BENJAMIN BROCKWELL

Venture Partner

Benjamin Brockwell is part of the founding team at AZ-VC. As a Venture Partner, Ben focuses on identifying and supporting entrepreneurs and companies for AZ-VC’s portfolio. He currently serves on the board of two of those companies, Uplinq and Right-Hand Cybersecurity.

Ben’s experience spans sales, finance, and entrepreneurship. Prior to joining AZ-VC, he contracted for several firms in private equity and venture capital. In the corporate realm, he was an Accelerator Team Associate for Bayer Pharmaceuticals where he built an investment program focused on merging technology and consumer health. As the “rookie” in an earlier sales role at University Health Alliance, Ben quickly rose to receive the company’s top producer award. During his undergraduate studies, he founded and operated a tech-enabled resale business, which he later exited.

Ben is an active leader in Arizona’s entrepreneurial community. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for Tech Launch Arizona and as a mentor for Venture Madness. In 2021, he was appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives to serve on the Arizona Senate Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Study Committee.

Ben obtained a B.S. in Economics from the University of Arizona. He received his MBA from Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business, where he was awarded the Forward Focus full-tuition scholarship. During business school, he served as the President of the MBA Association. He was also elected the Global President of the Graduate Business Forum to represent the top 70 business schools in the world.

As a first-generation college graduate, Ben is deeply committed to supporting and mentoring young people to realize their full potential. He is a Partner with Social Venture Partners Arizona and volunteers as a chess instructor within various youth programs.

Benjamin’s early career afforded him the opportunity to work across a diverse range of geographies, spanning from New York to Hawaii. He is now happily settled in Arizona. During his free time, you can find him at the lake with his wife and co-captain, along with their two daughters and beloved fur-baby, Poi.

JUAN CARLOS SOTO

Venture Partner

Juan Carlos serves on the board of various venture-backed companies and non-profit organizations. He is a former VP of IBM Cloud Integration where he led several functional areas including Engineering, Product Management, and Customer Support. He joined IBM with their acquisition of StrongLoop, where he served as CEO. Prior to StrongLoop, he was SVP and GM at Informatica where he led multiple businesses units including Informatica Cloud and had previously held executive positions at Sun Microsystems and HP, and at several startups including Valimail, Skipstone Ventures, and Diba.

Juan Carlos is passionate about helping entrepreneurs throughout the concept-to-exit journey, drawing from his experience across multiple functional areas leading large and small high tech organizations. He holds an MS in Engineering Management from Stanford, an MS in Computer Science from the University of Colorado, and a BS in Computer Engineering from the University of Florida.

TYLER BALDRIDGE

Senior Associate

Tyler is a dedicated venture capital associate with a background in early-stage startups.

During his undergraduate program at Grand Canyon University, he was deeply involved in student entrepreneurship and investing. He spent four years leading Canyon Angels, a local angel investment network, and got his start in venture capital with a student-run venture fund that invested in student entrepreneurs. Passionate about mentoring the next generation, Tyler teaches a crash course on startup due diligence to student analysts at GCU.

Tyler has been with AZ-VC for over two years. As a Senior Associate, he sources and evaluates investment opportunities, provides operational and strategic support to portfolio companies, and builds relationships within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

In his free time, Tyler enjoys wake surfing in his hometown of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

DALE GIBBONS

Vice Chair and Chief Financial Officer, Western Alliance Bancorporation

Mr. Gibbons, Vice Chair and Chief Financial Officer of Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL), has more than 30 years of experience in commercial banking and oversees the Bank’s financial and treasury functions and manages its blockchain and digital assets, legal settlement services, and corporate trust business verticals. Prior to joining Western Alliance, he was CFO of Zions Bancorporation. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Arizona State University and a CPA.

MICHAEL LYNCH

Chief Data Officer, Western Alliance Bancorporation

Mr. Lynch brings over 25 years of experience building, leading & managing technology teams as well as leading transformation, digital, & M&A agendas to advance technology in organizations. Mr. Lynch is currently at Western Alliance Bank and leads the Enterprise Architecture, Enterprise Data & Analytics, & Enterprise Platform functions for the bank. Prior to joining Western Alliance, Mr. Lynch spent 13 years building & leading both the Enterprise Architecture and M&A functions at TransUnion. He previously held various leadership & architecture roles at Allstate and Accenture. Mike has an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.

