About Us - MPOWER Financing

Our Team

50+ people from 5 timezones, and growing

Board of Directors

KEN RUGGIERO

Chairman and CEO of Goal Structured Solutions

KEN RUGGIERO

Chairman and CEO of Goal Structured Solutions

Ken is an experienced innovator in consumer finance with more than 25 years spent managing start-up through Fortune 1000 companies, helping them create meaningful change and improvement in their delivery of financial services. Throughout his career Ken has worked tirelessly to improve access to higher education and he continues to be a passionate advocate for expanded financial literacy and transparency in the space. Ken spearheaded the reinvention of Goal Structured Solutions, a leading provider of asset management in the education finance industry. Under his leadership, Goal Structured Solutions has significantly grown their service and product offerings, eventually re-entering the origination space in 2017 with the creation of Ascent Student Loans and more recently enter the primary servicing arena through the creation of Launch Servicing. Under Ken’s leadership Goal Structure Solutions has grown into a well-respected thought leader and service provider to over 100 clients managing over $27B in student loan assets.

Fun fact: When I have free time and when I don’t, I surf on my stand up paddle board and ski/snowboard in Park City.

MUKUL GULATI

Managing Partner of Zephyr Peacock

MUKUL GULATI

Managing Partner of Zephyr Peacock

Mukul is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Zephyr Peacock Indiaand is responsible for the overall leadership of the Zephyr Peacock Funds. Mukul has over 20 years of experience in the investment business including private equity, investment research and general management. Previously, Mukul worked at Multex where he was involved in setting up and managing the firm’s quantitative equity research business. Mukul is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and serves on the Asia Council of Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA). Mukul has an MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business and is a cum laude graduate from University of Maryland with a degree in economics.

NICOLE WEST

Co-founder and COO at Luminous Group, LLC

NICOLE WEST

Co-founder and COO at Luminous Group, LLC

Nicole is a growth-oriented board member and executive who has brought strategic leadership for over 25 years to both publicly traded and emerging global companies. She has a proven track record of enhancing shareholder value through growth initiatives, driving EBITDA margins through scalable operations, conducting pivot and turnaround strategies, and developing talent and great places to work. Her broad industry experience includes financial services (asset management, consumer and small business lending, global payments, credit cards, mortgage, capital markets, student lending), technology (digital/mobile products and experiences, big data analytics, blockchain, FinTech), and higher education/ed tech.

Fun fact: Nicole loves to travel the world eating great food, meeting people, and learning new cultures. She enjoys hiking and has hiked the continental divide at 12000 feet and believe it or not enjoys gardening.LinkedIn – link stays the same.

MIKE DAVIS

Co-founder and Secretary of the Board

MIKE DAVIS

Co-founder and Secretary of the Board

Mike is a serial entrepreneur with 13 startups under his belt, most of which were in the financial services or e-commerce space. As MPOWER’s Chief Investment Officer and Co-founder, Mike uses his superpowers to architect the company’s equity and debt financing rounds. In the past, Mike has been Director of Web Innovation and Strategy for Avon and has worked for Sapient, a leading consulting firm. Mike holds an M.B.A. from INSEAD and a B.S. in Computer and Electrical Engineering from Purdue University.

Fun fact: Mike is addicted to grid-lined notebooks, Evernote, and productivity technology.

ERIKA NORWOOD

Executive Director at Gray Matters Capital

ERIKA NORWOOD

Executive Director at Gray Matters Capital

As the Executive Director of Gray Matters Capital, Erika has a personal vested interest in increasing diversity within the social sector and strengthening the presence of women’s leadership in the social enterprise space. She began her impact career at Gray Matters Capital in 2006. During her eight-year tenure, she managed the foundation’s programmatic and grant-making efforts, oversaw the development of pilot programs across India and focused on cultivating global partnerships and ecosystem outreach for GMC’s affordable private school initiative. Before re-joining the foundation, from 2014-2016, Erika served as Executive Director for IDEX Accelerator & Global Fellows Program. While at IDEX, she founded the InvestWISE Scholarship Fund which focuses on promoting balanced leadership and diversity within the social sector. Erika also serves on the Board of Directors for VOICE for Girls and Caleb Christopher Foundation and on the advisory committee for Georgia Tech University’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Institute.

Fun fact: Erika resides in Atlanta, GA with her tween-age son Caleb and our adorable puppy Thursday.

BEN MARREL

Founder & Managing Partner at Breega

BEN MARREL

Founder & Managing Partner at Breega

Ben’s experience as a founder and his passion for entrepreneurship led him to create Breega, a founder-friendly European VC specialised in financing early-stage high tech startups at Seed/Series A stage. Prior to that, Ben debuted his entrepreneurial journey by launching FiftyFour, the first financial rating platform for SME’s in Africa, and then Rugby Division, a disruptive rugbywear brand. He began his career in corporate finance, working on large cross-border M&A deals and Series D+ in tech for Macquarie Bank in London and Sydney.

