Team
Fritz Blue
Fritz grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma as the youngest child in a family with two hard-working parents and strong values.
At Vulcanal Partners, Fritz leads the team on all deal aspects. His background includes franchise operations, commercial real estate acquisitions, and banking. He most recently developed and ran a BODY20 franchise. Prior to that he spearheaded acquisitions at Oakwood Real Estate Partners. He started his career at Lone Star Funds/Hudson Advisors working on a portfolio of distressed commercial assets.
Fritz attended Southern Methodist University where he graduated with a BBA in Finance. He stays active and outside by running with his dog Bardo, riding his bike, and skiing whenever he can. He is an avid college football fan supporting both the Sooners and Ponies.
Rowan Luke
Rowan Luke is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Human Dimensions of Organizations with a minor in International Business. Fascinated by the intersection of human behavior and organizational strategy, Rowan brings a unique perspective to his role as an M&A Analyst at Vulcanal Partners where he leads business outreach and assists on due diligence and underwriting. His academic background, combined with a passion for understanding what drives success in businesses, fuels his interest in entrepreneurship and venture capital.
Rowan’s enthusiasm for entrepreneurship began during family Shark Tank nights, where he was inspired by individuals forging their own paths and building businesses from the ground up. Outside of his professional interests, Rowan is an avid adventurer who enjoys surfing, skiing, hydrofoiling, and climbing.
Sophie Talabi
Sophie is a student at Southern Methodist University, majoring in Finance with a specialization in Alternative Asset Management. Driven by her passion for scaling and acquiring businesses, Sophie brings a fresh perspective as an M&A Analyst at Vulcanal Partners, assisting strategic initiatives and supporting the evaluation process. Her interest in transactions involving the transfer of company ownership inspires her ambition to pursue a career in investment banking and private equity.
Sophie grew up in Houston, Texas where she was a devoted tennis player throughout her early academic career. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, traveling, and discovering new recipes to cook.
Aaryan Puri
Aaryan is a finance student at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business, majoring in Finance with a minor in Mandarin Chinese. Through his experience at various firms, he has developed skills in venture capital, private equity, and real estate. At Vulcanal Partners he works to evaluate new opportunities through business development, financial modeling, and underwriting.
Beyond finance, he gained experience in policy research as a Summer Legislative Analyst in Washington, D.C., and served as Head of Marketing for SMU’s Tate Lecture Series, where he helped increase student engagement.
Aaryan is fluent in Hindi, proficient in Mandarin Chinese, and certified in Bloomberg Market Concepts, FactSet, and Microsoft Excel. In his free time, he enjoys Formula 1, Dallas Cowboys football, travel, and photography.