About Bal Strategic Partners

Bal Strategic Partners is a placement agency founded in 2025 by Elise Bal (Schmidt). 

Elise provides customized advice and capital raising solutions to private businesses and funds. 

Previously, Elise spent over 15 years at Goldman Sachs where she was a Managing Director. Elise was one of the founders of Goldman's Apex Family Office team, focused on raising capital from institutional Family Offices. Elise also launched and led Goldman's Apex Family Office effort in Latin America.

Elise joined Goldman Sachs in 2009 as an analyst in the GS Private Equity Group. Prior to Apex, she also spent two years structuring cross-asset derivatives for ultra high-net-worth Goldman clients.

During her time at Goldman Sachs, Elise was an influential member of Private Wealth Management's Women's Council, a Senior Sponsor for the Black Analyst Initiative (BAI) and a Co-Captain for Private Wealth Duke University Recruiting.

Elise earned a BA in Economics and Political Science from Duke University. She also studied Economics and Ethics at Oxford University.

Elise resides in New York City with her husband and two sons.