Dr. Cindi Love previously served as the Executive Director of ACPA. She is a professional educator, human rights advocate & activist, tenured Fortune 500 corporate executive, award winning entrepreneur and author.
Love was a member of the predecessor committee and the Working Advisory Group to the US Secretary of State on Religion & Foreign Policy from 2010-2018 and served as plenary speaker at the final session of the United Nations UUO Compass Coalition for LGBT Human Rights during that time. Love also served as a thematic country specialist for LGBT human rights with Amnesty International and currently serves as one of 112 Expert Panelists convened globally for the Diversity Collegium Global Diversity & Inclusion Benchmarks project (www.diversitycollegium.org). She was a “serial entrepreneur” from 1981 to 1996 when she sold her last company to the TORO Company (NYE: TTC). She was an inaugural member of MIT’s Birthing of Giants program and received the David Boehnett Fellowship to the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education Program for State & Local Officials. Love has been the invited guest of two US Presidents in recognition of her advocacy work with underrepresented populations. Stetson Law awarded Love its Facilitator Award in 2016 for her groundbreaking work in improving campus safety. Love is featured in Dr. John Dugan’s interdisciplinary text, Leadership Theory: Facilitator’s Guide for Cultivating Critical Perspectives.
See Cindi's full bio here.
Amanda Zielinski Slenski is a passionate advocate for undergraduate students and supporting opportunity and access within the higher education landscape.
She served Alma College (MI) for nearly 12 years in a variety of roles in enrollment, career development, and advancement. In her most recent position as the Vice President for Enrollment and Special Assistant to the President, she led the college’s strategic recruitment efforts; coordinated President’s Office operations and communication, strategic planning, and college goal setting; and directed campus-wide initiatives.
Prior to her work at Alma College, she was a resident director at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, a leadership advisor for Alpha Gamma Delta International, and a recruitment coordinator and graduate resident director at Miami University.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from Alma College and a master’s degree from Miami University (OH).
View our full organizational chart.
Board of Directors
Admissions Team
Audrey works at J.P. Morgan in the Public Finance group with a focus on transportation and infrastructure. Audrey attending the University of Washington where she majored in International Studies and Political Science. She attended the Out for Undergrad Business Conference as a student and is ecstatic to support the organization within the strategic operations team.
Audrey grew up in Marin County, California and currently reside in San Francisco after extended stints in Seattle and Portland. In her free time, she enjoys partaking in any transit that isn’t driving, spending extended time outdoors, learning languages and dreaming about living all over the world.
Kevin (he/him) is an Associate at Bain Capital, focusing on investor relations, fundraising, and capital formation for the firm's private equity funds. Previously he worked as a Senior Consultant at Oliver Wyman and an Investment Banking Analyst at J.P. Morgan. Kevin attended Yale University as a first-generation college student, where he majored in Global Affairs and Education Studies. While in college, Kevin led the first campus organization for LGBT students interested in business careers. He attended O4U twice as an undergraduate and was previously a Campus Ambassador. He is based in Boston.
Vicente Román (he/they/él) is from Baldwin Park, CA. They graduated with a BA in Social Welfare & minor in Education from UC Berkeley. Vicente completed his M.Ed in Postsecondary Administration & Student Affairs from USC. Currently, they are working at UC Irvine as a Residence Life Coordinator. Vicente previously attended the O4U Marketing conference and served as a Campus Ambassador. Vicente is a proud first generation professional that aims to uplift and amplify the voices of marginalized scholars.
Sean currently works in Advanced Analytics at Nielsen serving as a marketing strategy and analytics consultant. He analyzes campaign data for publishers, agencies, and advertisers including Amazon, Twitter, Publicis, Google, and Netflix. Sean first attended O4U Marketing in 2018 and became a director in 2021. He was the Admissions Lead for O4U Marketing in 2022 and the Admissions Lead for O4U Digital in 2023. Sean has loved getting to know so many incredible students and peers over the last several years and sees O4U as a chosen family. He currently lives in New York City but is from Atlanta, Georgia. Outside of work, his hobbies include going to museums and Broadway shows, taking dance classes, and listening to Renaissance by Beyoncé.
Alumni and Special Events Team
Olivia is passionate about reproductive justice, anti-racism, immigrant rights, and queer liberation. Currently living in New York City, she serves as the Data Systems Manager for CAI, a public health non-profit that leverages education and research to foster a more aware, healthy, compassionate, and equitable world. Prior to working at CAI, Olivia served on the Digital Integration Team at Briya School, which provides culturally responsive two-generation education for immigrant families. She has worked and volunteered as a Sex Educator at Planned Parenthood, WUSTL’s Student Health Services, Women in Transition, and Kentucky Health Justice Network.
Outside of her full-time work, Olivia is pursuing a MS in Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice. Olivia loves to try new restaurants with friends, play board games, and host dinner parties.
Olivia majored in Systems Engineering and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. She participated in O4U as a student in 2017 and a sponsor in 2018 before serving three years on the Engineering Programming Team. She now leads Alumni and Special Events team to shape alumni opportunities and community.
Xu Liu (he/him) is a Global Manager of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at National Grid, where he drives transformation, process improvements and culture change efforts across the US and UK. As a Global Manager he led a team to build, launch and receive approval for the organization's inaugural multi-year DEI strategy. In his current role he also led efforts aimed at identifying gaps in the retention of underrepresented minorities at a leadership level. Prior to this role, Xu Liu managed performance and delivery of National Grid's Capital Delivery Strategic Roadmap, and prior to that served as an operations leader managing a gas emergency response team in downstate NY.
Xu Liu has been recognized as a Top 100 Ethnic Minority Future Leader by INvolve Empower for his efforts driving LGBTQ+ inclusion as the Chair of National Grid's Pride Network, and as a past member of the organization's Inclusion Advisory Council.
Xu Liu holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Stony Brook University, and identifies as a DACA recipient, first-generation immigrant and college graduate. He is a proud New Yorker, and currently lives in Boston, MA with his husband, Keegan.
Jay Nam (he/him) is an Associate at Blackstone Strategic Partners where he focuses on private equity co-investments and concentrated continuation funds. At the firm, he helps lead LGBTQ+ events and recruiting with OUT Blackstone. Previously, he was at J.P. Morgan in the Healthcare Investment Banking group. In addition to O4U, Jay is involved with the Ali Forney Center Emerging Leaders Council and the Boston College LGBTQ+ Alumni Council. Jay studied Philosophy, Finance, and Information Systems at Boston College.
Rebecca (she/her) is an Account Manager and Pride ERG Co-Chair at 3Q/DEPT. Rebecca has always been interested in social impact and the influence of business on society. Previously, she worked in film as a writer for Crash Course and an executive assistant at 1Community, a social impact production and co-financing firm in Los Angeles. Rebecca attended Emory University’s Goizueta Business School as a Goizueta Scholar, where she majored in Strategy and Management Consulting, double majored with a B.S. in Environmental Sciences, and minored in Business & Society. While in college, Rebecca co-founded Goizueta Pride, the first campus organization for LGBT+ students interested in business careers. She was also a NCAA All-American for Emory Swimming & Diving. She served as a mentor for O4U’s 2022 Marketing Conference. She is based in Charlottesville, VA. Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys hiking and camping, painting, and reading.
Quang is an Asset Integrity Engineer at Williams, a Mid-stream oil and gas company which handles 30% of all Natural Gas in America. In this role, he works with different disciplines in his team including Welding, External & Internal Corrosion, Metallurgy, and Integrity Management Program to ensure Natural Gas is transported safely, sustainably, and reliably to essential areas.
