Nia Gandy focuses on investor relationships for Actis, a global pan-emerging markets private equity fund with over US$6 billion under management. Working out of Actis’s New York offices, she is jointly responsible for distribution across the North American market. Nia joined Actis to open the New York office and cites her belief in Actis’s ethos – the positive power of capital – as one of the most compelling aspects of the firm. She joined Actis to raise capital because of its proven ability to have a transformative impact on developing communities, while providing investors with superior returns. Nia began her career at Goldman Sachs & Co. as an Associate in High Yield in the Fixed Income, Currency, and Commodities Division in 2000 and was promoted to Vice President in 2003 in Principal Finance at the age of twenty-five. Prior to joining Actis in January 2011, she was the managing partner of Serenity Hospitality Group (SHG), a company she founded in 2006, which raises capital and manages branded entertainment campaigns for Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations. Before founding SHG, Nia was a partner at MAP Capital Advisors, a private placement and advisory firm. Nia holds both a Masters of Business Administration and a bachelor of science in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.