Los Angeles, California (October 30, 2019) – The Robert Toigo Foundation, a national non-profit which supports underrepresented MBA students pursuing careers in financial services, will honor Ivelisse Rodriguez Simon, Managing Partner at Avante Capital Partners with their prestigious Leadership Award. The award recognizes Ms. Simon’s distinguished leadership in the advancement of diversity and inclusion in the financial industry. It will be presented at the organization’s 30th anniversary dinner celebration on November 19, 2019 in Los Angeles.
Founded by Robert and Sue Toigo, the foundation fosters the career advancement and increased leadership of underrepresented talent by creating mechanisms for greater inclusion from the classroom to the boardroom.
Ms. Simon joined Avante Capital Partners, a leading woman-owned private credit and structured equity SBIC fund in 2009 as a founding member. Avante was recognized SBIC Fund of the Year in 2018 under her leadership. She currently manages the fund’s portfolio and new deal activities. Ms. Simon has over two decades of middle-market debt and equity investment experience and serves on the board of several companies. She is a Toigo alumna and longtime foundation supporter.
“We are so proud of Ivelisse. She has been a leader internally and externally, and has a significant positive impact on everything she engages in,” stated Jeri Harman, Avante Founder and Chairman.
An advocate and champion for women, minorities, the underserved and underrepresented, Ms. Simon holds leadership roles in several local and national non-profit organizations including The Robert Toigo Foundation, The Hispanic Scholarship Foundation, and Westside Family Health Center in Los Angeles, along with various national women’s advocacy groups. In addition, Ivelisse and her two sisters, Dr. Rebecca Rodriguez and Golden Globe-winning actress Gina Rodriguez, launched a philanthropic organization called We Will to support and empower underserved women and minorities in the areas of healthcare, education, and financial literacy.
“I am looking forward to celebrating Toigo’s 30th “Bringing Diversity to Life” anniversary event. I am honored to receive the Leadership Award and congratulate my friend, José Feliciano, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Clearlake Capital Group who will receive the Impact Award and Dhvani Shah, Chief Investment Officer, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, Toigo Governing Board Member who will be awarded “Institutional Trailblazer,” said Ivelisse Simon.
Ms. Simon graduated with honors from the University of Illinois and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.