Quang is a First Gen graduate with a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Houston (Go Coogs!), and he is currently working on his MS in Mechanical Engineering. At UH, he held various leadership roles within the Student Government Association, University Administration and Finance, Engineering Career Center, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Currently, he is a committee member for the Southern Gas Association and Young Pipeline Professional at work.
After having a life-changing experience, he joined the O4U Engineering team in 2021. He is excited to join the Alumni and Special Events team to continue giving back to our community. While not busy with work, life and school, he enjoys taking care of his house plants, having board game nights, and catching up with friends.
Scott is from Los Angeles and is currently an Associate Consultant at Reference Point. He attended Dartmouth College where he majored in Political Science and Art History. Scott is involved with Pride@RP and focuses on LGBTQ+ event planning and recruiting initiatives for the firm. While in college, Scott attended O4U and has returned as a mentor for O4UB twice. He is based in New York.
Fae (she/her) is a Consultant at Deloitte, where she leads the firm’s Pride ERG partnerships with local nonprofits. She attended college in Canada and graduated from the Ivey Business School at Western University. Fae has been actively involved with O4U, attending O4U Business 2022 as a student and returning in 2024 as a volunteer.
Fae is excited to now serve on a Strategic Operations team, where she will focus on supporting and enhancing alumni initiatives. Outside of work, Fae enjoys cooking adventurous meals with friends, biking for way too long, and looking wistfully at other people's cats.
Natalie is a Consultant at Reference Point based in New York. She was born and raised in Pasadena California, just outside of Los Angeles. She attended Scripps College where she majored in Physics, minored in Politics, and was also a member and captain of the CMS Varsity Softball team.
Natalie leads the Pride Employee Resource Group at Reference Point, focusing on LGBTQ+ event planning and recruiting initiatives. As a senior in college, Natalie attended the O4U Business conference, and has since returned in a sponsor capacity twice. She also participated as a small group mentor at O4UB 2024.
Outside of work, Natalie enjoys exploring the incredible food offerings of New York City, as well as spending time with friends, going to concerts, and playing rec league softball in McCarren Park.
Brand and Digital Content Team
What drives me to do anything in life are the connections that I easily make with people. I love the idea of meeting new people, new cultures, new places and creating roots everywhere I go. I have always been an independent person, and I never feared the unknown regardless of any insecurity I had. The curiosity and excitment of travelling and experiencing a new country, new cities really turned me into an adventure seeker. I like to think of myself as a collector of memories and knowledge. Everywhere I go I learn things that I didn't know before and once I realized the person I became after living abroad I made it my main goal to continue learning and sharing my personal experiences and all of what I learned to others. So my purpose now is to help other people have the same experiences that I had abroad, and make their travelling dreams come true as well! The more I learn, the more I want to continue experiencing new thing to always have something new to share to my students. Therefore, to me travelling means new beginnings, positive transformations, knowledge, growth and work.
Sam (she/her) is a Communcations Manager in Crisis, Issues & Public Affairs at PwC in Washington, DC. Previously, Sam has held Communications and Marketing roles at The Walt Disney Company, KPMG, and Nestle. While Sam was pursuing her bachelors at UCF, she participated in a cappella, volunteered with state and local LGBTQ organizations, and attended O4UM as a student in 2019. In her free time, she makes the people around her try her amateur chef recipe ideas, plays keyboard & guitar, and loves to kayak and hike - but can usually just be found making the most of an NYT Games subscription.
Mentoring Team
Dimitri (he/him) is a Growth & Strategy Associate at Kin Insurance, a fintech startup in Chicago that targets homeowners who are affected by climate change. He was formerly a consultant in Accenture's Strategy practice, where his engagements focused on data-driven solutions to client concerns in the health, utilities and financial services sectors. Dimitri attended O4U Business in 2016 and 2017, which sparked his interest in the Strategic Operations team a few years later. Dimitri graduated from Yale in 2018, where he double majored in Economics & History.
Jared (he/him) is a tech implementation consultant at MindStream Analytics. With previous experience as a cloud engineer at Oracle and a degree in business analytics from George Washington University, Jared has extensive knowledge in cloud technologies, data science, analytics, and AI. Jared is passionate about bringing people together, helping others, and building community. That's why he's incredibly excited to serve on the mentoring team at O4U. Back in 2019, Jared attended the O4U Business Conference, and the experience was transformative in helping him find his footing in the workplace as an openly LGBT person. It provided him with a unique opportunity to connect with inspiring individuals and gain invaluable insights. Now, he hopes to create that same type of inclusive and empowering atmosphere through O4U's mentorship program. In his free time, you can find Jared hanging out with his dog Ori, jamming to Taylor Swift on repeat, hitting the gym, or going on outdoor adventures with friends.
Tony is a Treasury Management Analyst through the TMAP rotational program at Bank of America. Tony holds a B.A .degree in Computer Information Systems with a minor in Data Analytics from Wartburg College, graduating in 2022. Tony's strong commitment to fostering inclusive communities stems from his experiences studying abroad in Eswatini, running diversity-centered clubs in College, and O4U, where he both attended and volunteered, sparking his interest in being part of strategic operations. Hailing from Arkansas, Tony finds solace in working out, reading, and spending quality time with friends.
Julia Baldaro bright and bubbly and based in Toronto, Canada. Her LinkedIn title says she is a Brand Marketer at General Mills but her unofficial title is professional food snacker (self appointed.) As an O4U Alumni she has instilled a belief that when you bring your whole self to work you bring your best self. This led her to creating the first ever Canadian LGBTQ+ ERG at General Mills after a few months on the job which has been incredibly received from all levels of the company.
Through this work in her first year she has received the General Mills Marketing Beacon Award as well as the company wide Champions Award for fostering an inclusive work environment. She has attended ‘Moonshot’, a General Mills Marketing think tank that chooses 40 General Mills marketers from across the Globe. Most recently winning an industry wide award for under 40 top performers.
Besides work Julia is passionate about a kaleidoscope of things. She is a lover of all things puns and puzzles. An athlete ranging from soccer to rock climbing. An indulger on all things content from podcasts to books to trivia. An avid traveller who creates amateur gopro videos on Youtube.
Learning Community Team
Andrés is the Chief Learning Officer for Maestro Group, a sales accelerator based in Northern Virginia. In his work he focuses on enabling sales professionals to become more deliberate practitioners of the sales craft through training and coaching. His past work experience include both client service roles and internal learning and development roles at various management consulting firms. Outside of work, he is pursuing his Masters degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. In his free time, he is a husband, dog dad, and gaymer.
Justyn (He/him) is a technology analyst at Accenture Federal Services who mainly works as a developer for federal clients. Prior to graduating from the University of Maryland in May 2021, he worked for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the College Success Scholars program (a program serving Black and Latine males), his department's career center, as the O4U ambassador for his campus, and in a variety of other capacities. In any role he is in, Justyn is committed to making a positive difference.
Travel and Logistics Team
Aarthi is an NYC-based Investor Relations Analyst at HPS Investment Partners. Prior to HPS, she held a role as a London-based Investment Banking Analyst at J.P. Morgan.