ALICIA NUÑEZ

President and CEO, Chicanos Por La Causa

Alicia is President and Chief Executive Officer at CPLC with more than 23 years of financial and operational management experience in both for-profit and non-profit businesses. Prior to joining CPLC in 2006, Alicia was Assistant Director of Finance for The Ritz Carlton, Huntington Hotel and Spa in Pasadena, California.

Alicia has served as Director of Business Enterprises for CPLC, and President of CPLC Insurance, Inc. During her time serving as President of CPLC Insurance Alicia helped develop the infrastructure, process, and business model for the successful inaugural launch of the program.

Alicia served as Vice President of Business Enterprises for CPLC and has managed several for-profit entities within the organization. Prior to this Alicia was Vice President of Accounting where she managed the accounting department at CPLC.

Alicia earned a BA in English Credential Program from California State University Northridge and received her Executive MBA from The University of Arizona in 2017.

MAX KUFEL

Summer Associate

Max is a rising second-year MBA candidate at the Michigan Ross School of Business, concentrating on Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital. He actively participates in the Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Club, organizing events with founders and investors in the Ann Arbor technology ecosystem. Recently, he graduated from the Short Program at the Stockholm School of Economics, focusing on Innovation. Max also holds a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance from the University of Southern California.

Max began his career in the Bay Area as an Investment Analyst for J.P. Morgan Private Bank and further honed his investing skills as Director of Operations for a Scottsdale-based family office.

In his free time, Max stays active and serves as Vice President of Professional Development for FitX, an industry club at Ross that focuses on mental and physical wellness. He is also the Co-President of the Ross Basketball Club.

SANIKA NAIK

Associate

Sanika is a recent graduate of Arizona State University- Barrett the Honors College with a B.S. Finance and B.S. Accounting. During her undergraduate program, she was involved in the Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity and served as the Consulting Engagement Lead, Sponsorship Chair and Financial Chair where she developed her passion for helping businesses grow.

In the past, Sanika has worked as an intern in KPMG’s Deal Advisory and Strategy practice where she worked to deliver M&A guidance to leading private equity investors and corporate clients looking to conduct buy-side and sell-side transactions.

She developed her interest for the venture capital world through her work as a Scout at Epic Angels, the largest female investor group in Asia Pacific where she worked to conduct comprehensive evaluations of startup pitches to identify startups that match the investment thesis and indicate high growth potential.

In her free time, Sanika enjoys traveling, art and literature.

TONY WELLS

Venture Partner

Tony has over 30 years working with innovative, high-growth brands, and deep expertise leading marketing, business development and strategic partnerships. He has served as a Venture Partner at AZ-VC since April 2024.  Previously he served as the Chief Media Officer for Verizon Communications Inc. (NSYE: VZ), one of the world’s leading providers of technology and communications services, from September 2021 to March 2023. Prior to that, from 2017 to 2021, Mr. Wells served in several senior marketing roles at USAA including Chief Brand Officer, for the 13-million-member Fortune 100 financial services company. From 2007 to 2017 Mr. Wells served as Chief Marketing Officer for brands such as 24 Hour Fitness, ADT Security and Schneider Electric NA.

Mr. Wells currently serves on the board of directors of Yelp Inc. (NYSE: YELP), a community-driven platform that connects people with local businesses. He also serves on the board of directors of Nexstar (NASDAQ: NXST) the largest owner of U.S. TV stations and the CW Network.  Additionally, he is an independent board director of TripleLift, a private equity-owned programmatic advertising company. From 2020 to 2023, Mr. Wells was a member of the board of directors of the Association of National Advertisers.

ANTHONY SOOHOO

Venture Partner

Anthony Soohoo is a seasoned executive in technology, AI, and digital transformation with over 25 years of experience. His diverse background includes roles as CEO, Fortune 100 executive, entrepreneur, and global board director at world-class companies such as Walmart, CBS, Yahoo!, and Apple. He has a demonstrated track record of guiding a range of companies through the complexities of hyper-growth and digital transformations.

