Leela Najafi

About

Leela Najafi joined Candou Ventures as an Associate in 2024, where she works on firm operations and processes and supports partners on projects including portfolio company support and partnership development. Before joining the firm, she served in a senior leadership role in the U.S. Senate as Nominations Director for Senate leadership and founded nonprofit organizations focused on removing financial barriers for underserved communities. She earlier held internships with the Senate Finance Committee and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and holds a B.A. in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government from American University's School of Public Affairs.