollar Duke Cancer Institute and School of Medicine investment and subsequent National Cancer Institute and NC Biotechnology Center grants. She has focused on annotating cancer patient samples with digital data to facilitate AI-assisted biomedical research.
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Shannon Nelson ’09
Director, Investment Stewardship, BlackRock
As a director on BlackRock’s stewardship team, Shannon engages with corporate boards and C-suite executives of publicly traded technology companies on matters related to governance, environmental, and social risks and opportunities. Shannon also loves to empower founders as a limited partner in two women-run VC funds: Emmeline Ventures and Symphonic Capital.
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Sydney Thomas '10
Founder & General Partner, Symphonic Capital
Sydney is founder and general partner of Symphonic Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in companies making life better for the 99%. Sydney is a proven fund builder and investor. She joined one of Silicon Valley’s first pre-seed funds and scaled it from a solo operating GP with 10 investments to a 3-person team with 400+ investments and $200M+ in AUM. Prior to her work in tech, she served in the Bloomberg administration in NYC. Over the course of her tenure, she drafted federal legislation, negotiated a multi-million-dollar contract, and received a full-ride scholarship to her business school of choice. Sydney received her MBA from Berkeley-Haas and her BA from Duke University.
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Terri Burke '95
Venture Partner, Epidarex Capital
Terri is known for her investment expertise and business leadership to bring innovative technologies to the market. She leads the medtech investment practice with Epidarex Capital and has previously founded and led a venture-backed startup. Terri serves as a mentor for entrepreneurs and serves on both nonprofit and company boards.
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Thamina Stoll '17
Global Women@LinkedIn External Network Lead, LinkedIn
Thamina is an award-winning advocate for the female economy who’s passionate about the intersection of personal finance, entrepreneurship, and VC/angel investing. A B2B Sales & Marketing expert, she’s driven eight figures in revenue for LinkedIn. Thamina is a member of the Women@LinkedIn leadership team, speaker, podcaster, and advisory board member.
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Dr. Tomeico Faison
Assistant Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery,
Duke University
Dr. Faison is an occupational therapist and serial entrepreneur. She serves as the CEO of Low Vision Rehab Solutions and Therapeutic Solutions and currently teaches I&E electives in the Duke OTD program, where she is an Assistant Professor. She is dedicated to creating innovative OT businesses that serve underserved populations.
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Valerie Mosley '82, P'16
Founder & Chief Visionary Officer, BrightUp
Valerie Mosley, CFA, is founder and Chief Visionary Officer at BrightUp, a fin-tech platform democratizing wealth-building and well-being. Previously a partner and portfolio manager at Wellington Management, Valerie established Valmo Ventures to invest in companies that add value to investors and society. Valerie serves on the boards of McLean Hospital, New Profit, The Skoll Investment Committee, Eaton Vance Family of Mutual Funds, DraftKings, and Envestnet.