STEVE KATZMAN

Bedrock Manufacturing Co., CEO and Board Member 

Steve has over 40 years in consumer related businesses. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Bedrock Manufacturing Co. Bedrock Manufacturing Co. is a platform company that includes Shinola and Filson brands. Shinola, based in Detroit, is a design brand started in 2011. It assembles watches in the United States and sells a variety of lifestyle goods designed to be lived in, worn out and well loved. The first Shinola Hotel opened in 2019 in Detroit. Seattle-based Filson is known for a 127-year history of making high-end outdoor clothing and accessories. Shinola and Filson products are sold on Shinola.com and Filson.com; through company-owned retail stores; and via U.S. and international distributors.

Steve is a Principal at Camelot Venture Group, where he provides strategic overview across all portfolio companies and opportunities. Steve is a graduate of the University of Michigan Business School and he received a law degree from Wayne State University.

BOB SMITH

Executive Vice President, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation

Robert (Bob) Smith is executive vice president, general counsel and chief development officer of Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (PNW) and its primary subsidiary, Arizona Public Service Company. He also serves as President of Pinnacle West’s non-regulated energy and transmission operating subsidiaries, including El Dorado Investment Corporation, PNW’s venture capital and venture debt investment vehicle, and Bright Canyon Energy, PNW’s non-regulated solar, battery and micro-grid solutions company.  Smith is responsible for overseeing all facets of the company’s legal affairs and governance function as well as providing executive leadership on the company’s strategies and growth plans.  Smith focuses on helping companies innovate and develop their growth plans and strategies.

He has nearly 30 years of energy company and legal experience, including experience with IPO’s, spin-offs, mergers and acquisitions, complex commercial transactions and energy company operations.

Prior to Pinnacle West, Smith was senior vice president and general counsel of Columbia Pipeline Group, where he led its spin-off IPO from NiSource, as well as its subsequent $13 billion sale. Smith has also held significant positions at NiSource, Progress Energy (now Duke Energy) and Mirant Corporation. Smith earned his law degree from The Ohio State University and completed his bachelor’s degree at the University of South Alabama.

He is very active in transformational charities and serves as chairman of the board of directors for Global Action, an international compassion and leader training organization. He also serves on the board of directors of the Musical Instrument Museum located in Phoenix, AZ and on the Advisory Board of the Colangelo College of Business at Grand Canyon University.  He is also active with the Sustainable Missions Project, which aims to help visionary leaders in developing nations transform their communities through bi-vocational work and training that supports their mission over the long-term.  He also serves on the board of the National Association of Manufacturers and on the Business Advisory Council for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

JAY HALLBERG

Venture Partner

Jay helps companies execute and scale from idea to exit.  He founded and sold Spiceworks (acq. by ZiffDavis), where he served as VP Marketing, COO and CEO, and led product marketing and management at Motive (IPO), growing both companies to over $70M/year in revenue. Jay started his career on the ‘buy side’ of technology at 3M leading 6 Sigma teams across the company.  Jay is also a Venture Partner at Shasta Ventures where he led the firm’s Elevate go-to-market program and serves as an advisor or board member for several companies.

CHARLES RULE

Summer Associate 

Charles is an incoming sophomore at The University of Oklahoma, pursuing his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. Charles is an active member of the university’s Venture Capital Club, where he was selected as one of ten analysts to participate in deal sourcing and due diligence for VC firms in Oklahoma City. 

Charles has lived in Arizona for 7 years and attended high school at Notre Dame Preparatory. As a Summer Associate with AZ-VC, Charles is excited to immerse himself in Arizona’s venture capital landscape.

Outside of his professional interests, Charles is an avid golfer and loves to spend time with his friends on the course. In his free time, Charles enjoys watching baseball with his brother.

JESSICA PACHECO

Managing Director

Jessica Pacheco has extensive private sector experience and for over 22 years held various executive positions in a Fortune 500 energy company, including Vice President of Corporate Development and External Communications, Vice President of External Communications, and Vice President of State and Local Affairs.

Pacheco’s primary responsibilities at Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, the parent company of Arizona Public Service Company, included state and local engagement strategies, policy strategy, reputation and brand management, external and customer communications, economic development within the utility service territory and developing and expanding business opportunities within the unregulated entities under the parent umbrella.

Pacheco has worked extensively in economic and community development arenas throughout Arizona, the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. She led general advocacy efforts for the Arizona Mexico Commission and the Border Trade Alliance with the governments of Mexico and Canada.

Pacheco has led several policy issue campaigns in Arizona, including the successful 2018 No on Prop 127 campaign.

