Deryl Eastman: My wife Valerie and I are 2 years into a 3-year assignment to direct the missionary work for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Madagascar. Someone once said that being in charge of 125 mostly teenage missionaries is like going on a 3-year boy scout campout. That is a fairly accurate description, but the rewards far outweigh the struggles. Life in Madagascar is wild, unpredictable, and intense; the 186th richest country in the world where survival is the main order of the day. There are many challenges (too many to list), but the people are warm and friendly – when you smile at them they always smile back. In a way, they are not burdened with so many of the divisive issues that we face at home. They are just trying to survive another day, and they do it with such joy and optimism. Upon returning home in 2026 I’ll resume work on a long-term land development project near Redmond WA that seems like the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. It will probably outlive me

Pat La Vecchia: Hi everyone I’m really looking forward to reconnecting/catching up in NYC this fall and again at our 2026 reunion. On the family front, Kris and I are thrilled about this next chapter. All of our kids have finished college, two of the boys are married to wonderful women, and we have welcomed our first grandchildren—twins, Atlas and Ava! We feel truly blessed.

On the career side, many of you know I entered the FinTech and digital assets/crypto space more than six years ago, beginning with MakerDAO, a decentralized DeFi company. In 2021, with backing from the MakerDAO team, I founded Oasis Pro, where I built the senior team, led strategy, and developed the technology while raising capital and adding global investors—including Apollo Investments. Oasis Pro grew into a regulated U.S. blockchain broker-dealer, transfer agent, and ATS trading venue for digital securities with a full tokenization tech stack. We also became the first U.S. trading venue approved by regulators to use stablecoins as payment for digital securities—a significantly cool industry milestone.

The journey often felt like the “wild west,” but it proved incredibly rewarding: this past July, I sold Oasis Pro to Ondo Finance, a leading global digital asset firm. The acquisition drew significant attention and delivered a strong outcome for both our investors and senior leadership team. I’ll continue serving as CEO of the Oasis Pro subsidiary, where we have an ambitious U.S. roadmap ahead, while Ondo pursues tremendous growth opportunities—including in AI.

Being part of this generational shift in capital markets and banking has been both humbling and energizing. I’ve been fortunate to be recognized globally as a thought leader in the regulated digital asset space and the future of finance. I’ve recently taken on new roles including Advisory Board Member for the Connecticut Department of Banking (Digital Assets), inaugural member of FINRA’s Crypto Advisory Board, member/advisor to the Bretton Woods DC-based think tank, and Program Advisor to FinAccelerate, a fintech accelerator in Palo Alto. I also remain active as an investor, board member, and advisor across several companies globally, and I’m excited to continue expanding those roles in the years ahead.

Looking forward, I am embracing both the joy of becoming a grandparent and the excitement of helping shape the future of finance. I’ll be spending much of my time between Connecticut and Washington, D.C., so if you’re ever in Connecticut, I’d love to connect. And of course, the twins will definitely keep us busy! 

Jordan Foster: Still truckin’ at Marshall Wace (we just moved to Hudson Yards — would enjoy lunch or coffee with classmates nearby). Also just appointed to the Board of Minds Matter NYC. Minds Matter NYC connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their futures, and change the world. Hope all are well and healthy.

Massimo Armanini: This August, Kathy and Craig Stine , John and Patty, Karla and Santiago Perez, Elena and myself went for our yearly trip together! This year to Greece on a catamaran and cruised north of Koss. We spent long hours recharging batteries in the blue water and discussing about geopolitics till early morning. Everybody in good shape and good mood!

Linda Jenkinson: Well I am back in an Executive role, thought I was semi-retired… but could not help myself. Rejoined my first business partner, a titan in Fintech, Greg Kidd – to launch one of the first global USD deposit tokens! So leading a bank and a public fintech. Moved back to Muir Beach and Blue Diamond, Nevada with Nick. Kids are launching with their first real jobs (just about) so life is moving to the next phase.

Kasey Carpenter: Fall has arrived in Portland, Oregon, peaceful, colorful, and full of the community that makes the Rose City feel like nowhere else. Despite what some headlines suggest, Portland is not a war zone. It is a city of dreamers, makers, marchers, and peacekeepers. I was honored to be named one of UCLA Alumni Affairs’ 2025 Bruin Excellence in Civic Engagement honorees, recognizing alumni who improve the quality of life in their communities and inspire change through civic action. On the writing front, I am finishing my next National Park Mystery-Thriller, Murder in Vacationland, set in Maine’s Acadia National Park. If you would like to be an early reader, please reach out. Meanwhile, I continue sharing weekly stories in my Life is a Journey newsletter, where travel, nature, and purpose meet: lifeisajourney.substack.com.

Chris Malone: We enjoyed another WG’91 Fall Gathering at Fogo de Chao in NYC this month, with 17 classmates in attendance. Participants included Monica Avellaneda, Kevin Bradley, Jean Brown, Rich Cannon, Patty Dhar, Jeff Gross, Larry Ioffredo, Pam Ponce Johnson, Joe Kelly, Lorrie King, Pat LaVecchia, Chris Malone, David Markus, Miguel Osio, Randi Roy, Marty Secada and Kathy Hay Stine.  As usual, a good time was had by all!