Strategic Capital Group

Who We Are

The Strategic Capital Group, or SCG, is USIT's internal portfolio management group. SCG is a dedicated group of analysts that monitor investments after they have been added to the portfolio, lead the stock pitch teams, and direct small-group mentorship groups to pass on their knowledge.

SCG consists of Junior Analysts, Senior Analysts, and Portfolio Managers. SCG Junior Analysts are trained through an accelerated finance and accounting curriculum taught by the group head, the Director of Investment. Junior Analysts and other qualified members then progress to the Senior Analyst position where they mentor and teach new USIT members in Analyst Group settings. Upperclassmen SCG members can then become Portfolio Managers and run their own portfolio using a portion of USIT's funds.

How to Join

Members of SCG are chosen through a competitive application and interview process each year. Freshmen can join at the Junior Analyst level each Fall semester. The selection process begins with resume and application submission. Individuals are then asked to attend an invitational lunch to meet the members of SCG. Applicants who advance to the next stage will be called in to interview with the Executive Board and senior SCG members. Candidates do not need to have prior financial knowledge but should demonstrate interest, work ethic, and intellectual curiosity.

Senior Analysts and Portfolio Managers are chosen at the end of each Spring semester through a rigorous interview process. While previous financial knowledge is not necessary to join SCG at the Junior Analyst level, applicants to Senior Analyst and Portfolio Manager positions must have demonstrated knowledge in finance through the Junior Analyst program, internships, competitions, or extensive investment team experience.

Our Team

Director of Investment

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.

Portfolio Managers

Katherine Yan
Consumer/Retail
Austin, TX
Finance
Class of 2026

Katherine is a house music enjoyer and Juiceland enthusiast. Her greatest accomplishment is getting called out for having good form in her recent Solidcore class. In her free time, she enjoys running, attending concerts, and indulging her creative side through various crafts. This past summer, Katherine interned in New York at Morgan Stanley.

**Sri Marupudi**
Consumer/Retail
Aurora, IL
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2026
Sri is a junior majoring in Finance and BHP from Illinois who worked at Tejas Production Services and Brookfield Asset Management this summer. When Sri isn't talking about the greatness of Panda Express and how horrible Chipotle is, you can find him eagerly waiting for the Bills to win the Superbowl. Do not talk to him about country music and Morgan Wallen but you can talk to him about Suits (the show) and how to fix his broke jumper.

**Naomi Konuma**
Consumer/Retail
Houston, TX
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2026
Naomi is a senior from Houston, TX, and has been involved in both Board and SCG during her time at UT. In her free time, she enjoys traveling (recently returned from semester abroad in Madrid), playing/watching soccer, and cooking with friends. This past summer, Naomi interned at Evercore in New York City.

Grace Zhu
Consumer/Retail
Austin, TX
Finance, Textiles & Apparel
Class of 2027

As an Austin native, Grace enjoys exploring different coffee spots around the city and is currently working down her list of brunch restaurants. Any chance she gets, Grace loves learning new card games or teaching old ones (so ask her to play Resistance), and she will never, ever turn down a game of volleyball. This summer, Grace has been getting into bouldering, so talk to her about your favorite athletic past times and what makes you laugh the hardest!

Clayton Malone
Energy
Houston, TX
Finance
Class of 2026

Clayton is a senior studying finance. Outside of USIT and school he spends his time mountaineering, backpacking, trail running, cycling, and skiing. If you want to waste hours of your time talk to Clayton about mountaineering or skiing, he is happy to suggest that full rocker skis and playing by the rules of G.N.A.R. are the only way to properly ski. He spent this last summer working at Wells Fargo in their Houston Energy IBD and climbing in Bulgaria and Colorado.

Ishaan Puri
Generalist
Austin, TX
Finance
Class of 2027

Ishaan is a junior who was born and raised in Austin. In his free time, he enjoys dramatic masterpieces, reading, and playing hold 'em. This past summer, he traveled to Chicago and New York.

**Ilan Benavi**
Generalist
Austin, TX
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2027
Ilan was born and raised in Austin, and is proud to come from a family of longhorns. He's currently a junior double majoring in BHP and Finance, and is incredibly excited to serve as a USIT portfolio manager this year! In his free time, he enjoys racket sports, history novels, and playing poker.

**Mark Rivera**
Generalist
Austin, TX
Business, Math
Class of 2027
Mark is a Junior from Austin studying business and math. He enjoys MMA, and he likes to run, which comes in handy when he’s losing the aforementioned fights. When he’s not giving brain dead UFC takes, you can find him eating cereal. He and Paarth pledge to complete the Orion’s Belt challenge by the end of first semester, so hit them up if you want in.

Thomas Slocombe
Global Macro
Doha, Qatar
Finance
Class of 2026

Thomas is an incoming junior and an avid learner that has spent his time at university learning more about finance. Outside of the FERC and the classroom, he loves to play soccer, go to the gym, and hangout with his friends and family. He has a passion for traveling and learning different cultures, and daydreams about the next places on his list of travels. His ideal evening would be watching Manchester United play in the Champions League (although that is a rare sight), while indulging in some Nandos and empanadas.