SCOTT FRITZE

Managing Partner, Knollwood Investment Advisory

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JASON PRESSMAN

Managing Director

A company builder who played an integral role in the development of one of today’s largest online businesses, Walmart.com, Jason acts as a thought partner, advocate, and counselor to entrepreneurs looking to take their companies from initial proof of product-market fit to industry category leadership.

Jason currently serves on the boards of data.world, Lattice, Nextdoor, Zuora (NYSE:ZUO) and several other companies. Jason also led the firm’s investments in companies such as Adometry (acquired by Google), Demdex (acquired by Adobe), Glint (acquired by LinkedIn), Scalyr (acquired by Sentinel One), Steelbrick (acquired by Salesforce), and StrongLoop (acquired by IBM), among others. He is an avid scuba diver and a passionate supporter of shark conservation.

AVERY CANNON

Chief Financial Officer 

Avery is a seasoned CFO who has spent the past 20 years working with venture firms including Shasta Ventures, Lightspeed, and Francisco Partners.

PIERCE BRAUN

Spring Associate 

Pierce is currently a Junior at Grand Canyon University pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Finance. He completed most of his college experience in Honolulu, HI where he played golf for the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In his last year there, he led his team in the Big West Conference Championship. Pierce attended High School at Brophy College Preparatory where he lettered for 3 years and was a member of the Entrepreneurs Club.

Outside of golf, his background is heavily centered around blockchain analytics and on-chain project development. Co-founding a cryptocurrency project himself, he understands and enjoys the day-to-day operations of startups and is looking forward to working with like-minded founders and leaders with visions of a brighter future.

In his free time, he enjoys playing poker.

ASHOK SANTHANAM

Venture Partner

Ashok is a seasoned tech entrepreneur and enterprise software and services executive. He has founded or co-founded two self-funded and two venture-backed startups and led three of them as CEO. He has also served as Chief Revenue Officer at Epiphany, a Nasdaq-listed marketing software company; as CEO of Bristlecone, a supply chain management services firm that he turned around to achieve profitability and industry leadership; and CEO of Brandcast, a venture-backed software startup which he led to a successful acquisition by TIME. He guides several startups as a board member or advisor.

ABIGAIL ZAMBRUNO

Marketing Coordinator

Abby is currently a student at Saint Francis University, completing her undergraduate degree in Marketing with a concentration in Digital Media. While studying at SFU she plays on their Division One Women’s Golf Team.

She has completed a Digital Strategy Internship in 2021 with Awareness Analytics Partners Digital Agency. She is currently the company’s Consulting Creative Coordinator, where she presents clients with innovative opportunities to expand through various media channels.

BRIANNA CHO

Fall Associate

Brianna is a student at Arizona State University completing her undergraduate degrees in Finance and Business Global Politics. She has also completed a part of her undergraduate experience abroad at the University of Manchester in England. As a young professional still early in her career, she has had experiences in the startup and Big 4 Financial Services spaces.

She currently serves as a consultant for an Arizona-based nonprofit that supports local, underserved small business owners and is involved in several organizations within the W. P. Carey School of Business at ASU. In her free time, she loves to go camping and swimming with her friends.

DAVE FRANKE

Principal, Franke & Company, Inc

David Franke is a principal at Franke & Company, a private investment firm headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.  Franke & Company is a family office that focuses its efforts on a diverse set of private, alternative investment opportunities.  Across the firm’s history, the investment portfolio has included investments into assets such as operating businesses, venture capital and angel investments, real estate, and other alternative asset classes.

Franke & Company is the day-to-day responsibility for David.  He has been with the firm since 1991.  During his tenure, Franke has assessed a large, diverse set of investment offerings, participated in the negotiations of company investments, and been active in the management and oversight of acquired investments within the company portfolio.  David is a board director for some of Franke portfolio companies.  David was a board member and board chair of Arizona Business Accelerator, a group focused on the local entrepreneurial ecosystem in Arizona, is an advisor to Seachange Fund and Interplay Ventures, two successful venture funds, and is a board member of a few growth-stage companies that are a part of the Franke & Company portfolio.

Franke & Company is also active philanthropically, with a focus toward higher education.  David leads those efforts.

David holds a B.A. in Political Science from University of Washington and an MBA from Arizona State University.

