Panelists:
Raj Bakhru (EN06) draws on a wide-ranging background encompassing software development, corporate growth, business management, sales, and marketing. Throughout his career, he has played a central role in developing top-tier tools in alternative investments and cybersecurity.
Formerly Chief Strategy Officer at ACA, Raj oversaw corporate development and M&A, also serving as Interim Co-CEO, Chief Innovation Officer, and Head of RegTech and ESG. He was the founder of Aponix, later ACA's cyber division, a leader in the alternatives sector. Raj's experience includes roles as a quantitative software developer at Kepos Capital, Highbridge, and Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Columbia University, along with CISSP and CFA credentials.
Jenny Fielding (BC94) is one of the most active global pre-seed investors, having invested in 300+ companies as the first money in. As the cofounder and Managing Partner of Everywhere Ventures, Jenny has built a thriving community of 500+ founders and operators who help source, diligence, and invest in the next generation of startups across 3 core verticals: money, health, and work. Prior to launching her own fund, Jenny spent 7.5 years as the Managing Director of Techstars where she invested in a portfolio of companies with a current market cap over $10B. Jenny is a 2x founder, a lawyer by training, and an adjunct professor at Columbia University and Cornell Tech.
Henry Woo (SIPA03) has been volunteering at various international Columbia Alumni Associations: CAA Philippines, Beijing, Egypt, and Geneva. He currently serves CAA Hong Kong and CAA South Korea as Vice-President. He serves on the boards of Columbia Pride and SIPA Alumni Association, chairs development for the CVC in APAC, and has been a member of the School of the Arts Dean’s Advisory Council since 2019. Henry holds a doctoral degree in Economics from the University of the Chinese Academy of Social Science in Beijing. At 27, Henry co-founded South Korea's first carbon trading and renewable energy development JV with a publicly listed chemical conglomerate. Currently he is an advisor to investment funds in fintech, deep tech, along with two startups in pet nutrition and fashion accessories.
Tomasz Felpel (BU25) is an investor, founder, and operator based in New York. He founded Value Alpha to bring institutional data and AI-powered fair-value methodology to private company valuation. He founded Sonnerie VC to back early-stage healthcare founders where operational complexity creates information advantages. Before founding, he spent years in corporate development and M&A at Fortune 500 scale, with billions USD in transaction experience. He completed his Executive MBA as the youngest EMBA graduate in Columbia Business School history, served as Vice President of the Columbia Venture Capital Club and Entrepreneurship Organization, and continues to mentor Columbia founders. He advises on private markets valuation, healthcare investment strategy, M&A, and founder execution. His writing covers private markets, infrastructure, healthcare venture, and operator-led investing.
Moderator:
Christine Alemany (BU04) is a C-Suite operator and advisor who has contributed to six successful exits and over $1B in acquisitions and strategic investments. Author of the upcoming book Forging Trust, she helps founders and CEOs close trust gaps to build momentum, boost unit economics, and increase valuations. Christine founded Thrv Advisors to help portfolio companies find where revenue is leaking and realign before it impacts their valuation.