International Waters to Founder Outreach: Introducing Kali Wilding

Clavana is proud to welcome Kali Wilding to the Clavana Elite Athlete Program, joining our buyside sourcing team as an Originator. 

Kali brings a rare blend of competitive intensity, curiosity, emotional intelligence, and commercial instinct - the kind of profile that makes for an exceptional originator and an even stronger culture fit. 

An Upbringing Shaped by the Water - And by Elite Performance 

Born in Australia and raised in Hawaii, Kali grew up with saltwater in her veins and a family steeped in world-class sport. Both her parents were elite kayakers; her mother a two-time Olympian for Australia and now the U.S. national team sprint coach.

Despite this legacy, they made one thing clear: if Kali chose the sport, it had to be her decision. What has transpired is a whirlwind of successes.

Eyes Set on Los Angeles 2028 

After years focused on gymnastics, Kali refocused on kayaking, where her strengths in the spot became crystal clear - soon making the U15 U.S. team, competing abroad, and racing for the US junior and senior national teams.  At the most recent trials, she won outright - becoming the fastest sprint- kayaker in the United States.   

Kali now competes internationally for Team USA Sprint Kayaking, with her sights firmly set on Los Angeles 2028.

She will also represent her surf lifesaving club at the World Surf Life Saving Championships in New Zealand later this month. 

Performance on Land and Water 

Whilst competing internationally, Kali is earning her Degree at the University of Southern California (USC), double-majoring in Business Administration and Real Estate Development. 

Alongside her studies, she joined Red Bull, where she gained hands-on experience in high-performance brand partnerships, event strategy, and community engagement - environments where pace, creativity, and precision matter. 

That same mindset now fuels her approach to deal origination. Kali has a natural ability to build rapport with founders, navigate complex personalities, and open doors others can’t. Her instinct for opportunity - and her timing - is exceptional, making her a natural fit for Clavana's modern, human, high-performance culture.

Building Strong Relationships with Founders

Kali is warm, grounded, and highly intuitive. She listens deeply, builds trust quickly, and brings the discipline of an athlete to every conversation.

Her strengths translate directly into her work at Clavana: 

• Competitive instinct and resilience 

• Mental composure under pressure 

• Curiosity and humility 

• Emotional intelligence 

• Commercial intuition 

  
  

At Clavana, our clients trust Originators like Kali to reach founders others cannot - and to spark conversations that lead to transformational outcomes. When her authenticity, resilience, and athlete’s mindset align the right buyer with the right business owner at exactly the right moment, that’s where the magic happens. 

Kali represents everything Clavana stands for: curiosity, grit, warmth, commercial sharpness, and the confidence to perform at a high level - all whilst remaining deeply human. 

Welcome to Clavana, Kali - we’re excited to have you powering the next wave of buyside sourcing. 

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.

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.