Aarthi graduated from the University of Washington (“UW”) in Seattle, where she studied Supply Chain & Operations Management and Information Systems. At UW, she was very involved in case competitions, with her teams placing first or second in 15+ on-campus case competitions and selected to represent the Foster School of Business in off-campus competitions at the National Diversity Case Competition, McGill Management International Case Competition, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology International Case Competition. In her senior year, Aarthi sought to create more case competition resources on campus, and organized workshops with industry professionals and professors to educate students on the case process, analysis, and strategy.
Aarthi got involved with O4U initially as a student, and hopes to continue to be involved with the volunteer team for years to come. Outside of work and O4U, Aarthi can be found walking the Hudson River Walk with a podcast in, at brunch in the West Village, or at Soul Cycle, like most New Yorkers in her demographic.
Robert is currently a Senior Analyst at Parametric Portfolio Associates focused on investment strategy. He serves as a member of the Pride+ group and participates in recruiting efforts. Prior to graduating from the University of Washington in June 2020, he worked for JPMorgan, was an O4U ambassador, and volunteered at a local art gallery in Seattle. Robert is based in New York, where he enjoys running and reading.
Strategic Partnership Team
Andres (he/him/his) is a Manager of People Strategy at insitro, a biotech startup using machine learning to drive drug discovery. Previously, he was a consultant at McKinsey & Co, where he worked on a variety of projects including COVID-19 vaccination operations, provider strategy, and DEI strategy. Andres earned his BS in Business and Political Economy from NYU Stern, where he studied abroad in London, Shanghai, and Abu Dhabi. He has also lived in Bogota, Atlanta, and Miami. Andres has represented McKinsey at O4UB two times, and was a participant twice when he attended NYU. His hobbies include exploring speakeasies in San Francisco, reading non-fiction books, swimming, and running.
Kelvin is a Trust and Safety Analysis Strategist at Google, where he works on formulating enforcement strategies that keep the global geopolitical landscape safe. Originally from Mexico, Kelvin immigrated to Los Angeles when he was seven. As A DACA recipient, Kelvin is a strong advocate for immigration and access to higher education. He studied Government at Georgetown University and minored in Film and Media Studies and Journalism. He attended the O4U Marketing Conference as an undergraduate in 2019 and will be working with the O4U Strategic Partnership Team. Kelvin is based in New York City but loves traveling back home to California for the hikes, beaches, and friends.
Angela is a Senior Consultant at Oliver Wyman in New York. They graduated from Columbia University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. As a student, Angela attended the O4U Engineering conferences from 2019 to 2021 and served as a campus ambassador. They previously volunteered as an Admissions Director for the O4UE 2022 conference and as a sponsor for the O4UB conferences. Outside of work and O4U, Angela can be found thrift shopping, trying new restaurants, killing houseplants, and complaining about the weather when it's not California-Bay-Area perfect.
Strategic Support
Khirin is a Strategy Associate at KPMG and graduate in Accounting and Management Information Systems (MIS) from the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management. Additionally, he graduated from Harvard Business School's Summer Venture in Management Program, where he completed a condensed MBA experience and is part of the alumni association. These experiences have taught him core skills like navigating ambiguity, leadership, and strategic thinking. He looks forward to solving unique business and technology conundrums to create large-scale value.
He is passionate about entrepreneurship and empowering people to reach their potential. In his free-time, Khirin enjoys working on his startup, hiking, and exploring new local eats.
Mitch Conzemius is currently a Digital Interactive Consultant at Accenture and passionate about scaling new technology within the workspace to help innovate a more significant and more efficient impact through human experiences. He is an advocate for empathy, DEI, and mental health as he grew up independently since he was 17, being an LGBTQ+ homeless youth survivor.
Before Accenture, Mitch was a Product Manager at U.S. Bank after attending the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, majoring in Management Information Systems and graduating in 2.5 years. As a student, he was Co-President of the University of Minnesota's LGBTQ+ Business Group: Compass and attended/volunteered at six conferences while in his undergrad, including Business, Engineering, and Tech. He previously was an elite-level gymnast and enjoys solving Rubik's cubes, running, reading, and photography in his free time.
Dylan is a PhD student working on Interactive Data Visualization at MIT’s Visualization Group. Previously, he developed visualization and data analytics services as a software engineer at Microsoft. In 2019 he graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in bioengineering. On the side, Dylan enjoys vagabonding and taking care of his numerous plants.
Business Conference Team
Javanni is a Senior Consultant in the Transactions group at FTI Consulting where they focus on Merger Integration & Carve-Outs, advising the world’s largest companies on complex deals. Javanni has a background in Valuations spanning industries such as Retail, TMT, Industrials, Manufacturing, and Travel. Prior to FTI, they spent 3 years at UBS in Group Enterprise Risk covering entities in North America, Latin America, and EMEA across all business divisions. Javanni graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of the West Indies with a double major in Economics and Management Studies before starting their career at PwC in Transaction Advisory. Based in New York City, they were born and raised in Jamaica and can often be found DJ-ing, supporting community, eating food or wukking up at a Caribbean carnival. Javanni was introduced to O4UB as a sponsor, has served as a mentor, a volunteer and this is their first year on the Board.
Suede Graham (he/him/his) currently serves as a Campus Recruiter at Moelis & Company, where he primarily focuses on diversity recruitment and DEI initiatives for the team. Prior to his role at Moelis, Suede served the Coordinator for Student Development at Pace University, where he oversaw student activities, orientation, and all student organizations. Suede graduated from Arkansas Tech University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Minors in Communication and Psychology, received a Masters of Science in Educational Leadership and Counselor Education from Mississippi State University. Suede currently serves on the Board of Directors for PrideWorks, which hosts an annual conference for LGBTQ+ youth in the tristate area, and volunteers with the NYC LGBTQ Community Center and the Ali Forney Center. In his free time, Suede loves to dance and listen to Beyoncé, travel with his partner, and go on long walks in the park with his dog, Boseman.
Duruo (he/him) is a Project Manager of the SPDR Product Marketing team at State Street Global Advisors. Duruo manages several ETF campaigns, precisely Fixed Income, Low Cost, and SSGA's Bond Compass campaign. Before joining SSGA, Duruo was a Senior Associate at State Street Corporation as part of their Professional Development Program. Duruo graduated from Babson College in 2021 with a B.S. in Business Administration and Management with a double concentration in Marketing and Social & Cultural Studies. His involvement in O4UB started in 2018 when he attended as a student. He joined the organizing side in June 2022 and is thrilled to serve again on the Admissions team and first-time co-leading MOSAIC for the 2024 O4UB conference team.
Outside of work and O4U, Duruo enjoys working out, bartending, spending time with his girlfriend and their pets (3 cats and one puppy), and exploring Boston's food scene.
Devyani works in NYC, and is starting her career in finance as an analyst in Citi’s Healthcare Investment Banking team this July. She graduated from Wellesley College in 2021, with degrees in Economics and Mathematics. Over the past year, Devyani completed the Citi Service Year Fellowship, working as a Strategic Operations Associate for the Brooklyn based community development organization Bedstuy Restoration. Alongside her fellowship, Devyani spent her late afternoons working in the product management and marketing teams at Nirvana, a mental healthtech startup based in Union Square. She attended O4UB as a sophomore and junior, and served as a campus ambassador at Wellesley. In her free time, Devyani enjoys golfing or attending late night shows at Comedy Cellar. She lives in Hoboken, NJ with her two cats (even though she’s allergic to both of them).