**Phoena Lin**
Global Macro
Plano, TX
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2027
When Phoena isn't yapping on FaceTime, she's probably making another Spotify playlist, watching Street League Skateboarding, or sleeping on the floor. This summer, Phoena enjoyed Boston working in private equity. As an aspiring food critic (ask her about her Beli) and lover of midnight drives, Phoena knows the best late-night eats, so be sure to ask her for her favorites!

**Justin Zhu**
Global Macro
Plano, TX
Finance
Class of 2027
Justin is an avid Butler-er who occasionally picks up his golf set. He loves to play board games and anything involving strategy. He’s looking forward to visiting Europe for the first time.

**Ishaan Joshi**
Special Situations
Frisco, TX
CBHP, Finance, Math
Class of 2026
An avid sports fan, you may recognize Ishaan as the dude in the FERC who always has F1, cricket, or football playing on a second computer. When he's not cheering for the Cowboys or Lewis Hamilton on TV, Ishaan likes to go hiking, get his swim in, continue his quest to find Austin's best Indian restaurant, or plan his next (fantasy) vacation. From Steve Carell comedies to Bollywood tragedies, Ishaan loves searching for the next movie to watch, and changes his music taste on a weekly basis. If you ever see him in the Chick-Fil-A line, stop by and say hi!

Liam Lee
Special Situations
Sugar Land, TX
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2026

Liam is a junior majoring in finance. His favorite pastimes include running loops around Ladybird Lake, ordering a double fish burrito from Cabo Bobs, and chest day.

Priyanka Gupta
Special Situations
Plano, TX
CSB
Class of 2026

Priyanka is a senior double majoring in BHP and CS Honors through the CSB program. When she's not listening to Blood Orange or Empire of the Sun, you can find her catching the Patriots game or participating in trivia. She also enjoys playing the piano and reading the Wall Street Journal. Priyanka interned at Perella Weinberg in NYC this past summer and is looking forward to pursuing private equity at Bain Capital full-time.

**Paarth Jamdagneya**
Special Situations
Allen, TX
Biomedical Engineering
Class of 2027
As a professional "yapper," Paarth swears he's going to drop out of college and become an actor. When he's not busy being humble, Paarth is probably torching someone on the court or binge-watching a Netflix show. By the end of the year, he has vowed to be the first vegetarian to complete the Orion's Belt Run (if you really wanna know, ask him about it). Paarth also absolutely adores any and all smoothies, so if you're ever down to grab one, let him know.

**Nathan Comeaux**
Tech, Media, and Telecom
Dallas, TX
CBHP, Finance, Plan II
Class of 2026
Nathan is a senior majoring in finance and Plan II. He's a big fan of the Rangers, Cowboys, and Mavericks. Outside of school, he enjoys playing poker, eating Canes, visiting national parks, and travelling to Europe. He is also likely currently rewatching Succession, Breaking Bad, or Bojack Horseman.

Freddy Guo
Tech, Media, and Telecom
Austin, TX
CSB, Finance
Class of 2026

Freddy is an avid Strava user who uses running as an excuse to eat whatever he wants. He loves to travel, but not as much as he loves letting Naomi plan his trips for him. This past summer, Freddy interned at Qatalyst and explored San Francisco.

**Srjana Srivatsa**
Tech, Media, and Telecom
Plano, TX
Math
Class of 2027
When Srjana isn’t devouring peanut butter cups, dancing, or vlogging on Youtube (@srjanasdiary), you’ll find her on X collecting film for her amateur sports-edit-tiktok-account. This past summer, she spent time working on a quant research team in NYC and attempting to learn Cyrillic cursive. If you ever feel like fangirling over cute dresses, yapping about mid politicians, or exchanging podcast recs, hit her up to grab coffee!

**Siddhartha Rana**
QMI
Houston, TX
Finance and Math
Class of 2027
Siddhartha is a junior studying Finance and Math at UT. Previously, he has worked as a quant at a prop trading firm and a long/short fund. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, trading on Kalshi, taking side bets, watching The Wire, and mental math. He is currently learning about speed cubing and Catan. Feel free to reach out if you're interested in any of those things, want to talk about math, or learn more about trading!

**Avani Singh**
QMI
Austin, TX
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2027

Avani is a junior studying finance & BHP from Austin, Texas. She enjoys cooking, wake surfing, yoga, and taking naps. This summer in NYC for her internship she ate through the whole city and tracked it all on @avaniate. Feel free to reach out!

Anika Prasad
PIT
Naperville, IL
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2027

Anika is a junior majoring in BHP and Finance from Naperville, Illinois (shoutout Chicagoland!). When she isn't zoned out listening to Taylor Swift and Bollywood music, you can find her clicking away on her digi or aimlessly exploring the Austin outdoors! She is so excited to be PIT President this year, so don't hesitate to reach out for a chat :)

**Alan Jian**
PIT
Guangzhou, China
Sustainability, Finance, BHP
Class of 2027
Alan loves water, Chinese food, and indie pop music. Talk to him about climbing (trees & bouldering), hosting dinners (how to cook more efficiently), and writing poems. He has spent the past two summers at the US Forest Service and will be interning at Perella Weinberg Partners next summer.

