Sharon Ephraim is a seasoned Chief Financial Officer, Strategic Growth Advisor, and Sports Equity Advocate with over two decades of experience growing profitability, sustainability, and equality. With a career dedicated to increasing access to venture capital, technology, financial services, and sports, Ephraim has built a track record of success by challenging the societal norms within the spaces she has led.

As Founder of Ephraim Advisory, she provides top-tier financial consulting services to diverse businesses with expertise in financial management, strategic planning, and business development. Her adaptable approach enables her to cater to each client’s unique needs, offering bespoke solutions to supplement the highest levels of leadership and empower businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving economic landscape.

As an acting Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Managing Director for client businesses, Ephraim develops growth models, provides strategic guidance, and creates operational protocols that drive success and create opportunity. And through strategic analysis and mentorship, Ephraim works with leadership teams to recommend cost-saving functional changes, establish due diligence standards, propel fundraising efforts, and provide valuable insights through financial modeling to prepare business partners for future growth and increased access.

But, Ephraim’s impact will always be recognized beyond her Advisory. In addition to serving as a Board Member for client businesses, she is the former President of the American Women’s Baseball Association, where she was a top player for five years. A lifelong athlete with a player-coach mentality, Ephraim was at the forefront of advancing equity in sports in regards to both play and pay. 

Ephraim approaches challenges with an inclusive economic perspective. At Alumni Ventures Group, she served as CFO for the venture capital firm that raised over $1B to invest in over 1,000 startups. At Svoboda Capital Partners, she led the fund’s financial management and compliance efforts for the private equity firm that managed over $250M in assets. During her tenure at Ares Management and Wrightwood Capital, her senior leadership helped maximize capacity, optimize financing, and manage the servicing activity within these influential commercial real estate trust and fund managers.

A graduate of Connecticut College and The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Ephraim’s education plays a crucial role in her professional ethos. Her personal connection to sports and faith, expressed through her experience as an emerging baseball player, college soccer player, and active participant in community volunteer and board experiences, underlines her commitment to fairness.

In addition to her leadership at Beth Emet: The Free Synagogue and Evanston Township High School Boosters, Ephraim served as the President of the Evanston History Center for six years to promote inclusivity within her community. And as a youth sports coach and referee, Ephraim has notably contributed to the Evanston Baseball Softball Association and the Evanston American Youth Soccer Organization, fueled by a desire to ensure girls have role models in sports leadership.

Uniquely positioned to address economic challenges across industries, Ephraim is championing economic opportunities that disrupt the status quo and drive societal change. Leading others to think in new ways about existing problems, Ephraim is on a mission to drive results that advance opportunity for all.