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Executive Director

Dr. Klaas Baks, PhD

Klaas P. Baks PhD is a recognized thought-leader in the alternative investments industry. Dr. Baks is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Emory Center for Alternative Investments and a Professor in the Practice of Finance at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.

 

Dr. Baks serves as director or advisor for over 13 companies and investment funds with over $1.5 billion in assets under management, including American Virtual Cloud Technologies (NASDAQ: AVCT), Buckhead One Financial (fixed Income), Peachtree Hotel Group (real estate), TWO Capital Partners (real estate), and Vistas Media Acquisition Company (NASDAQ: VMAC). An active member of the Atlanta community, Dr. Baks serves on the board of the Michael C. Carlos Museum and is a former member of the Investment Committee of the Westminster Schools Board of Trustees.

 

Dr. Baks studied at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (PhD in Finance), Brown University (Master’s in Economics), Groningen University (Master’s in Econometrics, cum laude) and Leiden University (Diploma in Japanese Language and Business Studies). He spent two years at Harvard University as part of his doctoral research at Wharton on the performance of actively managed mutual funds.

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Managing Director

Jim Fountain

Jim graduated in 2016 from the Executive MBA program at the Goizueta Business School. He is an Associate Broker with Metrobrokers in Atlanta. He has been working in real estate brokerage and investments for over 22 years.

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MBA President

Alexia Brown

Alexia is a second year MBA student at the Goizueta Business School. She is an entrepreneur, former Finance Attorney with Latham & Watkins LLP, and will be joining Goldman Sachs & Co after graduation.

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BBA President

Nicholas Trimble

Nicholas is a junior at the Goizueta Business School majoring in Finance and Entrepreneurship. He works at Accel-KKR and will be joining Centerview Partners this summer. His past experience includes JMI Equity, Qualcomm, and TI Partners.

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Fellows

Bernard Clevens

Program: MBA

Year: 2022

Experience: Prologis, Northstar Commercial Partners

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John Schellhase

Program: MBA

Year: 2023

Experience: IHG, Loews Hotels, Hyatt, Marriott

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Evan Lyons

Program: MBA

Year: 2022

Experience: Bank of America, Accel-KKR, Alexander Holdings Group 

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Alex Saladna

Program: MBA

Year: 2023

Experience: Splunk, Citi

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Ethan Case

Program: JD/MBA

Year: 2023

Experience: Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, FOCUS, Truist

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Aditya Venkat

Program: BBA

Year: 2022

Experience: Gartner

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Zach Pearlstone

Program: BBA

Year: 2024

Experience: Klein Enterprises

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Scott LeVine

Program: MBA

Year: 2023

Experience: Home Depot, Brookwood Associates

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Joseph Glaccum

Program: MBA

Year: 2023

Experience: Phillips 66, Delta Airlines

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Brooke Shalam

Program: BBA

Year: 2024

Experience: Brean Asset Management

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Zachary Bryant

Program: HBCU Fellow 
College: Morehouse College

Year: 2024

Experience: Sixth Street

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Aiyanna Manning

Program: HBCU Fellow 
College: Spelman College

Year: 2022

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Malik Moses

Program: HBCU Fellow 
College: Morehouse College

Year: 2024

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Mika Campbell

Program: HBCU Fellow 
College: Spelman College

Year: 2024

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Faculty

Lawrence M. Benveniste

Academic Director, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Finance

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Roy Black

Director Real Estate Program, Professor in the Practice of Finance

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Kevin Crowley

Adjunct Professor of Finance

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Clifton Green

Faculty Advisor, Professor of Finance

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Mark Bell

Head of Private Capital and Family Office, Balentine

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Kathryn Furman

Partner, King & Spalding

Joel Holsinger

Co-Head of Alternative Credit, Ares Management Corporation

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David Panton

Chairman, Panton Equity Partners

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