BENJAMIN NISSANOFF

Founder, ME! Bath

Benjamin Nissanoff is a serial entrepreneur and investor. His background as a founder began with ME Bath!, a company that became one of the fastest-growing bath and body care brands before a successful exit in 2017.

Benjamin is a graduate of Arizona State University, with an MBA focused in marketing.

DAVE SMALLHOUSE

Managing Director, Miramar Ventures

Dave Smallhouse is the Managing Director of Miramar Ventures. He is an active investor in alternative investments including venture capital, private equity and real estate.

Dave is a graduate of University of California, Davis, and University of Arizona.

STEVEN SCHWARZ

Founding Partner, ViaWest Group

Steven leads all aspects of ViaWest Group with a primary emphasis on investment and development strategy, deal-sourcing, and capital markets activity. He has over twenty-five years of experience in the development, operations, and financing of all types of real estate, with deep experience in industrial and office properties. Through involvement in over $2 billion worth of projects, Steven has provided build-to-suit, speculative development, acquisitions, dispositions, and property management services in multiple product types in the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, and Southeast U.S.

Prior to forming ViaWest Properties in 2003, Steven led the development as SVP of The Plaza Companies, a full service, medical-office, senior-living development, and property management company. Prior to joining Plaza, Steven rose through the ranks to become COO and EVP of The Hewson Company, a privately held, real estate development company in the Western U.S. in which capacity he developed properties ranging from mid-rise office buildings to a 2.2MM sf. industrial complex. Other work experience includes Real Estate Finance work with SunTrust Banks in Atlanta, GA.

Steven graduated from The University of Texas Honors Program with a B.A. with Honors in Marketing. He has served as Chairman of the NAIOP Arizona Chapter, on the National Board of Directors of NAIOP, and in national and local capacities with Urban Land Institute (ULI). He has also served on numerous local and national boards and councils of non-profit philanthropic, civic and industry organizations including Greater Phoenix Leadership, Greater Phoenix Economic Council, as Board Chairman of the Jewish Community Association of Greater Phoenix and on the National Board of JFNA.

He resides in Paradise Valley, Arizona with his wife Jennifer and three children.

ANTHONY SARANDREA

CEO, Pocket Your Dollars

Anthony Sarandrea is recognized as one of the top customer-generators in the world. He specializes in the financial services and insurance space, where he runs a team that drives over $100 million+ in transaction value a year. His company Pocket Your Dollars was acquired by a public company after driving over 1 million inbound customers per year.

He is consistently featured as one of the top “Under 30” entrepreneurs and was recently featured alongside Snapchat’s founder Evan Spiegel as one of the “Entrepreneurs Changing the World” and has been endorsed by several large publications including being featured on the Ellen Degeneres show.

MOLLY RYAN-CARSON

SVP, Ryan Companies

Molly brings over 20 years of experience to her role as Market Leader for Ryan’s Southwest Region, in which she is responsible for the leadership of office, industrial, multifamily, retail, and healthcare real estate development teams and general business development efforts. She handles site selection and acquisition, municipal use permits and approvals, design and construction coordination, financial packaging and lease or sale negotiation, while working to mentor and cultivate a strong group of developers.

Molly is a consistent model and reinforcer of Ryan’s culture of excellence and commitment to customers. She excels at building strong relationships with customers and helping them find intelligent, creative solutions that meet their business objectives. Molly is known not only for her delivery of high-profile development projects, but for her commitment to improving the community in which she works, shown through her philanthropic activity and active engagement within local and national real estate organizations.

TROY RICE

Chair, TIGER 21

Troy has been an executive and/or founder of over 20 start-ups or early-stage ventures. In addition, has been an investor in over 20 more. These ventures span the spectrum of technology verticals. Beyond early-stage companies, Troy has been an executive of several mid-cap companies including Petsmart, Comfort Systems USA, TransUnion, Universal Technical Institute, Trammell Crow, and CIBT.

Currently, Troy leads peer groups for Tiger 21 and is a Master Chair for Vistage International working with and coaching over 90 Executives. Troy serves on the Boards of CIBT Education Group (Symbol: MBAIF), Statistics and Data Corporation, Strategic Solar Energy, HR Pivot, Fusebox, and Cooper Companies. Academic background includes a BS in Accounting from the University of Iowa and an MBA from Arizona State University. Troy is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

ALISON LEWIS

Philanthropist

Alison Lewis is on her third and favorite career, as a philanthropist, focused on education and the arts. She feels strongly about giving back to the community and is involved with nonprofit organizations that are innovative and serve a diverse audience with an emphasis on the underserved. She manages two family foundations, is the Past Chair for Scottsdale Arts, on the Executive Committee for Women Inspiring Scientific Progress (WISP), the Vice Chair for Tonto Creek Camp, an outdoor STEM camp and a board member on the Banner Health Foundation.

