Board
Who We Are
USIT is overseen and led by a 3-member Executive Team and a 5-member Board of Directors who manage the day-to-day operations of the organization and run USIT's flagship competition events. Each member brings to the organization a unique perspective that we believe contributes to USIT's success. Directors are further supported by five Board Chairs who learn the operational, marketing, technical, and financial skills necessary to run a successful venture.
How to join
Board Chairs are selected through a competitive application process at the beginning of each fall semester. Interested applicants will submit both a resume and application and then be called to interview with the Executive Team and Directors. Members are encouraged to attend our information sessions to gain more insight into responsibilities and the application process. We encourage members of all academic backgrounds and experience to apply.
Our Team
Executive Team
Akash Bansal
President
Naperville, IL
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2027
president@usiteam.org
Akash is a junior majoring in Finance and BHP from Naperville, IL (ranked the top suburb in the nation BTW). When Akash is off the spreadsheets, you can find him listening to music, playing pickleball, or watching sports — sometimes a combination of the three. He really enjoys traveling to new places, including to Greece, where he went this summer. If you want to become friends with him, he really wants someone to buy him J.Cole or really any concert tickets. His freshman summer he studied abroad in Copenhagen and this past summer he interned as a Private Equity Analyst at Haveli Investments in Austin. Next summer, he is looking forward to joining Guggenheim in their Private Equity Advisory Group. Other than that, he is really looking forward to the year ahead and meeting everyone! Hook ‘em
Nivy Manikandan
Vice President
Frisco, TX
Finance
Class of 2027
vicepresident@usiteam.org
When she isn't averaging 20k steps a week, you can find Nivy trying new recipes or DIYs off of TikTok (because she's easily influenced unfortunately). Her hot take is that buying impromptu concert tickets to artists she barely knows is the best way to discover new music so ask her about her fire lineup for the year. This past summer, Nivy interned at PwC in Boston and is excited to intern in investment banking at Greenhill & Co. in New York this upcoming summer. She is so hyped to meet everyone this year and is always down to go on a yap + coffee walk so feel free to hit her up!
Tina Luo
Director of Investment
Flower Mound, TX
CBHP, Finance, Math
Class of 2027
investment@usiteam.org
Tina loves her ands: Trader Joe's and Costco, matcha and coffee, math and language. When she's not frolicking or playing word games, she's probably relying too much on Google Maps just to make sure she does, in fact, still know the way to Wampus. Last summer, Tina spent time with family before interning at a hedge fund in New York. Talk to her about dance, gymnastics, or ice skating (she's woefully inept at sports involving a moving object), and never hesitate to reach out about anything.
Directors
Yash Nayak
Director of Finance
Allen, TX
Finance
Class of 2028 accounting@usiteam.org
On campus, you rarely see Yash without an Arizona Mucho Mango accompanying him. When he is not devouring this delicious beverage, you can find him hooping at Greg, relaxing with his golden doodle at home, or destroying Reuben in EA CFB (make sure to ask him how many times he's lost to me). Yash is always trying to find new music, and of late, particularly enjoys RNB and soul music. If you're ever in the mood to catch a riveting mystery whodunit movie or play basketball, feel free to reach out because he always loves meeting new people!
Anika Doddamane
Director of Operations
Plano, TX
Computer Science
Class of 2028 operations@usiteam.org
Anika is a freshman majoring in Computer Science. She's enthusiastic about trying new beverages, especially matcha! When she's not buying overpriced drinks, you can find her hanging out with her friends, reading science-fiction novels, or exploring Austin. She's also a Gilmore Girls enthusiast, and her favorite character is Luke. She loves to listen to new music recommendations, so send them her way!
Manas Jain
Director of Technology
Plano, TX
Computer Science
Class of 2028 technology@usiteam.org
Manas is a sophomore majoring in Computer Science. He loves trying new things and pretending like the cut is going strong. Reach out to talk about anything anytime :)
Sua Lee
Director of Internal Relations
Allen, TX
CBHP
Class of 2028 internalrelations@usiteam.org
Sua is a rice cake enthusiast and a longtime Spotify Free warrior. Outside of school and USIT, you’ll probably find her watching sourdough baking videos or adventuring to new spots with friends. A true lover of airports and all things travel, she lived out her European summer dreams while studying abroad in Copenhagen. Chat with her about the weather, curating the perfect playlist, or your favorite books!
Reuben Paul
Director of Marketing
Austin, TX
Finance
Class of 2028 marketing@usiteam.org
Reuben’s the kind of guy who keeps things laid-back. If he’s not at the gym, he’s probably playing college football, absolutely destroying his friends. One of his favorite hobbies is listening to music, and he is convinced he has the best music taste out there. He’s into all sorts of genres, so definitely recommend him some of your favorite songs/artists. He’s also a big movie buff, so feel free to ask about his top movies or favorite directors. In addition to that, besides business, he has a passion for technology and, as a hobby, shares his expertise at cybersecurity conferences, demonstrating cool coding projects/hacking demonstrations for fun. If you ever want to think about the perfect gift for him, grab him a Cabo Bob’s gift card (it’s the best food on campus), he loves it. Don’t be shy to hit him up about football, lifting, or the best food spots; those are his go-tos.
Chairs
Applications open soon
Advisors
Maahika Saini
Board Advisor
Allen, TX
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2026
Maahika is a senior majoring in BHP and Finance who enjoys baking and playing the guitar. Outside of school and USIT, you can find her rewatching New Girl or catching up on the latest show in the Bachelor franchise. The parts of her brain not occupied by random psychology facts are filled with the lyrics of Taylor Swift's entire discography. She's always down to try different foods, so hit her up anytime to test out new restaurants! She spent her freshman summer studying at the London School of Economics, her sophomore summer at an Austin-based venture capital firm called BuildGroup, and Greenhill & Co for her junior summer.
Dilan Patel
Board Advisor
Coppell, TX
CBHP, MIS
Class of 2027
Dilan enjoys cooking, working out, and going to live music events. He’s traveled all over Europe, including Spain this past summer. He interned at Deloitte this summer as a product development intern. Feel free to reach out anytime.
Stephanie Xia
Board Advisor
Coppell, TX
CBHP, MIS
Class of 2027
Stephanie is a junior majoring in BHP and MIS. The most important things to know about her are that she is obsessed with Miffy, iced lattes, and food (ask about her Beli). This past summer she was an intern at Brinks Home and visited Iceland with her family. Always feel free to reach out!
Aashna Gautam
Board Advisor
Plano, TX
Finance
Class of 2027
Aashna, a boba aficionado and spicy food seeker, can often be found sipping her way through every local boba joint or trying out new restaurants in search for the perfect chili oil noodles. When she’s not indulging her taste buds, she’s jet-setting to far-flung destinations from Iceland to Thailand, dropping way too much on concerts, or binge watching sitcoms. She’s always up for late night rain-soaked frolicking and any type of dancing. Aashna is an incoming summer analyst at JPMorgan in New York . Hit her up to explore Austin!
Ria Nanjundan
Board Advisor
Bellaire, TX
Finance
Class of 2027
You can almost always find Ria in 3 places: at the gym, rock climbing, or lost in a good fantasy novel. A hiking enthusiast with big dreams, she plans to summit the tallest peaks on every continent—camera in hand for her photography Instagram (@ria_takes_cool_pictures). She is studying abroad in Scotland this Fall and can't wait to live out a fantasy lover's dream. If you ever need/ have book recs or just want to grab coffee and yap, hit her up! Fun Fact: she’s been skydiving and is planning on getting her license.