Shoshana M. Vernick is a co-founder and managing partner at Avathon Capital, an investment platform launched in 2016 to foster innovation and growth in the education and workforce markets. Avathon typically takes a control equity position in founder-owned or led companies and provides strategic and human capital support.  

Before establishing Avathon in 2015, Shoshana was a Managing Director at Sterling Partners, a middle market private equity firm focused on education, healthcare, and business services. Prior to Sterling, Shoshana served as an Associate at One Equity Partners LLC, where she worked on direct private equity transactions including venture and management buyouts, and at Razorfish, a digital solutions provider. She began her career at Merrill Lynch in the Global Industries Group.

Shoshana is a member of PEWIN (Private Equity Women Investor Network), Illinois Venture Capital Association (“IVCA”) Board member and Chair of their summer fundraiser supporting Diversity awareness and programming, on the Steering Committee of KPMG & University of Chicago’s Economic Forum, 2021 Kayo Midwest Dealmaker, 2020 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A, 2019 Crain’s Chicago Most Notable Women in Finance, and frequent participant in University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Indiana University mentorship and guest lecturer programs.

Shoshana earned a BS with honors from Indiana University in accounting, finance, and international studies and studied abroad in Maastricht, The Netherlands. She grew up in Munster, Indiana and was one of two children raised by a schoolteacher and an entrepreneur.