Join us for an inspiring panel discussion featuring trailblazing women in finance. This workshop offers a unique opportunity for college students to hear from accomplished professionals who have navigated and succeeded in a male-dominated industry. Our panelists will share invaluable insights on their career journeys and provide practical advice for students looking to break into the field.
Register HERE.
Hosted by Texas Wall Street Women
Texas Wall Street Women (TXWSW) was formed to bring together women in the finance industry no matter which specific area they are in. Our members come from hedge funds, private equity and venture capital firms, mutual funds, public pensions, endowments, foundations, wealth management firms, investment banks, attorneys, accountants, and other money-management and service provider firms. We also welcome those individuals in government and non-profit entities in the financial industry as well as students that wish to pursue a career in finance and those looking to return to the industry.
TXWSW is an exclusive and inclusive non-profit peer network of professional women who are committed to developing and growing professionally, making a difference in our community, and supporting one another as we pursue our goals. We help our members achieve their goals through the programming and opportunities we provide in professional development, networking, and philanthropy.
Panelists
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Laurie Canepa began her career in Finance and Accounting in 1997, and transitioned into recruiting in Texas in 2006, earning notable accomplishments throughout her career. Her 19 years of expertise within the Texas market and her network of top Finance and Accounting talent are key attributes Laurie brings to the Managing Director of Finance and Accounting Search role at StevenDouglas for the State of Texas.
Laurie is known by clients and candidates alike for her dedication to excellence in the recruiting process, and her unique ability to connect with the people she works and supports. These qualities have made her a “Recruiting Professional of Choice.”
Laurie excels at placing positions from mid and senior-level F&A professionals to C-Suite roles in organizations ranging from non-profits to global, publicly-traded corporations. Prior to joining StevenDouglas, where she has now been for over 4 years, Laurie spent over 15 years as a Partner and Division Director for one of the top boutique Accounting and Finance Search firms in Texas. As the top producer there, she played a critical role in bringing the firm to its pinnacle, creating major growth opportunities and an array of successful placements. The first 10 years of Laurie’s career were spent gaining hands-on experience in the world of public accounting, as well as executing industry accounting as a Corporate Controller.
Laurie has been featured in Austin Woman Magazine and the Austin Business Journal, is an ABJ “bizwomen” member, member of ACG, committee member for Texas Wall Street Women, a member of the Texas Society of CPAs, a ProVisors Group Leader, and is an ongoing panelist for multiple organizations. She is active with non-profit organizations, such as United Way Women, PurposeWorks, and the Launch Pad Job Club. Laurie earned her Bachelor of Science degree at Charleston Southern University, in South Carolina, with a minor in Spanish and has attended the Masters of Science in Taxation program at San Jose State University.
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An endowment professional with experience investing across asset classes, Alison joined Trinity University’s now $2bn endowment in 2019. She focuses on monitoring, due diligence and sourcing of investment managers as well as operational initiatives to continue institutionalizing the University’s Office of Investments.
Previously, she was a member of the Marketable Alternatives team at UTIMCO for seven years, providing qualitative and quantitative research, sourcing, due diligence and monitoring across hedge fund strategies. Alison began her career in asset management at Austin Capital, a former fund of funds in Austin, in 2007. Prior, she held positions in capital finance and fixed income, in Chicago and Indianapolis, respectively.
A Midwest native, she received her Bachelor of Science in Finance from Indiana University and MBA from Butler University. Alison holds the Chartered Alternatives Investment Analyst certification and has been active in the Texas Wall Street Women organization since its launch in 2008, including serving as Austin’s Education Committee Chair and current overall Board Member and City Head for San Antonio.
Alison and her husband, Will, live in San Antonio with their three girls- Julia (15), Sophie and Whitney (11).
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Sarah Florer is a transactional attorney in FBFK’s Austin office, where she advises corporate and private clients on cross-border investments, domestic transactions, and long-term succession planning. Drawing from over 15 years of experience living and working in the Middle East, Sarah brings a globally informed, commercially grounded perspective to every deal she touches.
Sarah has held positions with leading international law firms and served as in-house counsel for investment houses, operators, and telecom equipment distributors across the Middle East. Her legal career has taken her through Dubai, Africa, India, and beyond—where she led high-stakes negotiations, supported IPO preparations, built governance frameworks, and launched in-house legal functions from the ground up.
With a background in anthropology and Middle Eastern studies, Sarah is known for her cultural fluency, business pragmatism, and ability to navigate complexity. Clients value her for her calm in tense negotiations, her ability to bridge perspectives, and her deep understanding of both legal and commercial priorities in cross-border contexts.
Sarah is dual-qualified in Texas and New York and is also admitted to practice in England and Wales. She holds an L.L.M. in Commercial and Corporate Law from the University of London, a J.D. with Honors from the University of Texas (where she served on the Texas International Law Journal), and a B.A. with Highest Honors and Special Honors in Anthropology, also from UT. She was a National Merit Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa inductee, and is an alumna of the Texas Academy of Math and Science.
Sarah is also the co-host of Alt Investing Made Easy, a podcast she co-leads with FBFK colleague Roland Wiederaenders, which helps demystify alternative investments by connecting listeners with deals, practical deal insight and clear explanations of financial and legal terms.
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Miss D’Arcangelo joined Crestline in 2024 as a Vice President within the Client Partnership Group, serving as a Product Specialist for the Fund Liquidity Solutions platform. In her role, she partners with both the investment and sales teams to position Crestline’s NAV lending strategies, support capital raising initiatives, and engage with existing investors through portfolio reviews and ongoing communications.
Prior to joining Crestline, she was at Neuberger Berman, where she supported fundraising efforts across the firm’s private equity fund offerings. Before that, Miss D’Arcangelo worked at AlphaCat Managers, where she managed relationships and communications with consultants and investors, with a focus on fundraising and marketing initiatives for Insurance-Linked Securities. Her career also includes experience at Wells Fargo’s Investment Banking division, where she covered Industrials and Public-Private Partnerships within the energy sector.
Miss D’Arcangelo holds a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business.