BIOGRAPHY

Sam has become increasingly involved in philanthropic efforts and places a high value on paying it forward. Most notably, Sam has a strong philanthropic relationship with his alma mater, The University of Michigan, as well as multiple Jewish nonprofits and top educational institutions in Israel. 

Sam has become an avid mentor for University of Michigan athletes and Ross School of Business students interested in pursuing careers in finance. Most notably, his summer internship program allows carefully-selected, ambitious, rising sophomore students, representing diverse backgrounds, to gain an unparalleled exposure into the world of private equity. Sam's goals for his interns go beyond helping these students understand the technicalities of managing portfolio companies. Throughout the summer he also connects them to a wide network of professionals within finance, and, most importantly, instills in them personal wisdom and lessons that will guide their personal and professional journeys. Sam is thrilled to see them flourish upon graduating from his internship program, and will do anything he can to help them succeed throughout their careers. To this day, all of the interns have gone on to secure subsequent summer internships or full time jobs at many of the leading investment banking and private equity firms of America. 

Sam’s University of Michigan involvement extends beyond this internship experience program. He has played an instrumental role in recruiting academically-talented students from resource-deprived neighborhoods in the US. Sam is also very involved in the Michigan-Israel partnership, an academic joint venture between the University of Michigan and two of Israel's leading academic institutes, Technion and the Weizmann Institute. This program aims to facilitate joint academic research between the universities in the fields of healthcare, engineering, climate change, and sustainability. Sam is also a guest lecturer at the Ross School of Business and enjoys sharing his experience with aspiring business leaders.

Sam places a strong emphasis on supporting organizations which promote the wellbeing of Israel and the US-Israel relationship. He is in the early stages of developing a significant climate change academic partnership between Israeli universities, Arab universities, and the University of Michigan. During the spring of 2022, he brought his family to the Polish border for a week of volunteering with an Israeli NGO to assist Ukrainian refugees who were displaced by Russia's attack on Ukraine.  Sam’s family(led by his wife Laurie Blitzer)  is also deeply involved in Birthright Israel and Birthright Excel, a program which selects high achieving international Jewish college students to visit Israel for ten weeks, work as a summer intern for an Israeli company, and experience Israeli culture, lifestyle, and peoplehood. Sam is dedicated to furthering these causes and using his platform as a professional and mentor to make an impact.