She was a founding partner and a board member for Social Venture Partners Arizona. She is involved with her alma mater, ASU, where she provides input and support for Solar SPELL, a solar powered digital learning library, is a member of Women & Philanthropy, as well as the ASU President’s Club.

She previously was a partner in a small business that marketed luxurious women’s wardrobes with personalized service. Prior to that, Alison practiced law for 19 years at the law firm Teilborg, Sanders and Parks, where she specialized in employment and school law. She was the first female partner at the firm, was instrumental in creating their mentoring structure and chaired their Recruitment Committee. Prior to joining the firm, she was a law clerk at the Arizona Supreme Court.

She also loves to travel with her husband, Craig Krumwiede, and has bicycled all over the world. She is passionate about hiking with her canine companion, Jake, finds great joy in gardening, and is a lifelong learner.

SCOTT LAVINIA

Managing Partner, Serene Capital Management

In 2011, Scott Lavinia started Serene Capital Management, an Arizona-based private investment firm with a broad mandate that typically looks to invest equity in lower middle-market operating companies. Prior to starting Serene Capital, Mr. Lavinia had a successful career in a variety of professional services industries such as private equity, hedge funds, consulting, and private wealth management.

Mr. Lavinia graduated from the Boston College Carroll School of Management in 1995 with a marketing degree. He received his MBA from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California in 2001 with a concentration in finance.

BRIAN KOCH

Senior Director of Financial Services, Salt River Project

Brian Koch is Treasurer & Senior Director of Financial Services for Salt River Project. In his role, Brian oversees SRP’s treasury, financial planning, budgeting, results reporting, pricing, and energy risk management activities, including oversight of SRP’s financial trusts and investment activities. Brian began working at SRP in 2001 and has held various financial, resource and strategic planning roles within the company.

Brian currently serves on the Mesa Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and has previously served as President of the Northern Arizona University Alumni Board, and as a Member of its Foundation Board. Brian graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business and a Master’s in Business Administration, both from Northern Arizona University.

BOB GRIFFIN

Managing Partner, DVI Equity Partners

Robert Griffin is currently the Managing Partner for DVI Equity Partners a Private Equity Investment arm of Diamond Ventures. As the Managing Partner, he focuses on technology investments that are concentrated on delivering disruptive or disintermediating technology in areas of B2B, critical infrastructure, national security, and emerging trends.

Mr. Griffin has been a key player and successful serial entrepreneur in the Software and Services industry for more than 40 years. In Oct. of 2011 he facilitated the sale of his company, i2, to IBM into their Industry Solutions, Software Product Group, where he remained as the General Manager for the Safer Planet and Smarter Cities brand until February of 2017. Mr. Griffin had the global leadership responsibility for solutions that address the Intelligence and Law Enforcement Industries, for the development and deployment of Counter Fraud and Financial Crimes solutions and for solutions that make cities more resilient and sustainable (Smarter Cities).

Mr. Griffin conducted his undergraduate studies in Business Management at Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire and Graduate studies at the Eller School. He is a distinguished alumnus of the Naval Post Graduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense, the Founder of the Network Science Research Center and the Center for Resiliency and Sustainability while at IBM in partnership with MIT, a Distinguished Lecturer at the Johns Hopkins School of Education, a Distinguished Lecturer at Georgetown University on International Crime, a Distinguished Lecturer at the University of Arizona’s Eller School of Business, has addressed the World Economic Forum on the use of technology for critical infrastructure protection, The World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) and is a graduate of the NASDAQ Mindshare Entrepreneur program in Washington DC.

Mr. Griffin served on the Board of Trustees for the Intelligence and National Security Foundation (INSF), a former member of the Board of Directors for the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), a serving member of the Board of Directors for the National Cyber Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA), the Board of Advisors to the Asian Pacific Institute for Resiliency and Sustainability (AIRS) and a member of the Board of Advisors for the University of Arizona’s Tech Launch Arizona (TLA).