Alex (he/him) is an Associate at AEA Investors, an upper middle-market private equity firm in New York, where he focuses on investments in the industrials and tech-enabled services sectors. Previously, he was an Analyst at Perella Weinberg Partners in the Healthcare team, where he worked with clients in medical devices, healthcare and pharmaceutical services, diagnostics, and life science tools on M&A and restructuring transactions. Alex graduated from Harvard College in 2020, where he studied Statistics and rowed for the varsity lightweight crew team. He has been involved with Out for Undergrad Business since 2020 and this is his first year serving as a Director with the Sponsorship team. Outside of work, Alex loves to ski, binge-watch Netflix, and enjoy all that New York's restaurant scene has to offer.
Bryce (he/him) is an Associate on Google's Business Operations & Strategy team in New York. Previously, he worked as an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company in the Los Angeles office, where he co-led the office's Inspire chapter, providing pro bono consulting services to nonprofits, and co-headed the firm's recruiting efforts at the Claremont Colleges. Prior to Bain, he worked in strategy and operations at Gatheround, a software as a service startup.
Bryce graduated from Pomona College, where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics. While at Pomona, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Claremont Journal of Law and Public Policy and Head Tour Guide for the Office of Admissions. Previously, he was a campus ambassador for O4U. In his free time, Bryce loves to spend time outside, cook a good meal with friends, and plan trips to new cities. He is excited to serve O4UB on the Sponsorship Team for a second year.
Jesse (all/any) is a Finance Manager at Microsoft in New York City, where he focuses on Total Cost of Ownership for Datacenters globally. Previously, he interned at Collins Aerospace, Goldman Sachs, and Microsoft, before joining Microsoft's longstanding Finance Rotation Program full-time. Jesse graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Integrated Business. During his time there, he completed a year-long collegiate Professional Sales Program, and ranked #1 nationally in 2019 at the National Sales Challenge. As a student, he attended O4U Marketing in 2019 and has since returned as a volunteer, corporate sponsor, and director. Jesse is thrilled to join O4UB as a Sponsorship Director, leveraging his experience to help create a magical conference experience for students. Outside of work, Jesse enjoys boxing, creative pursuits, and spending quality time with his dog Finley and tortoise Linguini.
Jon is a Private Equity Associate at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, where he focuses on investments in the broader Industrials space. Prior to CD&R, he worked in investment banking at Moelis & Company, where he focused on M&A and Restructuring transactions across several industry verticals. Jon graduated from University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business in 2021, and grew up in Ocean City, NJ.
Jon first got involved with O4U by attending the 2015 Business conference as a student. Since then, he has been involved with the Business conference as a student, volunteer, or mentor every year. In his free time, Jon likes staying active, watching Knicks and Giants games, and is a big sci-fi / fantasy fan.
Originally from Atlanta, GA, Casey graduated last Spring with a degree in Sustainable Finance from NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study and currently works as a Rotational Analyst at Commerzbank's New York offices. During her undergraduate degree, Casey led the creation of an environmental and social risk due diligence framework at an NY-based Private Equity firm, placing an emphasis on the value of DEI in investing approaches. She attended O4U's 2022 Tech Conference and volunteered this past Spring at O4UB. Outside of the office, Casey is an avid alpine skier, fly fisher, (very) novice tennis player, and loves a good movie theater night.
Joy (He/Him) is an Analyst on the Business Audit team within the Internal Audit function at BlackRock and is based out of Brooklyn, New York. Originally from India, Joy has lived across Singapore, Canada and the Southern United States.
Joy graduated from the University of Oklahoma with degrees in Economics and Linguistics. As a student, he attended four O4U conferences and found his path to BlackRock at the conference through talking to the directors at O4U Business! Joy also represented BlackRock as a sponsor and volunteer at O4UB 2024.
Outside of work, Joy loves sampling coffee from boutique cafes (also have two coffee themed tattoos), trying all that the restaurant scene has to offer in NYC and spending all his time in the numerous bookstores across the city buying all the books and trying to start his own library.
Dustin is currently an Associate at EY-Parthenon where he supports strategy and transactions engagements. Before moving to New York City, Dustin was born and raised in Irvine, CA. He is a recent graduate from UC Berkeley, earning a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Ethnic Studies.
As a student, Dustin attended O4U in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and served as UC Berkeley’s campus ambassador. He returned as a volunteer in 2024 and looks forward serving as a director for the 2025 O4UB conference. In his free time, Dustin enjoys working out, going to concerts and music festivals, and having dinner parties with friends.
Juan is a Paraguayan People professional currently working at Toast, Inc as part of their Talent Operations team. He has previously worked for other institutions such as Mass General Brigham, HubSpot, and EducationUSA Paraguay in multiple different people-centric roles. Juan graduated as a first-generation low-income student from Brandeis University, where he majored in Psychology and International Studies with a minor in Anthropology.
Juan comes all the way from Luque, Paraguay and he currently resides in the Boston area. Outside of work, Juan loves doing exactly what he does with O4U: helping others make meaningful connections and grow into a better version of themselves. He has served as a mentor for O4U before and is thrilled to elevate the work he's been doing to a new level through the admissions team.
Isabella (She/her/hers) is an Associate at Boston Consulting Group in the New York office. Prior to working at BCG, Isabella attended Tufts University as a double major in Computer Science and Comparative Literature in English and French. At Tufts, Isabella was involved in the Computer Science TA program, non-profit consulting club, Filipinx Student Union, and non-profit coding club. Isabella attended O4U 3 times as an undergraduate and once as a corporate sponsor.
Isabella lives in Manhattan and her hobbies include climbing, reading, thrifting, making too many playlists, and finding any excuse to see live music.
Jack (he/him) lives in Manhattan and is a Senior Associate at Up&Up, a PropTech start-up that helps customers build real wealth while renting. Jack leads asset management and capital allocation strategy for Up&Up's private equity funds while supporting fundraising, investor relations, and new market expansion efforts. Previously, Jack worked as an Analyst in the Real Estate Investment Bank at Goldman Sachs where he advised PropTech, TravelTech, and leisure players in products such as IPOs, SPACs, M&A, and strategic investments.
Jack graduated in 2019 from Pomona College and continues to mentor current football players advising them on school life and professional development. He also sits on an ex-officio position with the Board of Trustees.
In his free time, you can find Jack biking all over the city, watching movies in the AMC theater next to his apartment, or yelling at the television if his Boston sports teams are playing. He is also a giant dog lover.
Ernst is a Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft through the ACE rotational program. Ernst recently graduated from Emory University in spring of 2022 where he went straight to Microsoft. At university, Ernst was heavily involved in many organizations centered around mentorship and identity. Ernst was born and raised in Chicago. Outside of work/academia, Ernst hobbies include: cinema, exploring, and going to concerts.
Rohan is from New York and currently works in Rates Sales at an investment bank covering institutional clients, including asset managers, hedge funds, and pensions, for various rates products. He attended Pomona College where he studied Economics with a minor in Politics and served as a tour guide and as Senior Class President. He attended O4U Business twice as an undergrad and served as a Campus Ambassador. In his free time, he likes to cook, create scripts for TV shows, and stroll around the West Side Highway.
Devin is a Consultant at BCG, where he currently works with clients in consumer-facing industries (Fashion & Luxury, Food & Beverage). Prior to BCG, he received degrees in Business Administration and Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Devin is originally from San Francisco, CA and is now based in New York. In his free time, you can find him jamming to house music, speedrunning the NYT crossword, trying on new fragrances, or thrifting.
