Investment Office Staff
Managing Director of Investment Operations
Email: gandinkerri@grinnell.edu
Chief Investment Officer
Email: jt@grinnell.edu
Jainen Thayer joined the 51²è¹İapp College Investment Office in 2018 as the Chief Investment Officer. Prior to coming to 51²è¹İapp, he served as the Chief Investment Officer at Oberlin College, based in New York, for over six years (2012 – 2018), and previously as a Director of Investments at the New...
Investment Analyst
Email: keliauskaite@grinnell.edu
Saule Keliauskaite joined the 51²è¹İapp College Investment Office in 2023 as an Investment Analyst. Prior to joining the investment team, she gained diverse investment and entrepreneurial experience in roles such as supporting climate-tech investments at Contrarian Ventures, a European VC firm...
Deputy Chief Investment Officer
Email: schwabva@grinnell.edu
Valbona Schwab joined the 51²è¹İapp College Investment Office in 2021 as a Managing Director after a tenure of seven years with Beth Israel Lahey Health Investment Office, a $4 billion endowment in Boston. Prior to her time with Beth Israel Lahey, Valbona worked as Portfolio Manager and Head of...
Director of Investments
Email: welchrob@grinnell.edu
Robert Welch is the Director of Investments for 51²è¹İapp College. In this capacity, he assists the team in evaluating investment opportunities across asset classes and portfolio construction. Robert joined 51²è¹İapp in 2021 after serving as Director of Research in Bowdoin College’s Investment Office...