Our Alumni

In 2018, Anna Harman (’12-’16) left a premium piercing appointment in New York City unimpressed by long wait times and high prices. The former leader of Bridgewater’s wire team and COO of Research Analytics cast about for another option. It turned out that her choices were limited.

Having navigated intense scale and supply shortages during the pandemic, David's ('10-'15) three-year-old startup Dave & Matt Vans now ranks as the second largest privately owned camper van company in the country with a $24 million in projected revenue for 2022.

Howie Altman (‘07-‘14) and Milton Hernandez (‘08-‘14) met in Client Service Technology and built a rapport that's extended far beyond Bridgewater's walls. Now, they've partnered as the brains behind Perceiver AI. We asked Howie a few questions about his time at Bridgewater, the problems Perceiver is taking aim at, and how they're opening new industries to AI.

Former Senior Portfolio Strategist and Head of China Research, Paul Podolsky (‘04-‘20) left Bridgewater after 16 years to pursue a lifelong passion for writing. Already deep into writing his second book, he returned to the firm to discuss his first novel, "Raising a Thief."

After spending ten years in our investment engine, Bridgewater alum Nick Reber ‘06-‘16 joined the leadership team at Oscar Health and is now founder and CEO of his own healthcare startup, Garner Health, which counts Bridgewater among its clients. Nick returned recently for a conversation hosted by Head of Corporate Engagement Robyn Shepherd, who asked Nick how his Bridgewater experience has translated into his experience as a startup founder.

Long before Angela Ruggiero (’14-’15) joined Bridgewater Associates, it became clear that she thrives on the cutting edge. At nine years old, she was cut from an all-star hockey team for being a girl, even though she was among the best players on the ice. Her father gave her a choice. “You can quit and prove them right, or you can get on the horse and prove them wrong,” she recalls him telling her. “I chose the latter, and it was the best moment of my life.”

Education is going through challenging times in America: classrooms are overcrowded, and funding is evasive. On top of that, the country is facing a national teacher shortage. Teacher strikes are recurrent and the number of applicants to education schools — the traditional pipeline that feeds recruitment — has fallen dramatically in a white-hot economy. At a time when a good K-12 education is the key to preparing students for an uncertain future of work, that education and the people who make it possible are becoming harder to find.