Carmen Palafox

Carmen Palafox has a long and varied work experience. Carmen began their career in 1996 as a Client Operations Associate at Dimensional Fund Advisors, where they executed mutual fund transactions for shareholder accounts and resolved trade and wire discrepancies between transfer agent and client. In the same company, they were promoted to Senior Investment Operations Associate, approving mutual fund and commingled trust transaction orders for shareholder accounts, opening new shareholder accounts, coordinating their initial investments, and reviewing legal agreements. Carmen was then promoted to Investment Operations Manager, managing and training operations staff, implementing policies, procedures and controls to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, and representing the department in audits as needed. Carmen then moved on to Propina in 2012, where they worked as a Management Consultant, helping organizations find that next level of growth using frameworks that guide critical thinking and surface solutions to business challenges. In 2015, they joined MiLA Capital (Make in LA) as a Partner, where they have a proven track record and offers a bespoke, dynamic experience with access to hard and soft resources. In 2017, they joined Aura as an Advisory Board Member, and in 2021, they became an Investor at Cap Table Coalition and Founding Partner at 2045 Ventures. Carmen is also currently an Adjunct Professor at USC Marshall School of Business and the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, leading graduate-level students through a course on "Investing in New Ventures" through the lens of a venture capitalist.

Carmen Palafox has an education history that includes a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, which they obtained between 2012 and 2014. Carmen also holds a MA in Sports Management from the University of San Francisco, a BA in Economics and International Relations from the University of Southern California, and is a NSHMBA Scholar. Additionally, Carmen has obtained certifications from FINRA, including a Series 24 and a Series 7, both of which are currently lapsed.