Team

Nolawi Ayelework joined Matters Graph after graduating from Stanford University with a Masters Degree in Computer Science and a Bachelor’s Degree in Symbolic Systems.​

Being from the DMV, Nolawi is a big DC sports fan—no matter how cursed the teams may be, he is fated to support them every year. Nolawi also loves to read and go on long walks with friends.​

Erik joined Matters Graph after graduating from Georgetown University’s College of Arts and Sciences with a B.A. In Economics and Minors in Statistics and English.​

Erik is an avid enjoyer of endurance sports and the outdoors. In his free time, he can often be found running, cycling, backpacking, or exploring in the wilderness.​

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Roma joined Matters Graph after graduating from UC Berkeley with a B.S. in Business Administration. ​

Outside of work, you can find Roma exploring new travel destinations, listening to the latest album releases, taking a Solidcore class, or reviewing the newest food spots online—a natural extension of childhood habits that landed her Yelp Elite status at age 13 (using her dad’s account, of course).

Lily joined Matters Graph after graduating from Georgetown with a B.A. in Economics and minors in German and Philosophy.​

Outside the office, Lily enjoys hiking trying new recipes that involve Greek yogurt. During rainy days when hiking and spending time outdoors is not as enjoyable, Lily spends time at her DJ board formulating new beats and following the latest IPOs.​

Michelle joined Matters Graph after graduating from Stanford University with a B.A. in Data Science and Social Systems and a minor in German Studies.​

In her free time, you can find Michelle trying new coffee shops, reading, and planning her next trip—passions that complement a disciplined childhood spent taking Irish dance classes and receiving classical training in the piano, violin, and flute.

Cecilia joined Matters Graph after graduating from Amherst College with a B.A. in Psychology and a Culture, Health, and Sciences certificate from the Five College Consortium. ​

Outside of work, you can find Cecilia either in the gym, training for whatever physical endeavor she’s interested in at the moment, or in the kitchen, trying new recipes to share with her friends, family, and co-workers. ​

Solo joined Matters Graph after graduating from Harvard University with a B.A. in Biomedical Engineering. ​

Outside of work, Solo enjoys shopping at farmers markets and cooking with her friends, having hosted a Sunday dinner almost every week since moving to Washington D.C., along with a few pop-ups.

Aissiah joined Matters Graph after completing several research internships. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science from the University of California, Riverside, before moving to Washington, D.C., in 2025 to pursue his Master of Public Policy at American University.

Outside of work, Aissiah loves culinary travel, reading, hosting friends, and all things nerd culture (especially comic books, Magic: The Gathering, and D&D).

Alexis brings extensive experience leading commercial due diligence (CDD) and value generation engagements at Matters Graph across diverse sectors, including utilities, industrials, and energy. He began his consulting career at Amane Advisors, advising private equity and corporate clients on strategy and CDD initiatives within the water and utility sectors. Alexis holds a Master in Management from ESSEC Business School in Paris.

Raised in France before relocating to Philadelphia, Alexis unexpectedly transformed into an avid Philly sports fan.

Shriman joined Matters Graph after graduating from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business with a B.S. in Economic Consulting & Business Analytics and a minor in Spanish.​

Shriman is a classically-trained musician and studied the clarinet for 9 years; he has a soft-spot for both classical ballet (Stravinsky & Tchaikovsky) and contemporary jazz (Kamasi Washington & Robert Glasper).​

Vanessa joined Matters Graph from Johnson & Johnson MedTech, where she worked in R&D and engineering on robotic surgical technologies. She holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania, along with a minor in Mathematics.​

Vanessa has a habit of taking her hobbies a little too seriously: lifting turned into competing as a national bodybuilder and launching a coaching business, while casual bachata evolved into traveling the world to train with international artists. When she’s not lifting or dancing, she almost always has a podcast or audiobook playing.

Anastasia joined Matters Graph after graduating from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business with a B.S. in Entrepreneurship & Corporate Innovation and Business Analytics and from the School of Psychology with a certification in the Psychology of Business.​

Anastasia has practiced traditional Filipino dance for over a decade, including choreographing a college culture show; she is a dedicated nerd who loves dissecting movies and video games through media analysis; and she is a foodie who tracks down culinary hidden gems and pop-ups.

