Denise Saunders

Denise Saunders has an extensive work experience spanning from 1984 to 2021. Denise began their career as a Third Class Boatswainmate in the U.S. Coast Guard, where they were an Honor Graduate of the Coast Guard Training Center. Denise then moved to Price Waterhouse as a Management Consultant, where they utilized their analytical and problem-solving skills to improve clients' processes and procedures. In 1995, Denise joined Merrill Lynch as an Investment Banking Associate, where they participated in all phases of development and execution of equity and debt financings, mergers & acquisitions, and strategic advisory assignments. In 2000, they moved to Citigroup as a Vice President of Small Cap Strategy, where they researched and wrote weekly strategy and economic reports to highlight small/mid-cap stocks and sectors. In 2005, Denise moved to Moody's Investors Service as a Vice President of Capital Markets Research, where they performed quantitative and qualitative assessments of institutional equity investor's portfolios. In 2006, they returned to Merrill Lynch as a Director of Investment Strategy, where they provided comprehensive solutions for asset allocation, portfolio construction, risk mitigation and investment strategies. In 2013, Denise joined Clearly Innovative Inc as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, where they managed day-to-day business operations to ensure the companies run efficiently and effectively. Denise also served as a Project Manager, collaborating with internal teams of designers, developers and technical architect and utilizing Agile Scrum methodology to manage website and mobile application development projects. In 2017, Denise moved to the Inclusive Innovation Incubator (In3) as the COO and Program Instructor, where they provided specialized training, resources, and mentoring opportunities for entrepreneurs and students. In 2020, Denise became the CEO and Co-Founder of Community Innovation Initiative, LLC, where they seek to revitalize marginalized communities through in-person and tech-enabled education products & services. In 2021, Denise joined the University of Central Florida as an Adjunct Professor of Personal Finance and Investments.

Denise Saunders completed their MBA in Finance from the University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business in 1995. Denise is currently enrolled at the University of Maryland Global Campus. In 2021, they obtained an online certification from VC University and in 2020 they obtained a certification from Techstars.