Finance · Strategy · Storytelling

David Simmons

Finance & Psychology student at Santa Clara University. Healthcare Analyst at the Santa Clara Investment Fund, President of TEDxSCU, and operator across marketing, media, and entrepreneurship.

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About

A bit about me

David Simmons

I'm David Simmons, a student at Santa Clara University pursuing a double degree in Finance and Psychology. I'm based between Chicago and San Francisco, and my work sits at the intersection of capital, brand, and storytelling.

On the finance side, I'm a Healthcare Analyst at the Santa Clara Investment Fund — selected as 1 of 17 from 140+ applicants to manage healthcare coverage within a six-figure, endowment-backed portfolio. On the operator side, I'm President of TEDxSantaClaraUniversity, where I reactivated the dormant chapter and rebuilt its governance from the ground up.

Before SCU, I interned in sports marketing at Playfly Sports and Paragon Marketing Group on campaigns for PepsiCo, Gatorade, NCAA, and ESPN, and I've operated Styling Photos — my professional photography practice — since 2021.

Outside of work: skiing, international day trips, Korean BBQ, badminton, squash, and a serious commitment to being a pickle connoisseur.

Based in
Chicago / San Francisco
Studying
Finance & Psychology
Focus
Equity Research, Strategy, Media
Class of
2029, Santa Clara University
$100K+
endowment portfolio managed
2.5M+
social interactions analyzed
10K+
event attendees supported
1,300+
community service hours
Experience

Where I've worked

A mix of finance, marketing, and media — from a six-figure student-run fund to the sidelines of NCAA-level events.

Nov 2025 — Present
Analyst, Healthcare Sector
Santa Clara Investment Fund

Six-figure endowment-backed student investment fund covering publicly traded equities.

  • Selected as 1 of 17 analysts from a 140+ applicant pool to manage healthcare sector coverage
  • Built DCF, comparable company, and precedent transaction models on pharma, medical devices, and managed care
  • Pitched weekly stock recommendations integrating financial statement analysis, industry trends, and macro factors
Apr 2026 — Present
President
TEDxSantaClaraUniversity

Independently licensed TEDx chapter at Santa Clara University.

  • Reactivated dormant chapter; rewrote organizational constitution and established three-tier governance with 6+ directing officers
  • Lead speaker curation, sponsorship outreach, and event production
  • Standardized officer onboarding and event-planning workflows for long-term continuity
Sep 2025 — Present
Marketing Staff
Santa Clara University Athletics

Gameday Marketing & Media / Photo / Video Departments.

  • Execute in-game marketing activations and fan engagement initiatives across Division I athletic events
  • Capture photo and video content for social distribution and departmental promotional use
Apr 2025 — Aug 2025
Marketing Intern
Playfly Sports

Sports consultancy & marketing agency partnering with NCAA, PepsiCo, Gatorade, and professional teams.

  • Designed 12+ giveaway concepts for PepsiCo on-site activations, increasing attendee engagement by an estimated 15%
  • Monitored 2.5M+ social interactions across 80+ Gatorade partner posts on National Hydration Day
  • Identified engagement spikes driving 30% higher visibility for top-tier partnerships
Jul 2024 — Aug 2025
Marketing Intern
Paragon Marketing Group

Sports marketing agency for Gatorade, ESPN, and GEICO.

  • Supported event operations and product delivery for projects with 10,000+ attendees and budgets exceeding $20K
  • Reduced AV file retrieval time by 70% and recovered 12+ staff hours/week through workflow redesign
  • Proposed alternative activation strategies for clients including Gatorade, influencing 9 new tactics
Feb 2022 — Aug 2024
Photographer & Videographer
ESPN

On-floor live event coverage, featured across SportsCenter Next.

  • Captured nationally distributed coverage of the LaPorte Invitational and GEICO Nationals
  • Generated 20,000+ impressions per event through real-time visuals spotlighting elite high school athletes
Jul 2021 — Present
Founder & Principal Photographer
Styling Photos

Independent photography & videography practice — sports, portraits, events, and commercial brand work.

  • Founded and operate a full-service practice managing client acquisition, pricing, and post-production
  • 4+ years of end-to-end client relationships and brand-focused visual storytelling
Selected Work

Projects & initiatives

A few things I've built, led, or rebuilt from scratch. Click any tile to dive in.

Leadership · TEDx

Rebuilding TEDxSantaClaraUniversity

Reactivated a dormant, independently licensed TEDx chapter. Rewrote the constitution, built a three-tier governance structure, and stood up speaker curation, sponsorship, and event production from scratch.

2026 — Present Read more
Civic Leadership · FIRE

FIRE — Director of External Affairs

Led external partnerships, communications, and outreach for FIRE at Adlai E. Stevenson High School — a student-led initiative focused on civic engagement and community impact.

Stevenson HS Read more
[Coming Soon]

Project Three

A placeholder tile — open the page to fill in title, summary, images, and details for a third project.

— Read more
[Coming Soon]

Project Four

A placeholder tile — open the page to fill in title, summary, images, and details for a fourth project.

— Read more
Expertise

What I bring to the table

Finance

  • Equity Research
  • Financial Modeling
  • DCF & Comps
  • Valuation
  • Healthcare Sector
  • Portfolio Management
  • Risk Analysis

Strategy & Marketing

  • Brand Activation
  • Event Operations
  • Campaign Strategy
  • Social Analytics
  • Experiential Marketing
  • Partnerships

Creative & Tools

  • Photography
  • Videography
  • Adobe Suite
  • Excel
  • Bloomberg
  • Storytelling
Education

Background

2025 — 2029 (Expected)
B.S. Commerce, Finance & B.S. Psychology
Santa Clara University · Leavey School of Business

TEDxSantaClaraUniversity (President), Santa Clara Investment Fund (Analyst), Peer Advisor (Leavey School of Business), Mindset Scholars, Finance Club, SCU Athletics Marketing.

Graduated May 2025
High School Diploma — Graduated with Highest Honors
Adlai E. Stevenson High School · Lincolnshire, IL

FIRE (Director of External Affairs), Auto Club (Co-Founder & Director), Athletic Media Team (Co-Founder), Société Honoraire de Français (Director of Outreach), SHS-TV (Broadcasting & Social Media Manager), Freshman Mentor Program, EDI Committee.

Honors & Awards
Communication Arts Award Senior Awards Program
Prominent Patriot Award (×2) Top 1% of Stevenson HS
1st Place — SHS Hacks Hackathon · 1 of 400 students
National Community Service Award 1,300+ service hours
Société Honoraire de Français French Honor Society
National Honor Society Academic distinction

Let's connect

Whether it's an opportunity, an introduction, or just a good idea — I'd love to hear from you.

Email me LinkedIn Résumé