Hola a todos!
Summer is here and our June newsletter not only brings a lot of great announcements but also some highlights on new and old members. Welcome and thanks for your support!
This week we had the second Dealmakers Forum with a stellar panel whose discussion covered timely topics, “Diversity, Inclusion, and ESG: Creating Alpha.” It was a passionate conversation in which we learned from all speakers their insightful perspectives on these topics. If you were unable to attend the session, we invite you to view the Replay of the Dealmakers Forum -below.
Don’t miss the upcoming conversation taking place with a very special guest, the Honorable US Senator from NJ Bob Menendez. Senator Menendez, the highest-ranking Latino in the U.S. Congress, a son of Cuban immigrants, and a champion for American Latinos, will share his perspective, work, and views with the NAA membership.
Senator Menendez recently introduced legislation, The Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act of 2020. This transparency measure will shed light on the abysmal lack of diversity and inclusion in corporate America. Don’t forget to RSVP as the space is limited.
We took the time to celebrate Pride Month with our NAA family! Thanks, Gabe for your contribution and for sharing a great article on the need to expand horizons in all aspects of our industry.
Lastly, please see the upcoming CIO Asset Class meetings that are exclusive conversations for NAA members where relationships are built, and strong networks are solidified.
Please welcome our new members and reach out to old supporters. They are all now part of our NAA family! Gracias a todos por su apoyo y los esperamos!
Solange F. Brooks
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NAA Celebrates Diversity
Gabriel J. Rodriguez, Managing Partner, Empiric Institutional LLC
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Thank you to Lindsay Saienni and Matt McCue of Emerging Manager Monthly for their bold editorial, LGBTQ+ Managers: The Missing Piece, which delved into LGBTQ+ as a diversity component for institutional allocators. A special thanks to our members that shared bold perspectives: Jasmine Richards of Cambridge Associates, Gabriel Rodriguez and Loren Coffelt of Empiric Institutional, Sam Austin of NEPC, and our past Chair Tom Soto of DCIF. The New America Alliance is proud to support our LGBTQ+ friends and allies.
Progress takes the combination of grassroots efforts alongside social cues from leaders and policies of inclusion. This struggle is like that of other minority groups, and the advocacy is not over for us Latino, Woman, African American, Asian, Native American, Veteran, or LGBTQ+ populace; we are all stronger united. According to an article in Forbes, one in three LGBTQ+ youths reported that they had been physically threatened or harmed in their lifetime because of their LGBTQ+ identity. That is discrimination.
While it is fantastic that brands and companies celebrate the various forms of diversity in different months, disenfranchised individuals are living their lives year-round. Entities and policymakers should continue to stand up and always affirm these communities.
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Best in Class
Avinash Amin, M.D. Founder and Managing Partner, Madryn Asset Management
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Avinash Amin, M.D. is the Founder and Managing Partner of Madryn Asset Management, LP, a New York-based private investment firm that provides debt and equity solutions to healthcare companies specializing in innovative, and transformative products, technologies, and services.
Mr. Amin is the son of two immigrants who came to the United States from Argentina (mother) and India (father) with their medical credentials. He trained as a physician at Washington University prior to entering the alternative investment management industry.
A key tenet of Mr. Amin’s business philosophy has long focused on the belief that all individuals should have access to higher education, affordable healthcare, and unique career opportunities, as they are all critical to strengthening society and ensuring that the benefits of economic progress are shared more broadly.
Mr. Amin is a native of Saint Louis, MO. He received a B.A. in Classics, M.D. from Washington University, and completed his residency training at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in Internal Medicine. He resides in Westchester County, NY with his wife and three sons.
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New Member Spotlight
Frank Mora, Partner, HCAP Partners
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Frank Mora is a Senior Partner at HCAP Partners, a California-based SBIC and nationally recognized impact investor. The firm provides mezzanine debt and private equity to underserved, lower middle-market companies throughout California and the Western United States.
In addition to being the main liaison with the SBA, Frank provides value-added resources to HCAP’s portfolio companies to help optimize their performance and increase their enterprise value. He works to facilitate a positive impact on underserved businesses, their employees, and their communities through the implementation of HCAP’s Gainful JobsTM program.
Frank is also proud to be a part of HCAP’s recognition as an ImpactAssets 50 fund eight years running.
Frank, born and raised in Puerto Rico, has also been active in bringing diversity to the finance and private equity communities. HCAP is a diversely owned firm that has participated in several programs geared towards attracting more ethnic and gender diversity into the private equity industry.
Prior to joining HCAP Partners, Frank’s career path includes holding positions in DBI Capital, a Southern California-based lower middle-market private equity buyout group, Salomon Brothers/Citigroup’s Fixed Income Capital Markets, the Venture Capital team within the Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico, and KPMG.
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The Blue Chip Endeavor
James Socas, Managing Director, Blackstone Group
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James Socas is a Managing Director of The Blackstone Group, a publicly-traded alternative asset management firm with over $640 billion in capital under management, based in New York.
Diversity and inclusion are critically important to Blackstone’s culture, based on the firm’s core belief that a diversity of viewpoints and experiences make us better investors. Blackstone is recruiting diverse talent by widening the funnel of applicants and the number of schools we recruit from, supporting student entrepreneurs through Blackstone’s LaunchPad program, and providing tailored development opportunities for our employees through mentorship programs and engagement in our affinity networks.
Currently, one-third of Blackstone’s leadership team is diverse. 44% of Blackstone’s 2020 U.S. analyst entry-level class is racially diverse, and 45% of Blackstone’s 2020 global analyst class is female. The scale of our investments also allows us to drive value creation and have a massive impact within our portfolio companies; 50% of our primary businesses have a diverse professional as one of their top two leaders.
James is the grandson of Latino immigrants and was born in the Bronx. He graduated from the University of Virginia and the Harvard Business School and is a member of the New America Alliance (NAA).
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