ABOUT THE COMPANY
VRGL is named after Virgil, the ghost of the Roman poet who guided Dante through the Inferno. As a result, Virgil came to be known as a symbol of human reason that guides and protects others on their journey. Today, VRGL helps advisors guide clients with clear-eyed quantitative views of their portfolios, leading them to smarter investment strategies.
JOSH SMITH
Co-founder & CEO
Josh Smith is Co-founder and CEO of VRGL. Josh has spent his entire career in software, wealth and investment management. Most recently, Josh co-founded and was CEO of Solovis, Inc., an industry pioneer in multi-asset class analytics for institutional investors. Solovis is the system of record for established institutions, including many of the largest family and multi-family offices throughout the world. Josh successfully led the company from day one to its eventual sale to Nasdaq, Inc. in 2020.
Before Solovis, Josh was an investment banker at RBC Capital Markets and an investment associate for Investure, a $10 billion OCIO in Virginia where he made investment recommendations across public and private assets globally.
Josh graduated with highest honors from Georgia Tech and lives with his family in Dallas, TX.
JOSH ZIMMERMAN
Co-founder & COO
Josh Zimmerman ("JZ") is Co-founder and COO of VRGL. Having spent his career at the intersection of investments and technology, JZ has leveraged data and automation to deliver insight, improve accuracy, and reduce operational burdens. Prior to VRGL, JZ built the Solovis Research and Development group, a data science team that brings multi-asset class risk analytics to institutional investors. JZ has held buy-side and sell-side trading as well as portfolio management roles. He is adept at developing technology to identify and capture opportunity and navigating complex portfolios through diverse market cycles, including the 2008 Financial Crisis. With VRGL, JZ leads a team to develop impactful, flexible, and intuitive investment analytics to bring leading edge tools to the advisory space.
JZ graduated from UC Berkeley and holds a masters degree from City University of New York. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, three kids, and pandemic puppy.
Mayank Raj
SVP, Head of Technology
Mayank Raj is Senior Vice President and Head of Technology at VRGL, bringing over 15 years of technology leadership. As a patent holder for a high-growth startup, he has led engineering, product, AI/ML, and analytics teams. Previously, Mayank was Senior Director of Engineering at Paro.ai, an AI-driven marketplace where he oversaw engineering and product organizations of 50+ employees. He spearheaded the development of Paro's patented matching algorithm architecture, which helped secure Series A, B, and C funding.
Before Paro.ai, Mayank worked on the agency side at Hero Digital and Publicis Sapient, leading digital transformation projects for major brands, including Lexus, NRG, Carnival Cruise, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. These projects spanned global MarTech and Cloud implementations, receiving over 50 million visitors. Earlier in his career, Mayank founded GroceryUp, which connected small business owners to showcase their inventory online. This entrepreneurial experience gave him first-hand insight into the passion and dedication required for startup success.
Mayank holds a Master's in Computer Engineering from the University of Florida and a Bachelor's in Computer Science. His solid academic foundation in engineering and computer science enables him to grow as a strategic technical leader.
Jesse Gurevich
Chief of Staff
Prior to Solovis, he spent stints at eFront (exited to BlackRock) Vision Capital Advisors (hedge fund) UNX (agency trading shop) BRUT ECN (part of Nasdaq), and UBS. Jesse resides in Dallas, TX.
Phil Crist
SVP, Revenue & Strategy
Phil Crist is the SVP of Revenue and Strategy at VRGL. Phil has over a decade of financial markets experience, spanning from institutional asset management to SaaS-led business development. Prior to joining VRGL, Phil served as Director of Partnerships for Nasdaq's Asset Owner Solutions division where he was responsible for the creation, strategy, and growth of Nasdaq's channel partnership efforts. Prior to that, Phil led the Global Accounts team at Solovis before Nasdaq's acquisition in 2020. Phil was also an Associate at Western Asset Management Company based in Pasadena, California.
Phil earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Arizona State University. He lives with his family in Dallas, TX.
Kevin Larkin
VP, Corporate Operations
Kevin Larkin serves as the Vice President of Corporate
Operations, overseeing the Client Experience team and driving firm-wide
projects focused on efficient team scaling to surpass client expectations. With
a six-year tenure at Solovis Inc., Kevin held multiple positions, including
leading the professional services organization and overseeing software
engineering teams, always prioritizing client experience and satisfaction.
During this time, he played a vital role in scaling the organization and
providing personalized guidance to top clients. Kevin's dedication to talent
development is evident in his track record of adjusting team structures and
roles to align with client objectives while providing exciting career
opportunities.
Prior to joining Solovis, Kevin accumulated valuable experience in consulting for prominent cable and telecommunications companies. In this role, he was responsible for creating and interpreting robust mathematical models to identify target markets for major corporations. He successfully presented these findings to clients, enabling informed decision-making.
Kevin holds a degree in Quantitative Finance from James Madison University. Currently residing in Dallas, TX, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children.
Madisen Bauman
Director, Marketing
Madisen Bauman is the Director of Marketing at VRGL. Madisen oversees VRGL's marketing strategy, including brand positioning, messaging, content creation, sales enablement, and social media management. Prior to joining VRGL, Madisen was a key account marketing operations specialist for an Amazon Marketing Agency where she helped Amazon account sellers optimize brand awareness on Amazon's online platform. With her past entrepreneurial experience, Madisen brings a "multiple hats mindset." She graduated top of her class from the University of Texas Arlington with an MBA in Marketing.
Madisen lives in the North Dallas area where she enjoys working out, traveling, and hanging out with her two fur babies.