Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital (EVC) Club @ Ross

Harshita Pilla MBA Full-time 2022

VP of Alumni Engagement
Harshita is a second-year student currently pursuing a dual MBA and Master in Urban and Regional Planning. Prior to attending the University of Michigan, she worked at WeWork where she helped utilize data to find areas for efficiency on development projects all over the US. She is excited by the prospect of working at the intersection of technology, social impact, and community development. During her first year summer, she worked in Innovation and Global Strategy at Starbucks. Harshita holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley.

Austin Sivik MBA Full-time 2023

VP of Finance
Austin is a first year MBA student from Kapolei, Hawaii. Prior to pursuing his MBA, he worked for 4 years as a management consultant at Deloitte. Austin is currently working on a startup to sell products through video content. Austin holds a B.S. in Business Administration as a dual major in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management from Texas Christian University.

George Okpamen MBA Full-time 2023

2022-2023 EVC Co-President
George is a first year MBA student born in Dallas and raised in Houston, Texas. He came to Ross to be immersed in Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital, and Innovation Strategy. Prior to Ross, George worked at Eli Lilly and Company as its first Startups Strategy Leader. Currently, George is an HBCUvc Fellow, Business+Tech Scholar, ZLCF Investment Associate and student leader of the Defining Fintech Initiative (DFI) - a first-of-its-kind joint venture with the University of Michigan, Howard University, and Fintech In Action - a Peak 6 Company.

Yasmin Abdulhadi MBA Full-time 2023

VP of Community
Yasmin is a first-year MBA student at the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. Prior to attending the University of Michigan, Yasmin spent four years working in education by way of Teach for America in Memphis, TN. She taught elementary school math and science for two years in Memphis's Innovation Zone. In 2019 she transitioned to teach high school financial literacy at KIPP Memphis to continue her commitment to improving financial educational and economic equity.

Brooke Wade MBA Full-time 2023

Officer
Brooke Wade is a first year MBA focusing on finance and pursuing a career in venture capital. Brooke is passionate about crypto/blockchain and empowering women and minorities to succeed in finance-related careers. Prior to Ross, Brooke worked at Deloitte as an M&A consultant and at Qualtrics as a customer success manager. At Ross, Brooke is a Dean's Fellow and Forte Fellow and sits on the board of Women Who Launch, Crypto Club, Asian American Business Association, and Entrepreneur & Venture Club.

Brian Plamondon MBA Full-time 2023

Director of Education/Treks
Brian is a rising second-year MBA originally from the Washington, DC region. Prior to Ross, Brian was a New Sector Alliance fellow with Nonprofit Finance Fund in Boston, and spent 3.5 years with Silicon Valley Bank. At SVB, Brian focused on startup lending as well as corporate VC relationship management. Outside of school, Brian enjoys skiing, golf, cycling, and eating his way through Ann Arbor.

Jai Parson MBA Full-time 2022

Co-President
Jai is a second year MBA candidate focusing on Entrepreneurship. Prior to Ross, he spent 6 years working in various roles in financial services, mostly in Investment Management Finance Strategy. His immediate job before school was as the Chief of Staff to the founder of a seed stage renewable energy start up based in Lagos, Nigeria. During his first year summer, he worked at Detroit Venture Partners, Guardhat, and Salesforce. Jai holds a B.A. in Economics from Rutgers University.

Odirichi (Richi) Kanu MBA Full-time 2023

2022-2023 EVC Co-President
Richi is a first year MBA student from Raleigh, North Carolina. Prior to pursuing my MBA, He worked for 6 years in the IT consulting industry with Capgemini. After his MBA, he is looking to pursue a career in the Venture Capital space and fund companies in various technology sectors.

Maria Lunik MBA Full-time 2023

VP of Community
VP of Community

Maria is an MBA1, hailing from the Midwest and most recently living in San Francisco. Prior to Ross, she worked in the tech sector for 7 years (between San Francisco and New York), starting at venture-backed companies and moving to progressively larger, public companies. She began in sales and BD roles and for the past 5 years, managed business development teams. She plans to move into Investment Banking , working in a technology coverage group, after Ross. She holds a B.S. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University.

Emily Smid MBA Full-time 2023

VP of Marketing & Communications
Emily is a JD/MBA in her first year at Michigan Ross focusing on venture capital. Prior to beginning her education at Michigan, she served first as a Litigation Legal Assistant at Sullivan &Cromwell LLP, and later as an Associate at a boutique consumer & retail investment bank in New York City. She hopes to pursue roles that reflect her dual passions, business and the law, and is particularly excited about opportunities in the Consumer & Retail spaces.

Shayon Donaldson MBA Full-time 2022

VP of Finance
Shayon is a second year MBA student with a focus in consulting. Prior to Ross she attended the University of Florida and earned a degree in Marketing. She previously worked as a Finance Administration Manager for Universal Music Group before moving to the wedding-tech startup, Zola. Her long term goal is to work on the improvement of financial inclusion, through technology. In her spare time, she enjoys baking and listening to music.

Markyth Smith MBA Full-time 2022

VP of Partnerships
Partnerships

Markyth is a second year MBA candidate focusing on Entrepreneurship. Prior to attending the University of Michigan, Markyth worked as a Product Development & Manufacturing Engineer in the automotive sector for 4 years. During the summer, he worked as a Summer Associate with McKinsey & Co where his project work was split between Sustainability and M&A due diligences. Markyth holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee.