Press

As Chief Strategy Officer Phil is responsible for Sales, Operations, and Corporate Strategy at EquityZen. Given his experience leading one of the largest venture secondary marketplaces, Phil is a frequent contributor for media outlets like Bloomberg, Fox Business, The Wall Street Journal, and TechCrunch. 

Prior to EquityZen, Phil was a Vice President at Pomelo Capital, a NYC-based hedge fund, focusing on capital structure arbitrage. After helping launch the fund, he was responsible for trading, research, and operations.

Phil started his career at Barclays Capital in their Proprietary Trading group trading credit and equity derivatives. Phil is an avid golfer and runner, having completed two NYC marathons.

Phil holds FINRA series 7, 24, 66 and 79 licenses.

Atish Davda is the co-founder and CEO of EquityZen, a leading marketplace for private company stock. He has been responsible for running the firm, designing and managing the leadership team, and product development since its inception a decade ago.

Prior to EquityZen, Mr. Davda was Vice President Product at Ampush, a data-driven advertising technology company, where he launched the firm’s New York office. Mr. Davda began his career as a Research Analyst at AQR Capital Management, a pioneer in rigorous quantitative investing, where he worked on a small team responsible for portfolio management of their $4B Global Stock Selection strategy.

Mr. Davda graduated summa cum laude from University of Pennsylvania with B.S.E. in Computer Science & Engineering and a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of Business, along with a minor in Mathematics. He also serves on the Advisory Board of PennPAC (Penn Pro-bono Alumni Consulting), a nonprofit that helps other nonprofits thrive.

Brianne joined EquityZen in 2018 and has had roles spanning business development, partnerships, marketing, and market intelligence. In her current role, she leads content efforts and is a frequent contributor for media outlets like The New York Times, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, and MarketWatch discussing trends in the venture and IPO markets. 

Prior to joining EquityZen, Brianne was Director of Business Development at Strypes, a retail tech startup.  She previously led Investor Relations for an equity long/short investment manager and started her career in Prime Services Origination at Barclays.  

Brianne holds a B.S.-Honors in Finance and International Studies from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management.  She also holds the CAIA designation and FINRA Series 7 & SIE licenses. 

In her free time she enjoys running, traveling, and volunteering.

Akshata joined EquityZen in June 2022 as Head of Research. In this role, she is responsible for preparing research on the late stage private companies available for investment on EquityZen’s platform. Akshata has discussed private companies and the IPO market with media outlets like Bloomberg and Fox Business. 

Prior to EquityZen, Akshata was an Equity Analyst covering primarily Technology and Healthcare, most recently at Bruderman Asset Management. She also held risk positions at Credit Suisse.

In her free time, Akshata enjoys traveling, reading non-fiction and trying out new cuisines.

Akshata is also very passionate about financial inclusion and is on the Microfinance Council at Ascendus.