Nurani joined Matters Graph as Office Manager with a professional background as checker-spotted as her Maryland home state insect, spanning entomological research, laboratory management, and horticulture.  Her previous work experience includes work in UMD’s “bug labs,” private-sector production, and stints at a variety of botanical gardens in Maryland, Massachusetts, and Colorado. ​She holds a B.S. in Plant Science and Horticulture from the University of Maryland and later completed a post-baccalaureate program in Speech-Language Pathology.​

Nurani once hiked Colorado’s Manitou Incline—tackling 2,744 steps and a 2,000-foot elevation gain in under a mile—with zero prior hiking experience or preparation.

Ian joined Matters Graph after graduating from Northwestern University with a B.S.J. in Journalism and a second major in Economics​.

In his free time, Ian enjoys staying active by playing basketball, biking, and walking around new and familiar parts of DC. A devoted Boston Celtics fan, he is also passionate about using participatory art to broaden public engagement in shaping urban mobility, with past projects platformed by the Chicago DOT and the Chicago Architecture Biennial.

AK joined Matters Graph from BCG’s India office, where she primarily worked on strategy and implementation projects with industrial clients. AK graduated from Delhi University’s Lady Shri Ram College with a B.A. in Economics and from the Kennedy School with a Master’s in Public Administration.​

AK starts her mornings practicing yoga; she is a registered instructor with the Yoga Alliance who has completed Level 1 teacher training and currently teaches small, select groups. Prior to Matters Graph, her life journey spanned five cities across the globe—including her hometown of Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Cambridge, and Dubai—over an eight-year period.

Alexandra joined Matters Graph after graduating from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business with a B.S. in Marketing and International Business and a minor in Spanish.​

Outside of the office, Alexandra enjoys trying new restaurants and ranking them on Beli, attending workout classes, listening to pop music, and watching sports. Having already completed two half marathons, she hopes to one day check a full marathon off her list in her hometown of New York City.

Lily joined Matters Graph after graduating from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Biology. ​

Outside of work, you can find Lily running along the Capital Crescent Trail, learning dances, and keeping up with FinTwit—backed by a surprisingly strong track record of betting on the World Cup.

Shawn holds a Masters of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, with a concentration in Global Business and Finance. He earned his BA in Cognitive Science and History from Northwestern University.​ Before joining the firm, he was a consultant with the World Bank Group, where he advised on the WBG’s real estate strategy globally. He also served as Strategy Director for a youth-led non-profit, 2041Hong Kong, where he led the institutions’ growth roadmap and theory of change framework.​

Shawn grew up in South Africa, Hong Kong, and the U.S., and speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and is learning French.​

Connor joined Matters Graph after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics​.

As a proud native Philadelphian with a deep passion for Philly sports and culture, weekends find him working out, playing flag football on the National Mall, catching opening-night movies, or diving deep into video games and industry analysis.

Alex joined Matters Graph after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School with a B.S. in Economics, with concentrations in Finance and Statistics.​

A Michigan native and devoted fan of Detroit sports, Alex fills his free time with traveling, cars, motorsports, movies, video games, and comic books.

Anjali joined Matters Graph after earning a BSFS in International Political Economy and a certificate in International Business Diplomacy from​ Georgetown University.

Outside of work, you can find Anjali learning new songs on her saxophone, playing card games, or hunting for colorful clothes and jewelry. ​

Jacob joined Matters Graph after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and Arabic Language and Literature.​

When Jacob isn’t working out, visiting friends, or trying out new DC restaurants, he can be found making a brief claim to fame in a printer commercial.

Ava joined Matters Graph after graduating from the University of Chicago University with a B.A. in Economics and minor in Astrophysics.​

Growing up on a Wisconsin lake, Ava spent every summer from ages fourteen to eighteen working as a boat driver. A gymnast from age three to eighteen, she has since transitioned to becoming a certified Ashtanga yoga instructor.

Josh joined Matters Graph after graduating from Howard University with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics with a concentration in Actuarial Science. ​

​Originally from Barbados, Josh loves watersports, the outdoors, and spending time with family and friends, especially when talking about the history behind the Lego planes he builds. Last winter, he also dove deeper into his family’s commercial longline fishing business.

Gabe joined Matters Graph after graduating from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in Economics and a Minor in Data Science.​

Outside of work, his time is spent cycling, playing soccer, reading, and diving into Magic: The Gathering.

Daniel joined Matters Graph from Bain & Co where he led commercial due diligence work for private equity funds and advised corporate clients on commercial strategy. Prior to his time at Bain, Daniel worked within the Federal Reserve System with a focus on financial system supervision and regulation. Daniel holds an MBA from Yale School of Management and a B.A. from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Daniel is also a CFA Charterholder.​

As a child, Daniel competed against Michael Jordan in a chip shot challenge.​

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