President

Ariana Nelson is a dynamic Latina executive dedicated to mentoring and equipping other Latinos with the skills needed for leadership roles in the financial industry. As the Head of Investor Relations at a private equity firm, she plays a pivotal role in driving operational strategy, fostering business growth, strengthening investor relations, and building strategic partnerships. Her expertise spans across key financial markets, including New York City, Los Angeles, South Florida, and the Midwest. With a track record of driving significant AUM growth for emerging investment management firms, Ariana is shaping the future of leadership in finance. With nearly two decades of experience in investment management, Ariana’s career includes roles across alternative and traditional commercial real estate, private equity, and long-only equities. Ariana holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with dual concentrations in Management and International Business from Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business. She remains committed to mentorship and professional development, actively supporting organizations like Latinos in Finance, which help students and entry-level professionals gain insight and understanding of what types of roles are available in the financial industry. With Salvadorian roots and adopted into a loving family in New York, she carries the influence of both cultures in her journey. Ariana now resides in Kansas City with her husband, two children, and two goldendoodles. Outside of her professional accomplishments, she is a five-time marathoner, having competed in the New York City (twice), Chicago, Marine Corps, and Harrisburg marathons. Ariana Nelson’s career is a testament to perseverance, leadership, and making a lasting contribution to the investment management industry.

President Emeritus

Adriana joined Latinos in Finance in 2021 and brings over a decade of experience. She started her career as an Assistant Project Manager for a 501(c)(3) non-profit, CAFÉ (Community Alliance for Financial Empowerment), where she aided low-income Hispanic community members in building business plans to efficiently run their businesses. CAFÉ did so by providing financial literacy, bridge funding, monthly community meetings, and keynote speaker events. As a DACA recipient and daughter of Mexican immigrants, Adriana witnessed the financial disparity and lack of financial education available to the Latino community and knew she wanted to be the change.

Her first corporate role was at Wells Fargo as a teller, where she quickly moved up to a management role while continuing to provide financial literacy to her surrounding community. Adriana acquired various certifications and was recruited to join Chase and Bank of America before returning to the Stagecoach.

Ms. Navarro took a role in the heavily-Latino Mission District and was quickly promoted to the bank's Corporate Headquarters in San Francisco. Throughout her career, Adriana has always kept the same motivation and love for uplifting the Latino community and being a beacon of change and hope to all First-Gen Latinos. Adriana is currently AVP, Wealth Relationship Manager at Citibank.

Director of External Relations & Mentorship Co-Chair

Victor A. Espinosa comes to Latinos in Finance with over 15 years of experience working in Finance – from private wealth and real estate advisory firms to large, multinational institutions such as Goldman Sachs. Victor is currently the Vice President and Head of Global Business Development at Peachtree Group. Peachtree Group is a firm that offers access to an investment platform that drives growth with a diverse portfolio of commercial real estate assets and other ventures.

Victor’s core strengths are in private wealth management, capital raising and providing advisory services for real estate and direct private equity investments for ultra-high-net-worth investors and families.

Victor earned a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business and Finance from Northeastern University. He currently serves as a board member of REAL – Real Estate Association of Latinx Professionals and is an Executive member of the board with Latinos in Finance.

Bootcamp Co-Chair

Christian is a Principal and Senior Investment Consultant with Mercer, focused upon large retirement plans. Prior to joining Mercer, he spent twelve years with BlackRock in roles across various product teams, including the Retirement Group as a Senior Product Manager responsible for product implementation and oversight of DC funds, including target date funds. Most of his time with BlackRock was spent as an Investment Product Strategist within the ETF & Index Investments team with responsibility for growing the index equity business across all institutional asset owners. Most recently, he was Head of DC for BlackRock’s ETF & Index Investments and was responsible for overseeing the growth of the index equity business with DC plan sponsors.

Christian began his career at State Street in portfolio fund accounting, managing accounting teams across both passive and active equity.

Christian graduated from the University of California, Davis with a BS in managerial economics. He also holds an MS in financial analysis and investment management from Saint Mary’s College of California and an MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.

Bootcamp Co-Chair

Oscar Olivas, CFA, is currently a Senior Credit Analyst for the Global Fixed Income Research team at Allspring Global Investments. He has over 17 years of High Yield Fixed Income markets experience and is currently responsible for providing research coverage of the Energy, Financials and Insurance sectors to various investment teams globally. Oscar is a Mexican American, first-generation college student raised in the LA Area. He moved to the Bay Area in 2003 to attend UC Berkeley where he earned dual bachelor’s degrees in business administration and Latin American studies.

During his time at Allspring, and predecessor Wells Fargo Asset Management firm, Oscar has supported talent acquisition and DEI initiatives. Currently, he is the Co-Lead for Allspring’s Hispanic/Latino ERG where he connects and empowers employees across the firm’s national footprint to make positive impacts in their local communities. Oscar also has over 15 years of non-profit Board experience with the LBSA Fund, a 501(c) non-profit, dedicated to financially supporting UC Berkeley college students in higher education. He is passionate about increasing Latinx representation in the financial services industry through his commitment to the LIF Board.

Membership Chair

Erick Vivas joined Latinos in Finance (LIF) in 2024 and brings a strong commitment to leading teams toward success. His leadership philosophy focuses on fostering a client-centric environment, where personalized, comprehensive financial solutions are at the forefront.

With a background in data analysis, Erick is a data-driven leader who leverages insights to identify opportunities and develop effective strategies that help people achieve their goals. His analytical approach enhances his ability to create impactful solutions that drive results.

Mentorship Co-Chair

A native of Asuncion, after completing his studies Arturo served with the Paraguayan Air Force. He then left his native Paraguay at 19 years of age, preceding his good friend and paving the way for the life-long friends to find a greater opportunity in the USA. Arturo since built a distinguished career in finance over more than 12 years of working in increasingly important positions for Wells Fargo Bank, where he led a program of financial education for the Bank’s branch offices throughout Northern California. While still employed by Wells Fargo, Arturo, who has lived and breathed yerba mate since his youth, moonlighted working towards the realization of his dream of importing and introducing a superior Paraguayan yerba mate to the North American consumer. Now a fulltime member of Team Tukã, he looks forward to making that dream a reality.

Programs Chair

Monica has 5 years experience in capital market transactions and corporate finance. She currently works in portfolio finance at Generate Capital. One of her passions is building diverse leaders in the finance and renewable energy industries. Monica was a community college transfer student and graduated magna cum laude from UC Berkeley with a BS in Environmental Economics.

“Do work that matters. Vale la pena.”

― Gloria E. Anzaldúa.

Scholarship Co-Chair

Gabriel Felipe proudly identifies as a first-generation college student and Mexican American. Gabriel, an Internal Audit Associate at Wells Fargo, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Business Administration Minor from Loyola Marymount University, earned after transferring from Santa Monica College. Originally from Los Angeles and now embracing the new city of San Francisco, Gabriel spends time exploring his new city. His interests include basketball, football, golf, fitness, photography, and volunteering.

Scholarship Co-Chair

Carlos is a Private Client Relationship Associate at Brown Advisory, where he is responsible for servicing multiple relationships for high-net-worth clients. Prior to joining the firm, Carlos worked at the International Monetary Fund in the Fiscal Affairs Department. Carlos is a 1st generation college graduate with a B.A. from The University of Maryland, College Park. In his free time, Carlos enjoys being outdoors, enjoying physical activity, and finding the next challenge to take on. He and his family are from Nicaragua.