Sam Mindlin is the Senior Director and Head of Business Development at TIAA Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of TIAA focused on investing in innovative companies that shape the future of financial services. In his role, Sam leads strategic initiatives that connect startups, portfolio companies, and enterprise partners to drive growth, innovation, and long-term value creation across the venture ecosystem.
At TIAA Ventures, Sam is responsible for delivering the group’s strategic mandate by facilitating commercial partnerships between emerging technology companies and TIAA’s broader organization. He works closely with founders, venture partners, and internal stakeholders to identify opportunities that accelerate innovation and unlock new capabilities for the financial services industry. By bridging the gap between startups and enterprise organizations, Sam helps portfolio companies scale their solutions while enabling TIAA to access cutting-edge technologies and business models.
Prior to joining TIAA Ventures, Sam built extensive experience across investment banking, financial markets, and corporate development. He previously held roles at SMBC Group, where he worked as an Investment Banking Analyst focused on analyzing credit opportunities and supporting structured loan and bond transactions. He also worked at Intercontinental Exchange, where he served as a Trade Execution Specialist and Senior Analyst in Corporate Finance & Development, contributing to trade operations and revenue-generating initiatives within global financial markets.
Earlier in his career, Sam was a Senior Client Success Manager at BrandYourself, where he helped develop client success practices for a fast-growing startup specializing in online identity and reputation management. This experience gave him firsthand insight into the challenges early-stage companies face when scaling products and building sustainable growth strategies.
Sam holds an MBA in Strategy and Technology from Columbia Business School and a BA in Economics with a concentration in Finance from University of Rochester.
With deep experience across venture partnerships, financial services, and corporate innovation, Sam brings a unique perspective on how startups and large institutions can collaborate to build the next generation of fintech and financial infrastructure.
