Speakers
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Steven Cowan Steven Cowan, Managing Director and Co-Founder
Steven co-founded 57 Stars in 2005, and is a member of the Firm’s Investment Committee. Prior to 57 Stars, he served at Overseas Private Investment Corporation as a Director in the Investment Funds Department, where he was responsible for structuring new funds, designing and implementing the program’s asset allocation plans, selecting managers, and overseeing a large portion of the USD 3.5 billion investment funds program. Prior to his tenure at OPIC, Steven was an attorney at Munger, Tolles & Olson in Los Angeles, and at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in New York. He has served as Adjunct Professor of Law at American University’s Washington College of Law, and as an advisor to the governments of Colombia and Canada with respect to developing private equity programs.
Steven holds an AB in Political Science and Development Studies (magna cum laude and with honors) from Brown University and a JD from Harvard Law School. In addition to English, he has knowledge of Cantonese, Mandarin, French, and Spanish.
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Carl Balit Carl Balit, Managing Director
Carl joined 57 Stars in 2007. He leads the analysis, selection, and monitoring of co-investments and fund investments across the firm’s target markets. His fund investment experience is principally focused on growth, control, and special situations strategies, while co-investments he has overseen span a variety of sectors. Prior to joining 57 Stars, Carl gained operating experience with a Canadian apparel manufacturing company and was involved in leading the shift of the company’s production platform to Asia.
Carl holds a BA in Economics from Colby College, and joined 57 Stars from Georgetown University, where he completed an MBA and an MS in Foreign Service. He is fluent in English and French.
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Marina Leytes Senior Vice President, 57 Stars
Marina is a Senior Vice President focusing on ESG integration and impact strategy at 57 Stars. She also supports overall investor relations efforts. Prior to 57 Stars, Marina was with Sarona Asset Management, an impact-focused emerging markets fund manager, where she led investor relations and ESG and impact management efforts. She also worked for the World Economic Forum as a Project Manager for Impact Investing and Blended Finance Initiatives. She began her career at Metropolitan Real Estate Equity Management, LLC (a Carlyle subsidiary), where she led portfolio analysis and reporting for the company’s funds.
Marina holds a B.A. (magna cum laude) in Computer Science from New York University and an M.A. in Development Economics from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She speaks English, Russian, and Spanish.
