Garrett Leach

We would like you to meet Garrett Leach ’18, a business finance alum from Missoula, Montana, who is now an Associate for Next Frontier Capital here in Bozeman, Montana.

Why MSU/Jabs?

In 2013/14 when I was contemplating college options, a lot of exciting things were happening at Montana State University. A few years prior, Jake Jabs had announced the donation which would fund construction of the new business building and additional entrepreneurial programming. A great business program, a scholarship, and the ability to stay in Montana led me to choose MSU.

What did you find most helpful at Jabs and why?

The finance club trip to New York was an inflection point in my academic and professional journey. It connected me with the people necessary to get an interview at BlackRock, which resulted in a summer internship and full-time job with the firm after graduation. The student services staff was spectacular – shoutout Liz Greenfield – and made sure I was able to study abroad my senior year.

What were some Activities & Societies you were a part of while at MSU?

Student government was my main focus outside of the classroom. After serving as an ASMSU senator representing the JJCBE my sophomore year, I was elected to serve as ASMSU president during my junior year.

One quote about your experiences at Jabs/College:

Go see your professors during office hours! They aren’t just for help working through a challenging assignment. Professors are a tremendous resource when you are thinking through academic plans, discussing professional ambitions, and looking for advice.

Briefly describe what you do for work:

I started off as an analyst at Next Frontier Capital, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage companies in the intermountain west. In that position at NFC, I was responsible for assisting the partners with a variety of work including deal diligence and execution, fundraising, and other interesting things. I have recently started a new position as Associate at NFC.

What has your career path looked like since leaving MSU?

After graduation, I moved to Princeton, NJ to join BlackRock in the group I had interned at the summer prior. I spent almost two years with BlackRock before leaving to join the fifth cohort of Schwarzman Scholars. Schwarzman Scholars is a master’s program housed on Tsinghua University’s campus in Beijing, designed to bring students from around the world together to study China. Unfortunately, due to COVID I completed the program remotely. After graduation from Schwarzman Scholars in May of 2021, I moved back to Bozeman to join Next Frontier Capital.

Advice for students:

Get to know your professors, engage deeply with one or two extracurriculars, and take classes outside your business focus.