SENIOR Analysts

**Leo Shao**
Pleasanton, CA
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2028
Leo grew up in China, the D.C. area, and the Bay Area so he's still eating his way around Austin. You can find him dragging his friends to run around Lady Bird Lake with him, taking long naps, eating copious amounts of Chipotle, or attempting to watch a new movie (he can't seem to gather the attention span to ever finish one). He's looking forward to a fruitful school year with hopefully a few positive poker games.

**Christian Burlacu**
Flower Mound, TX
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2028
Christian is a sophomore from Flower Mound majoring in Canfield Business Honors and Finance. He’s a big tennis and mountaineering enthusiast, and if you see him at the gym, it’s safe to assume his next stop is Chipotle. This past summer, Christian interned at a hedge fund specializing in equity and credit, while also scaling Mt. Rainier and climbing around Colorado. He loves exploring around Austin and is always down to try out a new trail or adventure, so feel free to hit him up!

**Michael O'Connor**
Arlington Heights, IL
CBHP
Class of 2028
Michael O'Connor is a sophomore studying finance in the Canfield Business Honors Program. In his free time, he enjoys playing poker, watching the Chicago Bears, and grabbing a bowl at Chipotle. A fun fact about Michael is that he can solve a 7x7 Rubik’s cube. He also lived in Singapore for five years, which sparked his interest in travel. This past summer, Michael interned at Prime Trading in Chicago and worked on his golf game, though it’s still a work in progress. He is excited to study abroad in Copenhagen this June.

**Joshua Rosenblum**
Houston, TX
Finance
Class of 2028
At the end of the day, Josh is just a chill dude. He's super unique in that he enjoys fishing, golfing, lifting, and even socializing. When he's not overly caffeinated in the FERC, you can find him trying new restaurants (he’s a big foodie), and optimizing his electrolyte/vitamin ratio. In his free time, Josh entertains a slight gambling addiction (mines, plinko, blackjack, and poker), cooks steak and eggs, and goes jet skiing. This past summer Josh interned at a local distressed and special situations fund and he’s extremely excited to serve as a USIT senior analyst this year!

**Jane Bailey Feinstein**
Dallas, TX
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2028
Jane Bailey loves to play volleyball (go USIT IM volleyball!), watch Friends or heist movies, do the NYT games, and go for unreasonably fast walks with her friends. When she isn't speed walking aimlessly around campus, you can find her in a coffee shop working (or talking). Her favorite place is Merit Coffee, but she would love to hear all of your cafe suggestions! This past summer, she spent her time studying abroad in Prague.

**Sonali Gupta**
Plano, TX
Finance
Class of 2028
When Sonali isn’t taking pics with her trusty digicam or grabbing a chai latte, you’ll find her adding way too many things to her online shopping cart because she still “doesn’t have anything to wear.” Her fuel of choice? A Jendy's Coke in one hand and a Chipotle bowl in the other. In between all that, you’ll usually catch her rewatching her favorite sitcoms – New Girl, Parks & Rec, The Office, and Modern Family. This past summer, Sonali studied abroad in London, where her love for tea and thrifting reached entirely new (and slightly dangerous) levels.

Raaga Kodali
Ashburn, VA
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2028

When she's not breaking the bank on concert tickets, you can catch Raaga playing intramurals a little too competitively, exploring the great outdoors to touch more grass, or experiencing everything Austin has to offer with her friends. This past summer, she interned at an Austin-based search fund and studied abroad in [**frolicked around] Copenhagen! Talk to her about anything women's sports, Taylor Swift, or the East Coast (shoutout NoVa!!). Raaga is beyond grateful to be a part of the USIT family and is excited to meet everyone!

**Tasyn Patel**
Wilmette, IL
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2028
Tasyn is a sophomore studying in the Canfield Business Honors Program originally from Wilmette, Illinois. When not working in the FERC, he is playing poker, basektball, football, and a his favorite sport: golf. He could talk about golf for hours and if you keep listening he will most certainly challenge you to a match for money. In additon, Tasyn likes reading classic novels, eating a lot of steak and discussing movies. He hopes in the future he can buy the Chicago Bulls and Bears and make them good. He also believes the MLB should allow steroids and that MJ is the undisputed GOAT of basketball (don't argue with that).

**Teja Katipalli**
Tampa, FL
CBHP, Finance
Class of 2028
Teja is a Tampa guy who’s passionate about football, always up for a game of basketball, and can’t get enough of Cava. He thrives on debating anything and everything—even when he realizes he might be wrong halfway through. Recently, he picked up an unhealthy obsession with golf and is always down for a round. This past summer, Teja interned at an investment bank in Miami, Florida. Feel free to reach out—he’s always happy to talk or help out!

JUNIOR analysts

Applications open soon