Ivelisse Rodriguez Simon was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Chicago, IL. She became the first person in her family to attend college.

Ivelisse joined Avante Capital Partners in 2009 as a founding member of the Los Angeles firm. As the current Managing Partner, she is responsible for identifying, executing and managing investment opportunities. Ivelisse currently manages the fund’s portfolio and new deal activities. Simon has over two decades of middle-market debt and equity investment experience. Prior to Avante, she held positions at Palladium Equity Partners, Reliant Equity Partners and various investment banks including Salomon Brothers.

Ivelisse is a longtime advocate and champion for women, minorities and the underserved and underrepresented. Ivelisse and her two sisters launched a philanthropic organization called, We Will to support and empower underserved women and minorities in the areas of healthcare, education and financial literacy.

Ivelisse graduated with honors from the University of Illinois and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. She lives with her husband and four children in Los Angeles and enjoys taking adventurous trips with her family to far-flung places.