Minjue Wu (she/her) is a current Schwarzman Scholar and incoming Associate at the Boston Consulting Group. She graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. in History & Medicine and Molecular & Cellular Biology and a minor in Computer Science. Passionate about tackling issues at intersection of global health, artificial intelligence, and development, Minjue was awarded the Harvard Pforzheimer Fellowship and Priscilla Chan Stride Public Service Fellowship to work on expanding comprehensive sexual education services for migrant families in Beijing. Previously at UNOPS, she spearheaded digital platform creation for the Re-imagine TB Care Initiative, which accelerates innovation and deployment of people-centered healthtech. Minjue is experienced in international nonprofit management, public policy, and medical technology innovation. She is a big believer in a "lift-as-you-climb" mentality and is beyond excited to foster an inclusive environment at O4U centered around radical empathy and equal opportunities!
Minjue originally hails from Anhui, China and is privileged to have explored the world through the lens of the Asian diaspora on five continents. Outside of work, you can find Minjue figure skating, sampling and learning different recipes, traveling, and consuming art in all forms.
Quintin (he/him) is a Senior Manager of Global Digital Accounts at Warner Music Group, where he leads content monetization and operations for the YouTube, Meta, TikTok, and SoundCloud accounts. Quintin graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2019 with a B.S. in Business Administration and a minor in Music. His involvement with O4U began as a student in 2018 and most recently as a volunteer in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Quintin resides in New York where he can often be found walking through Central Park, listening to pop music, or testing out recipes in the kitchen.
Ben (he/him/his) is a Compliance Officer supporting Global Compliance at Goldman Sachs. Prior to Goldman, Ben was a Consultant at PwC, where he specialized in large-scale banking and capital markets transformations. He received his BS in Finance and Economics from Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business, where he studied abroad in London and China. Ben represented PwC at O4UB as a sponsor, participant, and campus ambassador while attending Fordham. Currently, he is a Volunteer Lead at Meals for Unity, a local New York-based nonprofit whose mission is to uplift those in need through community and food. Outside of work, you'll find Ben at SoulCycle, traveling abroad, or chasing down the hottest new restaurants.
Digital Conference Team
Kevin is a Sr. Product Manager at Intuit, building enterprise applications to help attract, hire, pay, and retain employees. He was previously at Workday, where he focused on building financial wellness products and scaling Workday’s mobile application. Kevin graduated from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) with a B.S. in Computer Science where he helped organize small to large-scaled events for various groups on campus, ranging from social justice programs to the university's bi-annual music festival.
Kevin was previously on the O4U Tech and Digital conference teams in 2022 and 2023, respectively, focusing on sponsorship. In his free time, you can find Kevin figuring out what plant to buy next, spending time outdoors, binge watching TV and anime, and learning random K-pop dances.
Garrett is a Software Engineer at Meta, where he works on giving Instagram users more control over their privacy. Prior to his current team, he worked on end-to-end encryption and cross-app messaging in Instagram DMs. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences.
Garrett previously attended O4U Tech as a student and has volunteered as a director for the Tech, Marketing, and Digital conferences. He’s lives in New York and in his free time enjoys exploring the city, running (2024 NYC marathon anyone?), and planning his next hiking trip.
Jessika (they/them) is an Associate Media Planner at Critical Mass, a digital design and marketing agency, and is based in Brooklyn, New York. Previously, they worked on global corporate partnerships at Global Citizen, a global advocacy nonprofit with a mission to catalyze everyday citizens to take action against extreme poverty.
Jessika graduated from the University of North Florida with a BBA in Marketing and a minor in Digital Marketing and Analytics. As a student, they attended four O4U conferences and landed their first post-university role through the O4U Marketing Conference. Jessika then returned to serve as a Programming Director during the 2022 Marketing Conference, 2023 Digital Conference, and is looking forward to leading MOSAIC and TRANSFORM for the 2024 Digital Conference.
Outside of work, Jessika enjoys exploring local restaurants, adventuring in Brooklyn, supporting the arts, and consuming queer media.
Marie is a Platform Program Manager at Juniper Networks, where she manages the revenue enablement tools. Before joining Juniper, Marie spent five years in various training and enablement roles at Adobe and Teradata. She graduated from UC Berkeley, receiving a B.S. in Environmental Economics and Policy and a B.A. in American Studies.
Marie first became involved in O4U by attending the 2016 Business Conference as a student. In 2023, she joined the O4U Digital Programming Team to help put together the first Digital conference. For the past few years, Marie has been moving along the West Coast - living in the Bay Area, Seattle, and San Diego. For fun, Marie enjoys seeing live music, exploring new cities, and any water activity.
Fernando is a recent Human Resources graduate from the University of Ana G. Méndez in Puerto Rico. Originally, he enrolled in Human Resources following his nature as a problem-solver and wanting to help everyone around him. As he continued his studies and due to being a huge bookworm, he noticed how marketing is all about telling a story and how that story may sometimes lack a way of being truly diverse to connect with some individuals. He currently intends on being part of an organization that allows him to work in a role where he can slowly be an advocate of change towards how Diversity and Inclusion is perceived in business.
After attending his first O4UM in October 2020, Fernando worked as a Campus Ambassador for the 2021 Engineering, Marketing and Tech conferences following the need to pay forward all that sense of empowerment he received while attending. This year, he’s excited to come back for the third time as an Admissions Director and continue to be able to create a wonderful experience for students.
Jordan currently serves as a Technology Associate at Morgan Stanley in New York, NY. He was born and raised in Birmingham, MI, lived in the Midwest throughout much of his academic career (including Milwaukee, WI and Evanston, IL), and recently moved to Brooklyn, NY for work. Jordan graduated from Northwestern University in early 2023 with a Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science. Within Morgan Stanley, he is a part of the Wealth Management division's Advisory Products Technology team, and his most recent work involves migrating a trade order routing service from a legacy tech stack to modernized, distributed systems.
As a student, Jordan attended O4U's 2022 Tech Conference, the 2023 Digital Conference, and served as a Campus Ambassador for both the 2023 Digital and Engineering conferences. Through these experiences, he developed a great passion for working alongside fellow students, campus ambassadors and directors to help everyone mutually reach their greatest potential.
Outside of work and O4U, Jordan can often be found reading novels and/or diligently working at local cafés, attending dance classes in the city, and getting involved in the greater New York arts community.
Coyvan (he/him) currently works as a Digital Strategist on the Digital Team at M Booth, a creative marketing agency based in New York. In addition to managing clients, Coyvan has helped oversee social strategy and execution of promotional content across all significant social channels for brands that include Grow with Google, Google for Education, Google AdMob, and EltaMD Skincare. Coyvan attended O4U Marketing in 2019, where he connected with M Booth recruiters, leading him to start his career in digital marketing three months after graduating from Oglethorpe University in 2020. Coyvan credits his O4U experience for introducing him to an extensive network of talented, driven, and tremendously supportive queer professionals. Coyvan lives in Atlanta, and while he's not working, he documents his life and love for fashion, food, singing, dance, and travel across social media.
Jordan is an NYC-based Software Engineer at Spotify, specializing in growth opportunities on the web and supporting seasonal campaigns such as Spotify Wrapped. Before moving to New York, he is originally from Indiana and graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering from Purdue University in 2020. Jordan first attended O4U Tech as a student in 2018 and 2019; he loved it so much he returned as a mentor and speaker in 2020 and 2022 and a Programming Director in 2023. Outside work, he loves tinkering with personal projects, cooking through cookbooks, and tumbling with the Chelsea Piers gymnastics team.
