From the Pool to Private Markets: Welcoming Destin Lasco
Clavana is pleased to welcome Destin Lasco to the team. A world-class backstroke swimmer competing internationally and targeting the LA28 Olympic cycle, Destin brings the same discipline, technical precision, and consistency from elite sport into buy-side origination.
From the Pool to Private Markets: Welcoming Destin Lasco
Clavana is pleased to welcome Destin Lasco to the team, joining our Origination & Outreach function as part of the Elite Athlete Program.
One of the world’s leading backstroke specialists, Destin competes at the highest level of international swimming, representing the United States across global championships. Known for his technical precision, discipline, and composure under pressure, he brings a high-performance mindset shaped by years in elite sport into the world of buy-side origination.
Destin joins a growing roster of world-class athletes applying the principles of elite performance - consistency, preparation, and execution - to private-markets sourcing.
A Career Built in the World’s Fastest Lanes
From an early age, Destin emerged as one of the most technically refined swimmers of his generation, known for his exceptional performances across both backstroke and freestyle swimming. He has consistently delivered outstanding results in these events, particularly in backstroke, where he has won multiple NCAA championship records.
Competing across national and international championships, he has built a reputation for disciplined training, strong team culture, and steady progression through elite performance pathways.
He developed through one of the most competitive collegiate programmes in the world at the University of California, Berkeley - an environment defined by Olympic-level standards and daily accountability measured in hundredths of a second.
His career highlights include:
U.S. National Team selection
Representation at World Championship level
Contributions to medal-winning relay performances
NCAA titles and All-American honours
Consistent global rankings in backstroke events
Destin continues to compete internationally while building toward the LA 2028 Olympic cycle, where he is widely regarded as part of the next generation of U.S. backstroke contenders.
Swimming at this level is a sport of margins. Thousands of hours of preparation culminate in races decided by fractions of a second. Success depends on technical refinement, composure under pressure, and the ability to execute cleanly when it matters most - qualities that define Destin’s competitive identity.
From Elite Sport to Origination Mindset
Elite swimming is built on long training cycles, incremental progress, and trust in preparation. Athletes refine details quietly over time, then execute decisively when performance windows open.
Destin’s development reflects the hallmark traits of top-tier swimmers:
Technical precision built through repetition
Composure in high-pressure environments
Commitment to marginal gains
Consistency across long timelines
Accountability to daily standards
These same behaviours underpin effective buy-side origination. Strong outcomes rarely happen instantly; they emerge through careful preparation, steady engagement, and disciplined follow-through. The ability to build trust patiently and execute with clarity over time is what separates short-term activity from meaningful opportunity.
“Destin brings a rare mix of discipline, humility and technical precision,” said Lara Hughes-Francis, Co-Founder of Clavana. “He’s developed within one of the most demanding high-performance environments in sport, where consistency and marginal gains matter every single day. His tenacious, performance-driven, team-first mindset fits perfectly with the culture we’re building”
As Clavana continues to build a team shaped by high-performance environments, we are proud to support Destin’s international swimming career while he brings that same discipline and incremental excellence into the next phase of his professional journey.
Welcome to Clavana, Destin Lasco.
The Clavana Elite Athlete Program
Clavana’s Elite Athlete Program was created to support world-class athletes as they pursue their competitive ambitions while building meaningful careers beyond sport.
We recognize that elite athletes share many of the same qualities that make outstanding dealmakers: resilience, competitiveness, focus under pressure, adaptability, and exceptional communication. They are driven, disciplined, fiercely independent, and equally at home collaborating in teams to achieve something greater than themselves. These are the same traits that power success in origination, relationship management, and leadership within the financial and professional services industries.
Through the program, Clavana provides hands-on professional experience in origination, business development, and deal sourcing. This naturally aligns with the athlete mindset of persistence, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
The initiative offers both economic and structural support, creating a bridge between athletic excellence and future professional pathways. It helps athletes gain transferable skills, build networks, and develop commercial acumen while maintaining the flexibility required to train, travel, and compete at the highest level.
“Our goal is to create opportunities that not only recognize the discipline and intensity it takes to compete globally, but also provide a meaningful platform for transition, from sport to professional life,” said Clive Cooper, Co-Founder of Clavana, who has also enjoyed a remarkable career representing New Zealand in duathlon and continues to compete internationally. “This is about empowering exceptional individuals to thrive both on and off the field.”
By launching the Clavana Elite Athlete Program, the firm aims to champion those who embody the same grit, intelligence, and focus that drive success in investment and entrepreneurship - and to help them build futures that are as purposeful as their athletic careers.
About Clavana
Clavana partners with leading private equity funds, portfolio companies, and acquisitive corporates to deliver AI-driven market mapping, proprietary research, and fiercely effective deal origination.
Built on a simple belief - people power deals, not spreadsheets - Clavana represents a new breed of M&A origination: modern, human, and results-driven.
By combining data science with senior origination expertise, Clavana cuts through noise to uncover the right off-market opportunities and connect clients with the deals that move the needle.
Headquartered in the United States with a global, remote-first team, Clavana helps today’s dealmakers buy better, build better, and sell better.
