CollegeSpring Launches 2020-2021 Young Professionals Board Cohort

August 26, 2020 

CollegeSpring is excited to welcome 11 new members to its Young Professionals Board for the 2020-2021 academic year. CollegeSpring is a national nonprofit organization that helps schools and teachers provide free, school-day SAT prep to students who are historically underrepresented in institutions of higher education, including students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, and those who would be the first in their families to graduate from college.

The Young Professionals Board is a group of professionals in the 20-40 age range who are passionate about addressing structural inequalities in education.

New member Becca Faust said, “Given the latest challenges to educational access that have disproportionately affected low-income communities during this pandemic, CollegeSpring’s work feels all the more important today. I look forward to collaborating with fellow members of the Young Professionals Board to further CollegeSpring’s mission of providing all students with the tools they need to succeed as they prepare for college and beyond.”

The 2020-2021 cohort is composed of motivated young adults from across the country, including members in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Dallas, Seattle, and Toronto.

Co-chair Justin Lutsch said, “We are thrilled with the new members and excited about the many ways this group can support CollegeSpring and help elevate their mission.”

Throughout the year, Board members will support CollegeSpring through fundraising, advocacy, and community relations, expanding the organization’s network of supporters and partners. This year they will work closely with CollegeSpring as the organization launches virtual programming to ensure that all students have the chance to prepare for college, whether schools meet in person or online.

Young Professionals Board Members, 2020-2021: 

Bobby Christianson serves as Co-Chair of the Young Professionals Board and has been involved with CollegeSpring since 2017. He is currently an Associate at Accel-KKR, a technology focused private equity firm. Prior to joining Accel-KKR, Bobby was an Investment Banking Analyst at Goldman Sachs and he received a B.A. in Economics from UCLA. Bobby is passionate about mentorship and also participates in iMentor, a non-profit focused on mentorship and post-secondary education success. 

Justin Lutsch serves as Co-Chair of the Young Professionals Board and has been involved with CollegeSpring since 2019. He is currently an Associate at IPV Capital, a technology focused investment firm. Justin is originally from Denver, Colorado and received his B.A. in Economics from the University of Colorado Boulder where he was a first-generation scholar. 

Ali Mrani Alaoui is an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company. He is originally from Rabat, Morocco and received a B.S from the University of Toronto in Applied Mathematics. Ali loves reading about technology, education and emerging markets. 

Jonathan Carmona has been involved with CollegeSpring since the organization’s inception. His history with CollegeSpring started with his participation in the pilot cohort under its original founders. Upon the receipt of his BA from the University of California, Los Angeles, Jonathan moved on to become a formal employee of CollegeSpring, serving on the Southern California and New York programs teams. Jonathan received his MA in Org Development from Columbia University, and is currently an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion HR leader with Seattle Children’s Pediatric Research Hospital. 

Becca Faust is an Investor at IVP, a technology-focused venture capital firm. Prior to joining IVP, Becca was an Investment Banking Analyst at Goldman Sachs in the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications group. Becca holds a B.A. from Yale, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with distinction in History. 

Kaitlin Fong serves on the Investor Relations team at E*TRADE in New York. Prior to joining E*TRADE, she served as Investment Banking Analyst at RBC Capital Markets in San Francisco, covering the Technology sector. Kaitlin grew up in Orange County, CA and received a B.A. in Economics from UCLA.

Rai Froh is the Manager of Public Funding for Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco. Rai is originally from Temecula, California and received his B.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley where he further developed his passion for helping others through mentorship and direct service.

Ryan Lee is an Associate at GI Partners, a technology and healthcare focused private equity firm. Prior to joining GI, Ryan was an Investment Banking Analyst at Citigroup, and he received a B.S. in Finance and Business Economics from New York University and graduated Beta Gamma Sigma, Summa Cum Laude. 

Jessica Ma is an Associate at TPG Capital focused on Healthcare private equity. Prior to joining TPG, Jessica was an Investment Banking Analyst at Evercore. She received a B.S. in Business from NYU Stern and graduated Beta Gamma Sigma, Magna Cum Laude. 

Mohamad Maarouf is a Program Manager at Leading Educators and Senior Consultant at KAC Consulting, two roles that provide him the opportunity to develop educational leaders across the nation. Prior to taking on these roles, Mohamad acted as a high school principal in Houston, Texas and received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and Master’s degree from the University of St. Thomas. 

Jay Mehta is an Associate at Advent International, a global private equity firm, where he focuses on technology related investments. He previously worked as an Investment Banking Analyst at Morgan Stanley & Co. in San Francisco. Jay graduated from University of California, Los Angeles, with a B.A. in Economics. 

Taylor Parkinson is an Associate at BPEA, a private equity firm focused on small buyout and growth investments located in Boston, MA. Prior to BPEA, Taylor was an Associate at PwC in the Deals Valuation practice and received a B.S.B.A., magna cum laude, from Boston University.  

Nicole Vu is a Strategy and Analytics Associate at Google, driving hiring programs and initiatives to make Google more representative of its users. She also serves as a volunteer tutor with Reading Partners, a literacy nonprofit. Nicole graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Business Economics and a minor in Film, Television, and Digital Media.

Tim Wang has served as a Member of the Young Professionals Board since 2017. He is currently an investment banking Associate at Goldman Sachs & Co., and focuses on Healthcare M&A and financings. Prior to joining Goldman, Tim received a B.S.B.A. in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis and graduated Beta Gamma Sigma, Magna Cum Laude.