Seattle Finance Collective

Emily POwell
Chair Emeritus

Emily Maynard Powell is the Senior Associate, Corporate Development at Laird Norton Company, supporting the company’s direct investments in lower-middle and middle-market Pacific Northwest operating companies. Her work includes mergers & acquisitions, strategic planning, portfolio monitoring, and developing and implementing sustainable investment strategies.

Prior to joining Laird Norton Company, Emily spent five years with The Nature Conservancy, working at the intersection of impact investment, sustainable agriculture, and river conservation. Originally from Virginia, Emily fell in love with the West at an early age and now calls Seattle home. When not at work, she can usually be found in the mountains or on a river chasing whitewater and wild trout.

Emily holds an MBA from the University of Washington, as well as a BA in History and a Master of Urban & Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia.

Zane Carmean

Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair

Zane Carmean’s focus is on quantitative research and data analysis in the private markets. In his capacity as Lead Quantitative Research Analyst within PitchBook’s Institutional Research Group, he oversees a team of analysts developing new tools for PitchBook clients and authoring research reports covering broad topics across private markets. He helped in launching PitchBook’s Quantitative Perspectives series, a report-style that provides a fully data-driven narrative of the current and future state of private markets. He also built PitchBook’s proprietary limited partner portfolio forecasting tools, helping institutional investors manage their capital allocation decisions.

Prior to PitchBook, he was a Senior Associate on the Strategic Research team at Green Street Advisors where he conducted much of the research and analytics behind the firm’s macro-themed reports in the commercial real estate industry. Zane has a master’s in finance from Bocconi University and bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from Loyola University Chicago.

Joshua Chao

Governance Committee Chair

Joshua Chao is a Senior Associate, Life Sciences at The Forest Road Company, where he is responsible for conducting due diligence, driving deal flow, and performing portfolio management for the firm’s flagship life sciences venture investing platform. Forest Road is a next-generation merchant bank that operates investment and advisory platforms while also being an active investor on a principal basis.

Prior to joining Forest Road, he was a Senior Associate at SVB Capital’s Arterial Life Sciences Fund, the venture arm of Silicon Valley Bank. Previous roles include research and investment advisory roles at PitchBook, Blackstone LaunchPad, and Flagship Pioneering.

Joshua holds a B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering and a Ph.D. in Regenerative Medicine from the National University of Ireland, Galway. Performed in conjunction with cell therapy startup Orbsen Therapeutics, his doctoral dissertation focused on the role of fibroblast activation protein-selected stromal cells in the context of limb ischemia and muscle cachexia.

Ces Espiritu

Programming & Partnerships Committee Chair

Ces Espiritu is a seasoned finance professional with more than a decade of experience. She currently works as an Account Executive at Tableau + Salesforce, where she sells technology solutions to Large Commercial Banks and Lenders. She has a strong background in financial data from her prior roles developing new business for PitchBook and working with Asset Managers, Investment Banks, and Exchanges for Russell Indexes. Ces began her career at Parametric Portfolio Associates.

Ces serves as the Board Treasurer of Dress for Success Seattle, and is part of the Investment Committee of YWCA – Seattle/King/Snohomish. She was awarded the 2019 Puget Sound Journal Women of Influence Scholarship. Ces completed both her degrees (Finance and MBA) from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington.

She enjoys visiting art museums, watching ballet and theater productions, learning new recipes, and spending time with her young daughter.

Edward Gay

Secretary & Governance Committee Chair

Edward R. Gay is a Commercial Relationship Manager with Washington Federal Bank. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Edward currently lives in Central District Seattle and has lived in Seattle since 2009. At WaFd, he works with Middle Market sized businesses as a C&I lender, and manages credit and treasury relationships for the greater Puget Sound.

Outside of his professional career, Edward is on the Board of Directors of the Pike Place Market Foundation, where he works on development and donor engagement. Previously, Edward was the president of The Arc of King County’s board of directors for two years, and a board member and officer for nine. The Arc of King County is the regional chapter of a national organization (The Arc) that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, advocating with and for I/DD civil rights and providing community support. He is also a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow Seattle (2017), and member of The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle as well as the Association for Corporate Growth. In his spare time, Edward enjoys running, hosting events, college football, and is a film aficionado.

Neesha Pinnaduwage

Programming & Partnerships Chair

Neesha is a Senior Financial Analyst over the Impact teams at REI, covering initiatives such as REI’s Path Ahead Ventures and the REI Cooperative Action Fund. She previously worked as an advisor at the Goldman Sachs Seattle office, providing financial planning advice, education, and investment expertise to high net worth family groups, foundations, and endowments. Neesha pivoted into finance after earning her MBA with honors from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. Prior to that, she worked in process engineering at Honeywell for five years across multiple sites, directing capital projects, optimizing manufacturing and logistics processes, and serving on the engineering leadership team. She has a B.S.E in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Princeton University.

Originally from Tennessee, Neesha has lived in the Northeast and deep South but has fallen in love with Seattle. She is always down to go on a hike but is still working on her winter sports skills.

Ryan Flores

Membership Committee Co-Chair

Ryan Flores is the Vice President and Regional Executive for U.S. Bank’s Capital Equipment Finance group which serves clients in the Commercial and Corporate space. Specializing in Aircraft, Marine, and Technology assets, Ryan oversees all Equipment Finance and Lease activity for Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada.

Prior to joining U.S. Bank, Ryan served as the Vice President and Commercial Banking Equipment Finance Officer for KeyBank’s Middle Market teams in Seattle, Portland, and Cleveland. Ryan holds his MBA from Louisiana State University and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Marketing from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Ryan is a Colorado native but has called Seattle his home for the past 10 years. He currently serves as Secretary of the Board for Washington DECA, a non-profit which supports ongoing education for High School Students. He serves on the Leadership Committee for ACG’s Y-20 Program and a member of the Seattle Finance Collective. Ryan is also a Mentor for his alma mater, the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business, and a CrossFit Coach at a local affiliate.

Anthony Clay

Board member

Anthony Clay is an Associate at Freestone Capital, an independent wealth management firm headquartered in Seattle. Anthony and his team provide their clients with a personalized experience to manage the complexities of their wealth and help them achieve their financial goals. A graduate of the University of Washington, he developed a passion for advising clients during his time spent as an analyst within the UW Investment Group.

Prior to his career in wealth management, Anthony served seven years in the U.S. Navy where he was promoted to the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class. During enlistment, he maintained and repaired the avionics systems of the E2-D Advanced Hawkeye and the SH-60 Seahawk. Anthony was based out of San Diego, CA, and Norfolk, VA where he deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, the Middle East, the Atlantic Ocean, and north of the Arctic Circle.

Originally from California, Anthony has called Seattle home since 2019 and currently resides in Ballard while working Downtown. In his spare time, he enjoys sipping on craft cocktails, setting personal records at his local gym, and exploring the greater outdoors of the Pacific Northwest.