Building success together through diversity and collaboration
Our team is composed of seasoned professionals with diverse backgrounds in entrepreneurship, finance, software, and sitting on boards. We understand that our success depends on the strength of the teams we build and the collaborative efforts to drive innovation and growth.
Meet the team
Founder and Managing Partner
Ben Cao
Ben's professional path was inspired by his dad, an engineering leader who ran the largest circular particle accelerator in China and a real tinker at heart who built some of the first home desktop computers from basic electronic parts.
Ben was the Head of VC and PE at Symphony, where he built long term partnerships with top investment firms, working with operating partners to guide their portfolio companies through their digital value creation strategies.
Previously, Ben was a product and engineering leader at Rokt, Google, and IBM where he managed and led a group of product managers, helped to scale a 15-person team to a 300+ organization, and filed 150+ patents (100+ granted). Ben also spent 6+ years as an investor (deal team) at Seacoast Capital Partners, a lower middle market private equity investment firm, and served as the interim CEO of a tech enabled company and advisor at various Seacoast Capital Partners portfolio companies.
On the personal side, Ben grew up living on three continents: grilling shish kabob in Western China, chanting Maori kapa haka in New Zealand, and rooting for his hometown Nebraska Huskers. He currently lives in New York with his wife and 7-month old baby girl. Ben enjoys running, salsa, occasional hikes, and is on a mission to map out all the finest Asian restaurants in New York. In his free time, Ben is likely to be found planning his next trip checking countries off his bucket list.
Ben earned his MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his BS in Computer Engineering at Iowa State University, where he was the Outstanding Graduating Senior, awarded to the top student in each engineering discipline.
Founder and Managing Partner
Facundo Golinsky
Growing up in a small town in Argentina, surrounded by small business owners, dinner conversations regularly revolved around how difficult yet rewarding the journey of an entrepreneur can be. Facundo observed his grandfather, uncle, and father shoring up their tenacity, making hard choices, and facing unpredictable obstacles with optimism and willingness to learn and grow.
As Chief Strategy Officer at Tobin Capital Group, Facundo significantly contributed to the fundraising of over $100M. His operational efforts included turning around two facilities leading to a substantial 35% IRR, and launching a new website integrated with the Property Management System, leading to 15% of new clients renting online, in the first year. At McKinsey & Company, he helped define a 3-year strategic plan for a regional airline, led the digitization of a bank's core client journey, and spearheaded a cost reduction effort for an Oil & Gas client.
On the personal side, Facundo loves the thrill of new adventures and to push his mind and body to new heights. He completed the Advanced Open Water and Nitrox diving certifications (PADI), while exploring the underwater flora and fauna of 4 different continents. He also ran the El Cruce ‘ultra-marathon’ in 2021 across the Andes mountains. Facundo currently lives in San Francisco, with his partner Matt, where they enjoy outdoor hikes and having friends over for dinner attempting some of Ottolenghi’s extremely complicated recipes.
Facundo earned his MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his BS in Economics from Di Tella University in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he graduated first in his class.
Meet our investors
We are backed by a team of experienced investors and former CEOs who believe in our long term vision.
Jeff Stevens
Former CEO, Dionis Company Jeff has 20 years of experience structuring, operating and investing in search fund companies. Jeff has managed three funded searches during the period from 1990-2005, each one culminating in the acquisition of a lower middle market company. Jeff earned his MBA and BA from Stanford University.
Warren Chan
Director, Anacapa Warren has over 10 years of experience investing in people (managers, operators, and search funds), companies, and real assets. He is passionate about responsible stewardship and growth of small private businesses. Warren earned his MBA from Columbia Business School and his SB in Mathematics from MIT.
Andy Love
Former CEO, Behavioral Health Group As a searcher-CEO of one of the most successful search funds to date, and as a search fund investor-advisor, Andy has spent over two decades in the search fund arena. In that time, he has invested in almost 200 search funds and has advised many more. Andy earned his MBA and MA from Stanford University and his BA from University of Texas at Austin.
