Taylor Friedman (BSM ’26)

Name: Taylor Friedman
Hometown: Westlake Village, California
Major: Finance and History with Specialization in Energy

What are your post-graduation plans?
After graduation, I will join Jefferies Financial Group in Houston as a full-time investment banking analyst in the Energy Transition Group, focusing on renewable energy, following a successful internship with the firm. 

What are your top Freeman extracurricular activities? 
•    Supplemental Instructor for Business
•    Analytics Mentor for Green Bull
•    Investment Banking Group
•    Investment Research Manager for Burkenroad Reports

What community or volunteer activities did you participate in outside of the business school? 
•    VP of Finance and Member of Tulane Men’s Ultimate Frisbee
•    Club Wave Leader for Tulane’s First Year Experience
•    Wall Residential Hall Association

What academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of?
My proudest achievement is being selected as a recipient of the Tulane 34 Award, recognizing the top graduates for outstanding leadership, service, and academic achievement.

What was your favorite business course?
Renewable Energy Project Finance and Development. The course connected financial structuring to the real-world development processes behind solar and wind farms, from early-stage development through financing. Modeling the projects first-hand solidified my interest in renewable energy as a career path.

Who is your favorite business professor and why?
Professor David Thompson. In Venture Capital and Private Equity, Professor Thompson displayed his gift for breaking down complex technical concepts and grounding them in real-world examples from his own experience. He taught me that while understanding the mechanics of finance matters, knowing where, how and why they apply in practice is what is of primary importance.

What’s your favorite memory of Freeman?
Our Burkenroad Reports site visit to Austin is a favorite memory. Getting to meet the management team of a company we had spent months researching and modeling and sharing our findings and recommendations was a rewarding experience. The trip made the whole process feel real.

What are the top items on your professional bucket list?
I want to work on a landmark energy transition deal that could move the needle on clean energy infrastructure. Beyond that, I want to develop more expertise in renewable energy and eventually take a leadership role advising on deals that provides an opportunity for me to shape the space.

What’s a fun fact about yourself?
My two brothers and three cousins are all redheads. I somehow ended up being the odd one out.