Shri is a software engineer at Arista Networks in Austin, TX. She has been working on their multilayer networking switch technology for the past 2 years. She received her Bachelor’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in December of 2020. While at UT, she was involved in several organizations such as the university’s SWE chapter and Eta Kappa Nu (electrical engineering honor society). She also worked as the lead math tutor at Best in Class Education Center.
Shri first became involved in O4U by attending the 2018 Technology Conference as a student her sophomore year. Her wonderful experience inspired her to go to the 2019 Engineering Conference as a junior. In 2023, she joined the O4U Engineering Programming Team to help put together memorable conferences like the ones she experienced for future attendees. In 2024, she is joining O4U Digital Programming to continue her O4U journey with another conference team that she connected very well with as a student. She is passionate about disability visibility and diversity in engineering. In her free time Shri enjoys dancing, working out, crocheting, reading, and traveling.
KK is a Special Education teacher with Chicago Public Schools in the Englewood community in Chicago. KK graduated from Cornell University where she studied Computer and Information Sciences. Prior to becoming a teacher, she worked as a Strategy Associate at DRW Cumberland and a consultant at Accenture Strategy. Outside of work, she is actively involved in the Chicago LGBTQ+ community and is really passionate about transgender advocacy, especially for trans women of color.
Angélica Bolaños (she/her/ella) is a Data Analyst at Patient Financial Services (PFS) Group where she identifies and resolves data pipeline failures for hospital systems across the nation. She recently graduated with honors from the University of Houston with a BBA in Management Information Systems.
Angelica has an interest in supporting BIPOC and Queer students in their academic and career journeys. She currently serves as the Director of Student Affairs for the Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA) Houston Chapter and is the Scholarship Co-Chair for her alma mater's Hispanic Alumni Association.
Kyle is a Program Coordinator at George Washington University in Washington DC where he helps to oversee the First Generation Student programs. His team ensures that first generation students have the necessary support to succeed in their new college environment and to support them through their undergraduate years. Prior to this, Kyle worked in the nonprofit sector as a Operations Coordinator for pro bono consulting firm Compass Pro Bono. Kyle graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a BA in Marketing Communication and a minor in Psychology.
Ben currently works as a Quantitative Developer at DRW, specializing in high-frequency trading systems. They have a background in Machine Learning development and hold a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Physics. Originally from Buffalo, NY, they proudly represent upstate culture and have a love for chicken wings. Ben is passionate about the intersection of technology and creative disciplines and loves music! This marks their third year working with O4U in the sponsorship team. In their free time, Ben enjoys treating friends to home-cooked meals, watching Sci-Fi movies, and exploring different NYC neighborhoods and parks.
Kyle Sanok (he/him/his) is the head of growth and marketing at Locket, a photo sharing app that launched at the start of 2022. Before Locket, he joined a Sequoia backed fitness startup called Interval as the first business hire. Prior moving to San Francisco, he also interned at JP Morgan in NY on the Digital Strategy team, wrote for a student travel guide, and worked at another fitness startup that was sold to Under Armour. He attended O4U Business ’17, O4U Tech ’18, and O4U Marketing ’19.
He graduated from Harvard in 2020 with a degree in Applied Math/Data Science and a secondary in Archaeology. Outside of class, he gave admissions and historical tours, sang in a co-ed a cappella group the Harvard Lowkeys, and hosted Harvard Model Congress conferences in Asia and Boston. As far as fun, he frequents Barry’s Bootcamp, loves to run, and will take a board game bit too seriously.
Ana (she/her/they) is a recent graduate from McMaster University near Niagara Falls, Canada. She is currently a software engineer at Coinbase, focusing on making crypto a safer and more reputable domain for everyone. She studied Health Sciences in undergrad before attending hackathons and pivoting over to Computer Science. As an undergrad, she attended several technology conferences and is eager to use her networking abilities to secure sponsorship to support the O4U experience. As a past attendee of O4U Digital and Engineer, she is excited to bring an even better experience to O4U Digital 2024.
In her spare time, she loves rock climbing, hiking, and spending too much on matcha lattes and curry.
Johnny (he/him) is an Associate Brand Manager at Henkel. In this role, he manages the Dial bar soap portfolio and strategizes for Dial brand communications including TV commercials, celebrity partnerships, and sustainability initiatives. Before Henkel, he has experience working in marketing at L'Oreal and Zegna.
Johnny attended O4U Marketing three times before graduating from Fordham University in winter of 2021 with a degree in Global Business concentrating in Marketing. In undergrad, he co-founded and became the President of Fordham's Marketing Club.
Outside of work, he loves to attend film festivals, try out new restaurants, travel, and listen to Lorde's Melodrama album on repeat.
Marcus (he/him) is a Senior Privacy Incident Analyst at Box. Before Box, he was a Strategy Consultant at Deloitte where he worked in global data privacy operations and strategically advised technology conglomerates on how to secure the privacy of hundreds of millions of users of their beloved products. As a privacy professional, he stays privy to global privacy regulations including recent advances in AI legislation. Outside of work, he actively participates in Black & Brown and LGBTQ+ ERGs.
Marcus has been involved with O4U since his second year at The University of Chicago where he majored in Economics and minored in Romance Languages & Literatures. He has been an attendee, a campus ambassador, a panelist, a mentor and is now a Sponsorship Director for the Digital Conference and is excited to continue to pay it forward. He currently lives in Chicago where he enjoys playing beach volleyball, running along the lakefront, traveling the world with his partner and playing with dogs both at home and in local animal shelters.
Anisa is a Design Technologist at Intuit, where she focuses on enhancing experiences through emerging technologies. Prior to working at Intuit, she studied Computer Science and Interaction Design at Northeastern University in Boston. She has professional experience in both software engineering and UX design, and finds comfort in roles that allow her to embrace both skillsets.
Anisa is passionate about increasing accessibility, bridging gaps, and providing support for the underprivileged. She aims to hold herself accountable to these goals with every opportunity. During her time at Northeastern, Anisa held several leadership positions within the Asian American community, where she drove initiatives toward community involvement and connection. She's excited to apply her experience with planning and organizing toward O4U.
In her free time, you'll find Anisa exploring different hands-on forms of expression, whether it be through painting, sculpting, baking, or something new. She loves sharing videos of her three cats (Chief, Ivan, and Mila) with anyone who'll let her, and talking about travel plans she may never end up making.
Casen is an Associate Product Manager at JPMorgan Chase, where he partners with Product and Tech teams to deliver new features for the commercialized Fraud Prevention product suite. Prior to this, he spent 2 years as a rotational analyst in the CADP Program at JPMC. Casen graduated from Rice University in 2022 with a B.A. in Political Science and Business. He attended the O4U Business conference during his senior year at Rice, and has since been inspired to stay involved in the O4U community as a volunteer.
In his spare time, Casen enjoys weight lifting, playing basketball, playing card and board games with friends, going for long walks, and watching How to Get Away with Murder on repeat!
Maggie Luong is a software engineer at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York. She attended Temple University as a first-generation college student and received a degree in Management Information Systems. After attending O4U three times in undergrad, she was inspired to plan and host Temple's first conference for LGBTQ+ students in business. Maggie is passionate empowering other first-generation students and advocating for DEI within the technology industry.
In her free time, she enjoys playing dodgeball, running, and curating Spotify playlists.
