Rishabh Kothari

Great point in a recent Newcomer Substack from Sriram Mani that’s worth highlighting, not breezing past: Dual valuation deals are very hard on new employees. Anyone hired after a round has their 409a impacted by that round. A second, sometimes smaller but higher priced round creates a price floor for your employees, making your hiring currency less valuable. Private company stock is the biggest source of wealth creation for tech employees, and employees are savvier than ever about how it works. One of the biggest benefits of taking money from top tier investors is the access to talent that it opens up. Great people want to work for companies that are backed by great investors. You get the signal from the round, but burn the upside for your employees (and risk losing great talent to companies with more valuable options). You’re better off spacing out your rounds and launching a hiring cycle in between, so you can get the best talent and reward them well. In the long run, you’ll maximize your valuation far more by being a talent magnet who makes employees rich than by simply optimizing for a moment in time.

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AIMA and University of Virginia Darden School of Business have signed a new partnership to collaborate on management education, research and leadership development. The announcement was made in New Delhi at AIMA's 53rd National Management Convention, where Ambassador Stephen Mull, Vice Provost for Global Affairs at UVA Darden, delivered the keynote address on the panel "A World at War: Navigating Endless Conflicts." Reflecting on the role of institutions like AIMA in a fractured world, Ambassador Mull noted that organisations that bring together leaders across industries and borders create a "diplomatic infrastructure of their own" — one that can sustain dialogue even when official channels falter. This collaboration will bring together Darden's interactive pedagogy with AIMA's deep network across India's management community, helping leaders sharpen judgment and respond to disruption with greater resilience. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dy9mWXV9 #NMC2026 #UVADarden #AIMA

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Strong MBA candidates don’t plan to take the GMAT or GRE once and hope for the best. They leave enough runway to retake the exam without derailing the rest of the application. That’s the logic behind starting your test prep in January. Our January 17 GMAT and GRE prep courses are built for applicants targeting Round 1 2026 who want a realistic testing plan, not an optimistic one. The structure assumes what actually happens in practice: - Your first official test is often a data point, not the final result - Performance under pressure improves with experience - Retakes are common—even for strong test takers The course combines 5 weeks of live instruction with 5 weeks of guided practice, using only official materials, and is designed to have most applicants test-ready by March, with time built in for additional attempts if needed. Both courses start on January 17! More details in the links in the comments.

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🎤 From Startup Founder to Private Equity Partner: Inspiring Speaker Series with Akhil Remesan The Nicholas Center recently welcomed back Akhil Remesan (MBA '22) to share his remarkable journey from electronics engineer in India to Partner at Madison Lake Capital, a Madison-based private equity firm he co-founded in 2021 while still completing his MBA. Key insights from the session: 💡 The Power of Alumni Networks - Akhil emphasized how critical networking was to his career pivot. A connection with a UW alum at Borgman Capital led to a summer internship that changed his trajectory: "It's critical that we do networking. [UW alumni] are always ready to help." 🚀 Recognizing Market Opportunities - While still a student, Akhil identified a unique opportunity: abundant capital, strong demand for private investments, and significant deal flow from multi-generational sellers in the Midwest seeking exits. 🎯 The Human Element of Private Equity - Working with lower middle-market firms (95% privately held), Akhil stressed that success depends on fostering trust with owners and management. These businesses power the Midwest economy, and talented, experienced people are critical to their operations. 📚 Essential Skills for Success - Akhil highlighted negotiation as a crucial skill for business, recommending Never Split the Difference and The Art of Negotiating the Best Deal to students. ⚠️ Plan for the Unexpected - Reflecting on challenges from fundraising to portfolio management, Akhil reminded students to always be careful when planning and have backup plans ready. His diverse background—from business consultant at Deloitte to food-ordering startup founder (Foodcliff) to Associate at Wisconsin Investment Partners—provided the foundation for understanding how financial decisions drive business performance. Thank you, Akhil, for returning to Grainger Hall and sharing your entrepreneurial journey with the next generation of finance leaders! The full article written by Cale Pleak can be read here: https://lnkd.in/ex8-WAXU Nicholas Center for Corporate Finance & Investment Banking at the Wisconsin School of Business of the University of Wisconsin-Madison #NicholasCenter #PrivateEquity #Entrepreneurship #WisconsinMBA #AlumniInsights #OnWisconsin

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In this in-depth analysis of the Cornell MBA Salary and Placements for the 2025 graduating class by industry, we observed 6 trends: 1) Financial Services remains the primary destination for the 2025 cohort, with 41% of graduates entering the field. This represents a minor 1% decrease from the previous year.  For Cornellians, this translated into high demand within Investment Banking, which accounted for nearly 70% of all finance placements. The quarterly data from Q4 2024 shows that firms like Citi and J.P. Morgan began prioritizing candidates who could navigate the complexities of cross-border deals and mid-market consolidations, particularly in the tech-finance and energy-transition verticals. Consequently, the industry functioned as a safe harbor, absorbing the largest share of the class at a compensation level that remains the benchmark for the program. 2) Consulting witnessed the most significant shift in volume, falling from 31% to 28% of the total hires. This 3-point decline is not an isolated event but a reflection of the global consulting "utilization crisis" that peaked in late 2024. 3) The Technology and Telecommunications sector remained steady in terms of hiring volume at 11%, but the compensation data reveals a sobering reality. 4) Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) saw its hiring share grow from 4% to 5%, marking it as one of the few sectors to expand its footprint. 5) The Healthcare sector saw a marginal increase in hiring, rising from 3% in 2024 to 4% in 2025. However, this growth came at the cost of a significant "salary correction." 6) Manufacturing experienced a robust year, with hiring volume increasing from 3% to 4% and the median base salary rising from $132,500 to $135,000. This dual-growth trajectory is a direct byproduct of the "Reshoring" and "Nearshoring" movement that accelerated in Q1 2025 Read: Cornell MBA Salary: By Industry (2025) (Analysis) https://lnkd.in/gAF4tb3z For editing your Cornell MBA Essays, Contact F1GMAT https://lnkd.in/gw9cuZfb #cornell #mbasalary #CareerOutcomes #MBAROI #SalaryTrends #Compensation #CareerDevelopment #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerAdvice #investmentbanking #consulting #manufacturing #energy #healthcare #newyork https://lnkd.in/gAF4tb3z

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