Brad Buser
Partner, Aspect Brad has more than fifteen years of private equity investment experience and has spent much of that time in an operationally focused manner across a wide variety of industries and situations. Brad earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and his BBA from the University of Notre Dame.
B.A. Cullum
Former Director, ClubCorp B.A. has extensive experience with acquisitions, business development, and real estate development. He was the Director of Acquisitions & Business Development at ClubCorp, the largest owner/operator of private golf, country, and business clubs in North America. B.A. earned his MBA and BA from Stanford University.
Mike Schmitz
Former CFO, Athos Group Mike has two decades of private equity, public markets, family office, and operations experience across a variety of sectors. Mike was the Chief Financial Officer of Athos Group, a private equity-backed, tech-enabled services and software company focused on the off-duty police officer market. Mike earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his BBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
David Dodson
Former CEO, technology manufacturer David has been active for thirty years in the management and formation of new businesses and is the author of the best selling book The Manager’s Handbook. David invested in over forty businesses, and he has been a director in twenty-one companies. David earned his MBA and BA from Stanford University.
Jason Jackson
Former CEO, Unified Dental Partners Jason was the CEO and an active board member of Unified Dental Partners. Jason brings extensive operating knowledge and is an expert resource in helping entrepreneurs transition to the CEO role. Jason earned his MBA and BS from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Dustin Sellers
Former CEO, ProService A passionate entrepreneur and 20+ year career as a highly successful operator, Dustin grew ProService from a fledgling company of $13 million in annual revenue to well over $200 million with close to 20,000 managed worksite employees. Dustin earned his MBA from Northwestern University and his BS from USC.
Anthony Walker
Partner, Next Coast Anthony has been in the investment management industry for 15 years. Anthony was a VP in the Global Investment Research Division at Goldman Sachs and he led idea generation, client engagement, financial modeling, and marketing in the Chemicals industry. Anthony earned his MBA from the University of Chicago and his BA from Columbia University.
Tatiana Gaspar
Director, Next Coast Tatiana is a former VP at Goldman Sachs where she helped to build the GS Select Digital Banking platform. Tatiana is a Fundação Estudar Fellow and an active Women's Search Network Board Member. She is also a CAIS Mentoria Advisor and a CFA charterholder. Tatiana earned her BA from Brown University.
Neal Jacobs
Managing Partner, Maven Neal Jacobs brings a passion for entrepreneurship, a significant investment track record and a deep background in finance to Maven Equity Partners. Prior to founding Maven Equity Partners, Neal was a partner and co-portfolio manager at two public market investment firms, Cambrian Capital and Bodri Capital Management. Neal earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his BA at Duke University.
Neal Barcelo
Former CFO, disruptive building products startup Neal held roles as CFO of a disruptive building products startup and Vice President of Private Equity with Tensile Capital Management. He began his career with McKinsey & Company where he focused on restructuring and corporate finance engagements. Neal earned his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh and his BS from Denison University.
Rich Augustyn
CEO, NIP Group Rich is an accomplished entrepreneur with a distinguished track record of building and leading successful companies that have made a real impact in the insurance and HR sectors. With decades of experience as a CEO, Rich is a visionary leader who is widely respected for his business acumen and expertise. Rich serves on the Board of ABS Warranty, FIMC, Global CFO, SLG, and United Pet Care.
Tiffany Augustyn
Partner, Endurance Tiffany has spent her career as a middle market and growth equity private equity investor working alongside driven leaders and management teams to build great companies. Prior to joining Endurance, Tiffany was an investor with the global private equity firms TPG Capital and L Catterton. Tiffany earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and she received her BA from Yale University.
Jim Edmunds
Former President and CFO, Celebrity Kids Portrait Studios Jim served as President and CFO of Celebrity Kids Portrait Studios, a leading provider of upscale children’s photography. He currently participates on the boards of ConsumerAffairs.com, Tactiq, Hathorn, ISI, Luggage Forward, ConciergePlus, and Meternet. Jim earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his AB from Harvard University.
