Duke Capital Partners

Shamitha Shetty

Shamitha is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Engineering department at Pratt, where she is pursuing research on developing nanomaterial immunotherapies for treating chronic inflammation in the Collier Lab. Upon graduation, she plans to work in the biotech industry in a search and evaluation role or in life sciences consulting. Prior to graduate school, Shamitha worked at the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health where she developed vaccine candidates for treating infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2, Malaria, HIV and Flu. Additionally, she gained big-pharma experience at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) where she worked as a Process Informatics Associate…

Vishesh Verma

Vishesh is a first-year MBA at Duke Fuqua. Upon graduation, he plans to work in finance & strategy with a goal to impact the mission-driven consumer / technology space. Prior to business school, Vishesh worked in both the investment banking and consumer products start-up worlds, covering revenue analytics & strategy in the latter. He received his BSBA & Economics degrees from UNC Chapel Hill.

Nicholas Allen

Nick is a third-year PhD student in Duke University’s Pathobiology and Translational Biosciences program, where he is also completing a concurrent master’s in Biomedical Engineering. His research focuses on elucidating biochemical mechanisms underlying the development of osteoarthritis, emphasizing clinical applications in tissue engineering and additive manufacturing to create novel therapeutic strategies that improve patient outcomes. Upon graduation, he aims to partner with medical professionals and capital investors to translate innovative ideas into new MedTech ventures and commercialize impactful healthcare solutions.

Christian McRoberts Amador

Christian is a fourth-year PhD student in the Pharmacology and Cancer Biology department at Duke. Upon graduating, he hopes to work in a biotech startup related to cell therapy and eventually wants to start his own biotech company in Puerto Rico. Prior to grad school, Christian received his B.S. degree in Bioprocessing Science with minors in Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing.

Ryan Bird

Ryan is a first-year MBA student at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, with an interest in venture capital and corporate finance. Prior to business school, Ryan worked in corporate finance at retail giant Walmart in Bentonville, Arkansas. He received his Bachelor’s in Finance at Brigham Young Unviersity in Provo, Utah.

Tiago Bonchristiano

Tiago is a first-year student at Duke Fuqua MBA, where he is pursuing a Financial Analysis concentration. Post business school, he plans to seek a career in investment banking with the goal to support entrepreneurs in their financing and exit journeys. Prior to Fuqua, Tiago co-launched the North America region of an alternative protein startup and worked in a strategy consulting firm focused in the Food/Bev industry. Tiago holds an Economics degree from UC Santa Barbara, where he also played for the university’s Division 1 Water Polo team.

Sanjeev Chauhan

Sanjeev Chauhan, a senior at Duke University, is majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science, with a keen focus on AI and machine learning. Leveraging his experience as Founder of DeAP Learning Labs and a machine learning researcher at SLAC National Lab, he is exploring innovative AI ventures at Duke Capital Partners. He plans to use AI to break down barriers to education.

Hengji Chen

Hengji is a fourth-year PhD candidate in Duke University’s Biomedical Engineering department, and his research focuses on computational neuroscience. Prior to graduate school, he co-founded a medical device startup while completing his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. Looking ahead, Hengji aims to collaborate with scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors to bring innovative ideas to a broader public.

Migon Choi

Migon is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate at Duke, where she is studying materials for solar cells. Prior to graduate school, Migon worked in semiconductor industry after receiving her B.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering.

Mario Espinosa de los Reyes

Mario is a first-year MBA student at the Fuqua School of Business. Upon graduation, he plans to work at the intersection of entertainment, technology and venture capital with a focus on high-growth emerging markets. Prior to business school, Mario worked as a Product Manager across startup and Fortune 500 companies, leading digital product initiatives in the media and entertainment space. He received his B.S. degree from New York University.