Engineering + Life Sciences Conference Team
A familiar face to the O4U community, Joey is ecstatic to help build out the 2024 O4U Engineering + Life Sciences Conference! Having attended eleven O4U conferences since 2017 in a variety of roles from student, to sponsor, to organizer, Joey is thrilled to continue giving back to the organization that he says, “raised him!”
Joey received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, which he still claims as his favorite city! After three years as a Software Engineer, Joey now works as a Sr. Associate in Corporate Strategy for Capital One in Washington, D.C., specifically on understanding and creating consumer insights. Joey is also happy to serve students across the country in a recruiting capacity with Capital One, helping diverse candidates join the company!
Outside of work and O4U, you will find Joey walking around D.C. (AirPods IN!), trying great new food, singing/dancing in many locations, and being a cat-dad to his daughters, Titi & Cleo!
Evan is a Study Management Associate at AbbVie and an Engineering Education research assistant at the University of Michigan. As their research interests include equity in education and capital disparity, Evan focuses on increasing accessibility and inclusion of engineering faculty into the Engineering Education research field. Evan graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign with a B.S. in Bioengineering and a minor in Material Science and Engineering. As a student, Evan attended the O4U Engineering conferences from 2020-2021, serving as a Campus Ambassador. They have since been volunteering as a Director of Programming and Logistics for the 2022 and 2023 Engineering conferences.
Evan is passionate about encouraging others to find what it is that spark’s their fire, culturally relevant resourcing, and living out a message of “loving the becoming of your full authentic self.” Most importantly, he is a coffee nerd, dog parent to Enzo, and an avid believer that the “camera always eats first.”
Emil is a systems engineer in the aerospace & defense industry working out of Los Angeles, California. He completed his Bachelors in Aerospace engineering at the University of Texas at Austin in 2020 and has been working in the satellite industry since. He is a first generation immigrant and has lived in all across Texas and California.
As a student, he attended the O4U Engineering Conference from 2017-2019 and since then has served on the O4U Engineering director board twice as an admissions lead.
Emil is very passionate about college outreach and serves as an advisor on CollegeBoard and devotes many hours to local STEM mentoring programs. In addition, he has served as the co-president for several queer centered Employee resource groups.
In his free time, Emil loves to travel and has been backpacking across Asia and Europe. He is also a board member for Green Book Global, the worlds first black travel review site. Lastly, he has been featured in several youtube channels and videos - including Buzzfeed and Anthony Padilla.
Nick (he/him) is an R&D Process Engineer at Ecolab in Minneapolis, MN. Nick primarily supports the scale-up of new hand care and ware wash formulations at their pilot plant facility. Before joining Ecolab, Nick interned in research positions at the U.S. Department of Energy and Washington University School of Medicine.
Nick received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University in 2022. Throughout his undergraduate career, Nick also served as a lead facilitator with the Multicultural Affairs Office at Columbia and the MITES Semester program at MIT. He is passionate about engineering outreach and expanding access to careers in STEM.
Nick attended the O4U Engineering conferences from 2019 – 2021, served as a Campus Ambassador in 2020, and recently joined the Programming Team for the 2023 conference season. In his free time, Nick enjoys bouldering, candle-making, $5 Tuesday moviegoing, and leisurely sipping Cuban coffee in his hometown Miami.
Jacki Bradshaw works for General Motors within their Customer Care and Aftersales organization. She serves as a Team Leader in Service Release Engineering over all of Chassis and Active Thermal Components.
Jacki received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma in May of 2017 and a MS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Michigan - Dearborn in December of 2023.
Jacki became involved with O4U as a student in 2016, recruited for General Motors in 2017, and this will be her fifth year serving on the Sponsorship team for the Engineering Conference.
When she isn’t working to recruit sponsors to participate in the O4U Engineering Conference, you can find her at her kickboxing gym, playing Dungeons and Dragons, or making someone roll their eyes via terrible pun jokes.
Micki is Senior Software Development Engineer at Tesla, leading test automation for Supercharger electric vehicle chargers and developing test infrastructure and data analysis tools for the Tesla energy team. Micki is very grateful to be working directly to help accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy!
Micki attended University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and graduated with their B.S in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies in 2021. In undergrad, they were very involved with their university’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers, and were involved with the campus LGBTQ+ club Women of Pride. They also did research in power electronics and mentored underclassmen through Women in Engineering (WIE) and as a teaching assistant.
O4U Engineering 2023 will be Micki’s 8th conference, after attending for 5 years, serving as a volunteer for one year, and as last year’s Logistics Director. Outside of O4U, Micki enjoys hiking, yarn-based crafts, caring for their plants, and hanging out with their cat.
Jonathan is a Preconstruction Project Manager at Clark Construction where he work to understand the planning and costs associated with large commercial construction projects. He graduated from LSU in 2019 with a degree in Construction Management, and graduated from Georgetown University in 2023 with a Masters in Real Estate.
In 2020 he joined Clark's LGBTQ+ Employee Advocacy Program (LEAP) as the Professional Development Chair. This opportunity introduced him to O4U. His experiences at O4U conferences gave him so much joy and hope, that he had to find a way to get involved. He is excited to be able to be part of such a strong and passionate team, and to assist in providing people the opportunity to experience this amazing conference!
Kelly is a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park studying Bioengineering and minoring in General Business. She currently works as an Additive Technician at Terrapin Works; a student maker-space at UMD that provides rapid prototyping, advanced manufacturing, and digital design resources for the community.
Kelly attended O4U Engineering in 2023, and discovered an environment filled with diverse queer engineers that she was missing back home in Maryland. Everyone she met was incredibly supportive and inspiring, and she was able to network authentically. She is excited to be a part of the 2024 team and give back to the amazing O4U community and support the next round of queer professionals. Outside of her studies, Kelly enjoys traveling, music, and craft projects.
Jake (he/they) is currently a PhD Candidate in Neuroscience at Northwestern University working with Dr. Tiffany Schmidt. Jake is broadly interested in the bidirectional interaction between sensory processing and behavioral state. His research uses a systems neuroscience approach to study a recently discovered, third type of retinal photoreceptors which can detect light independent from rod and cone input. These photoreceptors play a crucial role in subconsciously modulating a wide range of behaviors based on light, including attention, mood, and circadian rhythmicity. Jake is originally from Beaufort, SC and graduated from Rice University in 2020. Outside of work, he enjoys rock climbing, knitting, watching reality TV, and hanging out with his partner and their two cats. Jake is really excited to help launch the O4U Life Sciences Pilot!
Adela is a Mechanical & Electrical Engineer. She graduated from Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico with a B.S. in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and is now a R&D Engineer at ZF Group, where she studies and tests functional safety programs for autonomous vehicles in collaboration with Poland and Germany.
During her time at Tec, she was an active leadership student organizing and managing inclusion and city-wide events from chapters such as Rotary International and IEEE Women in Engineering. She also was a Resident Assistant for 5 years, creating and leading programs and events for over a thousand of students, participating also as speaker in leadership conferences in Germany, Canada, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
O4U Engineering Conference in 2020 was her first one as a student, served as a volunteer and Campus Ambassador for Business, Marketing, Engineering, and Tech conferences in 2021 and joined the 2022 Engineering Conference’s Programming Team excited and pumped up to bring y’all the best program experience. Considers herself a learner about any cool topic, loves axolotls, Mexican food and holidays, and watching horror movies.
