Nisha Desai, CFA

Nisha Desai is the CEO and Founding Managing Partner of Andav Capital, an investment firm based in New York that focuses on providing strategic capital and advisory services to early-stage, tech-enabled companies, particularly those with underrepresented founders. Under her leadership, Andav Capital has achieved notable success, investing in sectors such as software, internet, and frictionless commerce, and has significantly outperformed industry benchmarks.13

Desai holds an MBA with Distinction in Finance, Operations, and Entrepreneurship from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.S. with Honors in International Politics from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.23

Before founding Andav Capital, Desai had an extensive career in finance. She served as a Director at Deutsche Bank, where she managed a major restructuring program and advised on complex investments. Prior to that, she was a Vice President at J.P. Morgan, where she led significant remediation programs and was involved in high-profile crisis management efforts.23 Additionally, she has experience in legal and business development roles, having worked at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Google, and was a founding team member at Sweetgreen, a prominent startup.23

Desai is also active in various advisory roles and mentorship programs, collaborating with organizations like Techstars, Microsoft, and Google for Startups. She serves as a non-residential Fellow with the Atlantic Council, contributing her expertise to discussions on financial innovation and venture capital.13