Todd Tracey
Former President and CEO, HemaSource Todd served as the President and CEO of HemaSource, a distributor of medical disposable products to the blood therapies markets. He currently participates on the boards of FIMC, Ethico, Pharmacy Specialists, and Easton Archery. Todd earned his MBA from Northwestern University and his AB from Dartmouth College.
Noah Riner
Former CEO, NeuroInternational Healthcare Noah was the CEO of NeuroInternational Healthcare, where he grew the company from 93 to 550 employees. He currently serves on the boards of Bio Behavioral Institute, Apollo Behavioral Health, Pelvic Health Solutions, Roll-A-Shield, Big Box Storage, and Greenback Expat Tax Services. Noah earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his AB from Dartmouth College.
Former CEO, RIA in a Box Will was the CEO of RIA in a Box, a regulatory compliance consulting company serving financial advisors. Over the course of ten years, Will and his partner, G.J., transformed the business into a recurring revenue, software-as-a-service company, growing both revenues and profits significantly. Will earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his BA from Harvard University.
Former President, RIA in a Box GJ was the President of RIA in a Box. Over the course of ten years, GJ and his partner, Will, transformed the business into a recurring revenue, software-as-a-service company, growing both revenues and profits significantly. GJ earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his BA from Brown University.
Lucas Braun
Former CEO, OnRamp Lucas served as CEO of OnRamp after acquiring the business in 2009. Prior to that he was managing partner of Brown Robin Capital. He originally started his career in Mercer Management Consulting as an associate. Lucas earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his undergrad degree Dartmouth College.
Ryan Robinson
Former Chairman and President, OnRamp Ryan served as Chairman and President of OnRamp after acquiring the business in 2009. Prior to that he was a managing partner at Brown Robin Capital. He started his career as an Analyst for Farallon Capital Management. Ryan earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his undergrad degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Kent Weaver
Former CEO, Progressive Home Care Kent has invested in over 75 middle-market companies as an individual investor and with Granite Point. Previously, Kent held executive positions in marketing and product management for a VC-backed marketing automation startup. Kent earned his MBA at the University of California, Los Angeles and his BS from the University of Southern California.
Mahesh Rajasekharan
President and CEO, Cleo Mahesh is the President and CEO of Cleo, the global leader of the world’s Ecosystem Integration software category. Since 2012 he has been leading Cleo’s evolution and expansion from a “neo-startup” to a high-growth, scaled cloud software business. Mahesh earned his MBA at the University of California, Berkeley, his PhD from Texas A&M University and his BS from Anna University Chennai.
Hiten Varia
Chairman, Syncro9 Tech Solutions Hiten is the Chairman and Founder of Syncro9 Tech Solutions. Hiten is an investor and Board Member at Cleo, Omatic Software, Deepbay Technologies, Autoplant and Riverside. Previously, Hiten held various executive leadership positions at i2 Technologies. Hiten earned his MS from the University of Kentucky and his BS from the University of Baroda.
Felipe Corcuera Habsburg
co-CEO, Beecker Felipe is the co-CEO and board member of Beecker, a leading process automation company that levers RPA software and AI tools to help its clients implement automation initiatives. Felipe earned his MBA at MIT and his undergrad degree from Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México.
Antonio Elosua Cantu
co-CEO, Beecker Antonio is the co-CEO and board member of Beecker, a leading process automation company that levers RPA software and AI tools to help its clients implement automation initiatives. Antonio earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his BS from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Luka Salamunic
Former CEO, Triyam Luka is a software operator, entrepreneur and investor with over 10 years of experience working in the vertical software, healthcare and finance spaces. He was the CEO at Triyam, a leading provider of technology solutions in Healthcare. Luka earned earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and his BS from PUC (Chile).