Akiva (he/him) is an R&D engineer at Becton Dickinson (BD), based out of Chicago, IL. In his current role, Akiva is responsible for the design and development of interventional medical devices for use in patients undergoing cancer treatment. He is also a recent graduate of BD’s Engineering Development Program, in which he completed three year-long R&D rotations working on different teams and projects across the US. At BD, Akiva is the global careers co-lead for the Out and Proud Employee Network (OPEN), serves on the Global Mentorship Advisory Committee, and is a leader on the R&D Inclusion and Diversity Committee.
Akiva received his BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 2020. Throughout his undergraduate studies, Akiva completed five semester-long co-op rotations in different medical device engineer roles and conducted cardiovascular translational research through the University of Cincinnati Cardiovascular Research Center. He also co-founded and acted as treasurer of the University of Cincinnati oSTEM chapter.
Akiva first attended O4U Engineering in 2019 as a student and has returned each year from 2020 - 2023 as a sponsor. The conference connected him to his full-time role with BD and lifelong friends. In his free time, Akiva loves to travel, cook, rock climb, and play video games with his partner Seth.
Carlos Valdez (he/him) is a Senior Software Engineer at Slack. Carlos graduated with a Bachelors in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Austin in 2020. During this time, Carlos was involved in organizations promoting diversity and inclusion, such as the Hispanic Association of Computer Scientists. Carlos was born in Monterrey, Mexico and grew up between Texas and Mexico. Outside of work, Carlos's is a fan of cycling, traveling, and fundraising.
Christian is a senior consultant at Deloitte Consulting with 6 years experiencing advising pharmaceutical clients with focus on commercial, pricing, and market access strategy. Prior to working at Deloitte, Christian graduated from Texas Christian University, majoring in Marketing and Supply Chain Management. Christian currently lives in Dallas and he is an avid hot yoga lover.
Lainey is a chemical engineer from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Their prior research is in computational modeling, including molecular dynamics simulations and data-driven reaction classification. At the graduate level, Lainey will be pursuing their interest in computational linguistic algorithms for use in cheminformatics applications. They also have experience doing research and development at a semiconductor startup and working in global quality at The Clorox Company.
After attending O4U Engineering as a student in 2021 and 2022, Lainey is excited to be returning for their second year as a director. They look forward to inspiring the next round of young queer professionals the way they were inspired at their first O4U conference. In their personal life, Lainey’s hobbies include music, poetry, games, and makeup artistry.
Luke is an Industrial Engineer at Minnesota-based Andersen Windows, where he works to improve the efficiency and ergonomics of processes for the benefit of the manufacturing teams. Prior to starting at Andersen in 2022, he graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering, and an MBA. Though he did not attend O4U as a student, he was deeply impacted by his time as a mentor at O4U Engineering 2023 and sought more ways to deepen his involvement in bringing the magic of O4U to others.
In his free time, Luke can be found playing Dungeons and Dragons, reading Sci-Fi, watching movies and musicals, woodcarving, and spending time with his cat, Wooper.
Alex Young is a Staff Techno-Economic Analyst at Twelve, a carbon transformation company in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their team sits between Technical Development and Business Development, and their work supports strategic planning of the technology roadmap and go-to-market planning. She has a BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University. She previously worked as a Testing Engineer at an energy storage startup before moving to Twelve, where she started as a Testing Engineer before pivoting to her current strategy role. Alex is passionate about climate and is grateful to have spent their career thus far working on such a critical issue.
Alex attended O4U Engineering as a student in 2018 and 2019, and served as a Campus Ambassador in 2019/2020, a volunteer at the 2020 conference, and an Admissions Director for the 2023 conference. They are extremely excited to return to Admissions this year as Admissions Lead.
Alex is originally from Austin, TX, and loves Tex-Mex and barbecue! They also adopted a dog during the early days of the pandemic, and are now a fully obsessed dog parent to Tobias Rhonda, an 11-pound chihuahua mix. In their free time, Alex likes to support local drag (and dreams of getting into drag one day!) and play in queer sports leagues (most recently kickball). She can’t wait to return to the O4U community this conference cycle, and hopes to help make an already magical community even more engaging, inclusive, and memorable this year.
Haroon is an environmental engineer and consultant at Stantec. He has been working with their STARR2 team that processes MT-2 cases submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) since June of 2022. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) with a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a strong passion for community development.
During his undergraduate years, he was involved with Concrete Canoe and Engineers Without Borders (EWB). He also has two research experiences under his belt. One analyzes the unit hydrograph as a model for predicting rainfall in the state of Maryland and the other investigates the community of Lubbock, TX on its past redlining principles and how it is still impacting the community. He was also the Undergraduate Representative for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee for the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UMD.
Haroon attended o4u Engineering Conference in 2021 and 2022 as a student and fell in love with the Conference. He is honored and excited to be on the team and serve as an Admissions Director for the 2023 conference. He is passionate about the environmental impacts of construction and DEI issues in the engineering field. Haroon is an amateur cook, loves to travel, and is a cat person.
Lucy (she/her) is a Digital Health Consultant at Deloitte, currently focused on product management in the public health sector. She graduated from Johns Hopkins University, where she studied Biomedical Engineering and spent her time outside of classes cultivating student entrepreneurship on campus and fostering social impact initiatives in the Greater Baltimore area. Lucy previously attended the O4U Marketing conference as an undergraduate, and is honored to serve as an Admissions Director for O4U Engineering. She is originally from the Chicago suburbs and is currently based in Washington DC.
In her free time, Lucy loves hosting soup nights for her friends, making lopsided bowls on the pottery-wheel, and rock-climbing to overcome her fear of falling.
Laten Jordan is a Spring 2023 graduate from Howard University where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Throughout his undergraduate experience, he was a staunch advocate dedicated to fostering a safer and more inclusive environment for the student body. During his senior year, he served as President of the Coalition of Activist Students Celebrating the Acceptance of Diversity and Equality (CASCADE), the oldest and largest LGBTQ+ organization at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).
In this capacity, he was able to enhance campus culture by spearheading the first-ever Pride Festival at an HBCU, raising the Pride Flag on campus for the first time in Howard University’s history, and bringing scholarship and professional development opportunities specifically catered for queer students to campus. Remaining dedicated to cultivating safe and equitable spaces, currently he continues his passion for advocacy at Victoria’s Secret & Co. as a Diversity and Inclusion Specialist.
As a student during both the 2022 O4U Marketing and 2023 Business Conferences, he fell in love with O4U and reveres it as a life-changing experience. The confidence and mentorship he gained during O4U allowed him to continue effecting change on campus while also preparing for his career post-grad. Understanding the importance of pouring back into the communities that have poured into you, he is extremely excited to share the O4U opportunity with other LGBTQ+ students.
Andrew is a Data Management & Monitoring Manager at the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). He works in the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care, & Treatment (BADUPCT), where he leads data and evaluation projects regarding harm reduction initiatives and overdose prevention. Andrew graduated from New York University (NYU) with a M.P.H. in Epidemiology and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) with a B.S. in Public Health. Andrew advocates for LGBTQ+ data representation in his projects and works to have queer voices heard to improve health equity.
Andrew currently lives in Brooklyn and during his free time you can find him watching Marvel movies the day they premiere, enjoying summer rooftops, and eating pizza around the city.
To honor and thank our volunteers for the impact they make on the lives of LGBTQ+ students, we began planting trees in their honor for every year of service beginning in 2021. View our volunteer's trees and their impact at evertreen.com/company/o4u.