Stern Women's Forum x Center for Business and Human Rights: Conversation on Equity in Investing

Naseem Sayani (MBA '08)

Naseem is an Operating Advisor and Venture Partner with How Women Invest Fund III where she invests across healthcare, climate, and the future of work at Series A/B.

Over the last seven years, Naseem has invested as a VC and an angel in 30+ pre-seed and seed-stage companies led by ambitious female founders who are changing systems, access, and equity so that women can live stronger, healthier, and wealthier lives.

Naseem’s investing and business-building experience comes from 20+ years in executive leadership roles across venture capital, management consulting, agency services, venture incubators, a corporate venture capital firm, and an active angel investor.  Naseem is a thought leader in the start-up ecosystem and a go-to contact for most founders when making business, talent, and fundraising decisions as they grow and scale their businesses.

Naseem has an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business, where she was awarded the Dean’s Leadership Award two years running, and a BA from UCLA in Business Economics, where she graduated cum laude.

Carol Liu ('23)

Carol graduated from the full-time MBA program at Stern in May 2023. She is now a program manager at Varo Bank, a digital-only bank committed to financial inclusion. With 7 years of experience across financial services, consulting, and data analytics, she has worked at top firms including BlackRock, Deloitte, and CME. In 2023, Carol welcomed her first child and is now embracing the challenges and joy of being a working mom.  

Lynda Clarizio

Co-Founder and General Partner

The 98

Lynda Clarizio is the Co-Founder and General Partner of The 98, an early stage venture fund investing in technology businesses led by women.  She is regularly recognized as one of the most influential and visionary leaders in digital media, data and technology.  Lynda served as President of Nielsen's US Media business and President of AOL's global advertising business.  She also held CEO, President and other leadership positions at AppNexus, INVISION and Advertising.com, and was a partner at top multinational law firm Arnold & Porter.  Lynda has been recognized as one of Crain’s "50 Most Powerful Women in New York," The Washingtonian's “Top 100 Tech Titans," Advertising Age's "Women to Watch” and The Washingtonian's “Top 40 Lawyers Under 40”.  Lynda currently serves on the boards of CDW, Intertek Group, Taboola, Emerald, Simpli.fi and Cambri as well as the non-profit Human Rights First.  She is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Princeton University.

Michele Brown

Michele Browne is an accomplished C-suite leader with a background in the global financial services industry. She uses her operational expertise to drive sustainable growth and has a long history of helping global businesses in transition – during merger integrations, “buy versus build” decisions, leadership transitions and times of rapid growth.  Michele’s career in financial services began at Citigroup and JP Morgan where she was responsible for some of the largest investment management relationships in both New York and Singapore. She later joined Jarislowsky Fraser Limited where she led, developed, and executed the US Institutional market strategy for the Canadian asset manager. In 2023, Michele became the founding Executive Director of an independent industry think tank dedicated to advancing the OCIO (Outsourced Chief Investment Officer) segment of the asset management industry.

Michele received an MBA from Harvard Business School and holds a BA in International Relations from Brown University. She currently sits on the Advisory Board for NYU Stern School of Business – the Center for Business and Human Rights.