Today, Ben & Breega finance and advise highly promising startups such as Curve, Cuvva, Exotec, Ibanfirst, udelv or 21Button with the aim of propelling them to global success.

#entrepreneur / #VC / #techlover / #sportaddict

The Team

EMMANUEL (MANU) SMADJA

CEO, Co-founder, and Board Chairman

EMMANUEL (MANU) SMADJA

CEO, Co-founder, and Board Chairman

Manu is a former Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company, where he focused on Global Financial Inclusion and U.S. mass-market banking. He has worked with top financial institutions in the U.S., Europe, and Africa. Prior to McKinsey he worked in marketing strategy and operations at Capital One and Vistaprint. Manu holds an M.B.A. from INSEAD, as well as an M.S. in Systems & Information Engineering and a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Virginia.

Fun fact: When he’s not working, Manu can be found on the soccer field, kayaking down a river, or on the dance floor.

LANA LODGE (BRONIPOLSKY)

SVP of Business Operations

LANA LODGE (BRONIPOLSKY)

SVP of Business Operations

Lana has more than 12 years of experience in financial services as well as 2 in nonprofit management, and combines her expertise in both fields in her work at MPOWER. Prior to joining MPOWER, she developed new trading models and control processes, managed $6.4 billion in ETF assets, and supervised numerous teams in compliance and operations at ProShares Group in Bethesda, Maryland, and PIMCO in Newport Beach, California. Lana is fluent in Russian and holds a B.S. in Economics and a B.A. in International Affairs from the George Washington University and an M.B.A from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.

Fun fact: Lana can’t live without coffee. No, really.

KIN CHUNG

VP of Credit Innovation

KIN CHUNG

VP of Credit Innovation

Kin has over 20 years experience in Financial Services. Prior to joining MPOWER, he was Chief Risk Officer at FS Card. Former roles include Chief Credit Officer at Ethos Lending (a start-up mortgage lender), as well as various senior positions at Fannie Mae, Capital One, and AIG. He has expertise in consumer credit, advanced analytics, and structured finance. Kin holds a PhD in Mathematics from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Australia.

Fun fact: Kin has a second degree black belt in Taekwondo and is an accomplished pianist. He lives in Northern Virginia with his family and four children.

ASHWINI KUMAR

General Manager - India

ASHWINI KUMAR

General Manager - India

Ashwini has more than 15 years of experience, 12 of which were spent in the U.S. focusing primarily on financial services and credit functions. He is an alum of Conns Inc, McKinsey & Co., ACE Cash, and TCS. As MPOWER’s General Manager of India Operations, he is responsible for the Strategic leadership of the India office, scaling business operations and developing a strong center of excellence in India. Ashwini holds an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelors in Engineering from the University of Madras in India.

Fun fact: Ashwini loves traveling, reading, and river rafting.

BOB ALEXANDER

Associate Vice President of Finance

BOB ALEXANDER

Associate Vice President of Finance

Bob Alexander joins us as our Director of Finance, with extensive experience in student lending during his tenure at College Ave Student Loans as well as in consumer credit from his time working for Chase and Barclaycard. He has already added tremendous value to MPOWER, from supporting the initial transactions to our new $100M loan facility to guiding our annual audit by Deloitte.

Fun fact: Bob is the proud parent of four children (and a Shih Poo).

PARIMALA LENNARTZ

Associate Vice President of Engineering

PARIMALA LENNARTZ

Associate Vice President of Engineering

Prior to joining MPOWER Financing, Parimala served as a consultant for various early stage FinTech startups in New York, where she helped determine technology stacks and built and managed technology teams and operations. Earlier in her career, Parimala was a Systems Architect and Manager at Intercontinental Exchange Inc. and Creditex, where she worked on trading and clearing platforms. She holds an M.S. in Computer Science from Utah State University, and a B.S. in Computer Science & Engineering from JNTU Hyderabad.

Fun fact: Pari spends her free time hiking, scuba diving, and practicing or volunteering teaching yoga. She once went on a trip to 17 countries and did those activities in random order.

TERENCE CHU

General Counsel

TERENCE CHU

General Counsel

Terence has represented financial institutions for 30 years, both in private practice and in house. Terence has extensive legal and compliance experience in banking, regulatory, real estate, commercial, and consumer law. Past clients include HSBC (formerly Marine Midland Bank), JPMorganChase, Bank of America, and Capital One. Terence received his J.D. from the Temple University School of Law and his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania. As a former entrepreneur himself, Terence relishes the unique legal and business challenges associated with representing startup companies.

Fun fact: When he’s not working as a lawyer, Terence enjoys working with his hands, either in the garage or at the dojo.

ARBAAZ HASHMY

Senior Manager - Business Development

ARBAAZ HASHMY

Senior Manager - Business Development

Arbaaz comes to MPOWER with 8 years of diverse experience across multiple industries, spending the last 2 years focused on education financing. He’s also a guest lecturer at multiple educational institutions, where he trains students to be job ready. At MPOWER, Arbaaz heads marketing initiatives for the India market and ventures into new segments for increasing the application pool. He holds an engineering degree in computer science from Amity University

Fun fact: Arbaaz always has room for more food and doesn’t need a phonebook to help him remember phone numbers.

ASHISH AGARWAL

Senior Manager - Analytics

ASHISH AGARWAL

Senior Manager - Analytics

Ashish has 7 years of experience working in analytics and strategy for startups in India. He specializes in business analytics with experience in data driven business strategy formulation. Ashish has earned the Project Management Professional and Six Sigma Green Belt credentials as well as both an M.B.A. and M.S. in Information Systems (dual degree) at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Fun fact: Ashish is an active practitioner of Vedic mathematics, an ancient Indian way of solving math problems.

SASHA RAMANI

Associate Director of Corporate Strategy

SASHA RAMANI

Associate Director of Corporate Strategy

Sasha is a CFA Charterholder and seasoned management consultant who recently completed his Masters degree in Public Policy (MPP) at the Harvard Kennedy School. Originally from Canada, Sasha honed his strategy and investment management skills in New York City with Deloitte Consulting and Mars and Co, where he advised investment firms on innovation, business growth strategy, and organizational design. At Harvard, Sasha’s interests included financial technology (FinTech) and the mobilization of financial capital for social impact. He also published a paper with Dr. Christopher Smart, a former Obama Administration senior policy maker, on how technology can help to mobilize capital in emerging markets. Sasha holds a BMath from the University of Waterloo and a BBA from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Fun fact: Outside of work and school, Sasha enjoys traveling, exploring, real estate investing, recreational computer programming, and listening to the Hamilton soundtrack.

CLAIRE ALMAND

Manager – Marketing

CLAIRE ALMAND

Manager – Marketing

Claire joins MPOWER with 6 years of experience developing digital marketing content and strategies for small businesses, nonprofits, and startups. Her focuses include digital marketing, marketing technologies, design thinking, and business communications. Claire holds a B.A. in Psychology from Swarthmore College and an M.B.A. from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.

Fun fact: When not working, Claire enjoys diving into psychology studies and fantasy novels in equal measure. She is also an avid trail runner and landscape photographer.

FELICIA BUDIMAN

Manager - Office Operation and Compliance

FELICIA BUDIMAN

Manager - Office Operation and Compliance

Felicia has more than 8 years of experience in case management for international clients. She has a Bachelors of Commerce in Actuarial Studies and a Masters of Applied Commerce in Accounting from the University of Melbourne in Australia. Felicia has previously worked at AXA Australia, Fragomen Worldwide (Singapore), and most recently at Google Asia Pacific. Being a former international student, refugee, and an immigrant herself, she is excited about MPOWER’ing students to achieve their life goals through a borderless education.

Fun fact: Feli competes in ballroom dancing and is an old soul who loves jazz and fine wine, and is a slight coffee snob.

IFEANYI OMIJEH

Manager - Talent and Culture

IFEANYI OMIJEH

Manager - Talent and Culture

Prior to MPOWER, Ifeanyi worked for a variety of domestic and international organizations analyzing and improving Human Resources departments. Ifeanyi holds a B.A in foreign languages and a Masters degree in Human Resources Management from the Keller Graduate School of Management in Long Beach, California.

Fun fact: Ifeanyi loves to visit new cities and countries, but unfortunately despises air trave

KARAN DESHMUKH

Manager – Capital Markets

KARAN DESHMUKH

Manager – Capital Markets

Prior to MPOWER Financing, Karan worked in finance and investments for multiple firms in the energy, healthcare, and banking sectors. At Deutsche Bank, he worked extensively on pricing and valuing its structured finance portfolio. Karan also led transactions to fund critical cardiac care centers in Western India in his capacity as a strategy consultant at a healthcare startup. He later worked as an Investment Banking Associate leading M&A transactions in the middle market healthcare sector based out of New York. Karan holds an M.B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology in Nagpur, India. Additionally, he has passed the CFA Level III exam and is a Certified FRM.

Fun fact: Karan loves to go on long hikes and has done multiple high-altitude mountain climbs. In his quiet time, he likes to read books on history and science. Recently, he has taken up cooking as his new passion.