In one important way, New York has always been part of Vaishnavi Punaji’s story. Though she was born in India, Manhattan was the first place she lived in the United States as a young child, sharing a studio apartment between two families. This summer, she returns to the Big Apple to begin her career in investment banking with Jefferies. The big difference is that this time she’ll be living in a place of her own.
“It’s a very empowering, full-circle experience for me and my family,” Vaishnavi says. The accomplishment is striking, and one that captures the arc of a journey shaped by ambition, gratitude, and a clear sense of purpose that defines the way Vaishnavi has thought about her education.
As a dual major in Commerce and Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law in the College, she has spent her time deeply considering foundational and practical questions alike. “Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law asks the question, ‘Why do I believe what I believe?’” she explains. “And then Comm asks, ‘With what I believe, what am I going to do about it?’”
It’s a simple but expansive framework that has guided everything she’s set her mind to, from her first-year coursework to her thesis on defining an American capitalist ethos. Working with McIntire Professor Peter Maillet, she explored what it means to participate in capitalism with intention, drawing a direct line between a philosophical foundation and business decision-making.
She also embodied that combination of values and execution in her work with the student-run McIntire Investment Institute (MII). Vaishnavi joined the longstanding and selective organization, then quickly found ways to bring her perspective to the group’s successful equity fund. “I always wanted to present the girly pitch deck,” she recalls.
One of her earliest presentations focused on cruelty-free, minority-led brand e.l.f. Cosmetics, a company that was delivering strong market performance. Vaishnavi has been driven by the idea that investment decisions can reflect conviction and results. “You can see capital as being a vehicle for change,” she says, describing the opportunity to direct resources toward companies that align with her values.
Her experience in MII also shaped her approach to leadership. She stepped into an executive role focused on professional development and mentorship, with goals of opening doors, broadening participation, and making the organization feel more reflective of the student body it serves.
That same energy carried into her role as Commerce Council President, where Vaishnavi focused on strengthening the inventive and supportive spirit that defines McIntire. From organizing days of service to planning events that brought students together, she saw every initiative as a chance to build community. “The reason that McIntire is so distinctive is because of the culture that we maintain, and how familial and close we are,” she says.
She also speaks candidly about the occasional growing pains she had in leading such a special community. “There have been times where I felt as though I was asked to make a decision, and in that moment, I made the wrong one,” she admits. Those experiences, from navigating student conflicts to handling unexpected challenges, became some of her most important lessons, offering opportunities for personal development and reflection, which, she explains, has been key. Understanding what could have gone differently and carrying that forward has shaped her approach far more than any single success.
And then there are the moments that will feel familiar to any McIntire alum. For Vaishnavi, it’s a late night in the computer lab with her Integrated Core group, just hours before a presentation. “We were all really nervous, laughing over our Chipotle bowls, and reviewing our slides late into the night,” she remembers in a kind of snapshot of the Comm experience at its most intense, collaborative, and joyful.
Through all of her commitments and education, Vaishnavi has stayed grounded with an insightful idea about herself: “I’m building things out of the boxes that I’m intended to fit into.” She’s achieved because of that ingenuity and with a vision that has carried her from those early days in New York, to Grounds, and in the coming months, back again to the city where her stateside journey began.