Mr. Griffin has served on the Board of Advisors to the Adjutant General for the State of Hawaii, on the National Advisory Board for InfraGard (a public-private non-profit between US Businesses and the FBI), as a member of the Whitehouse taskforce on Human Trafficking on the Internet and has twice been the recipient in the UK of the Queen’s award for Enterprise Innovation. He was the 2001 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Greater Washington DC, holds several U.S. patents focused on Law Enforcement and Intelligence and carries an active TS security clearance.

STEVEN HILTON

Co-Founder, Meritage Homes

Steven J. Hilton co-founded and led Meritage Homes (NYSE: MTH) for 35 years until he retired and became the company’s executive chairman at the start of 2021. Meritage Homes builds single-family homes in 17 markets and 9 states across the U.S. and has built approximately 150,000 homes since it was founded. Meritage is the 6th largest public homebuilder in the United States based on 2020 home closings.

Meritage Homes is the industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding and is an eight-time recipient of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award from 2013-2021 for innovation and industry leadership in energy-efficient homebuilding. For more information, visit https://www.meritagehomes.com.
Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and real estate from the University of Arizona and has been honored as an Entrepreneurial Fellow by the University’s Eller College of Management. He serves as Chairman of the Board for Banner Health Foundation as well as a board member for Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE: WAL), Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGEN) Foundation, and is a Foundation Trustee for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale. He played a pivotal role in the development and construction of the $35mil Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus (2002) and the Parde’s Jewish Day School (2005) both located in North Scottsdale.

Steve is a 48-year Scottsdale/Paradise Valley Resident who proudly graduated from Chaparral High in 1979. He and his wife Suzanne have resided in DC Ranch for the last 15 years and between them have four children, Shari (29), Eva (25), Sophie (20) and Harrison (17).

BRANDON DAWSON

CEO, Cardone Ventures

Brandon Dawson is a scaling and turnaround expert, business leadership mentor, and serial entrepreneur whose mission is to help business owners, their families, and their teams achieve their personal, professional, and financial goals through the growth of their business.

Brandon learned the power of scale when he was just 16 years old, working on his parent’s walnut farm. He learned that people are the foundation of business, and dedicated his life to perfecting the art of scaling through leadership and proven strategies in the areas of operations, finance, marketing, belief, strategy, execution, and team alignment. ‍ Brandon founded his first business at the age of 26 and was one of the youngest people to ring the bell on the American Stock Exchange. With zero debt and no outside capital, he founded and self-funded Audigy Group, ultimately growing annual revenue to over $35 million through organic growth. He exited the company at 77X EBITDA for $151 million.

He’s achieved numerous awards in business, and his companies have been recognized on the Inc. 500 and Inc. 5,000 Fastest-Growing Companies list five times. ‍ Today, Brandon coaches Cardone Ventures’ clients on how to use his proven leadership and business strategies as the foundation for strategic growth so that they can follow in his footsteps and create their own legacies.

TODD DAVIS

Co-Founder, LifeLock

Todd Davis, was the Co-founder, CEO, and Chairman of LifeLock, Inc. He led the company from a start-up in 2005, raised multiples rounds of venture capital and finally, to an IPO in 2012 on the NYSE. In 2017, he led them through a successful acquisition by Symantec for $2.3 billion. During his 12 years of leadership, he was recognized as a “Most Admired CEO” and as the 2010 E&Y regional winner of the Entrepreneur of the year. He led LifeLock to #8 on Forbes Fastest Growing Private Companies in 2010 and guided the company through 44 consecutive quarters of growth. He was the visionary that defined the identity-theft protection industry.

Throughout his career, he has applied technology and built great teams to establish early-stage companies and position them for success. He currently serves as both Chairman of the Board at Aesthetics Biomedical, an innovative company that provides advanced aesthetics medical practices, and as the Executive Chairman for Kadenwood, which was founded in 2019 with the mission of shaping CBD products into a trusted and safe mainstream plant-based wellness category. He also serves on multiple non-profit boards including Barrow Neurological Foundation, Teach for America – Phoenix, Great Hearts America – Arizona, and Conquer Paralysis Now.

BRAD DAVIS

Managing Partner, Mobile Force Refueling

Brad Davis is a Food Service, Technology, and Mobile Fueling entrepreneur in addition to his role as advisor and investor to a variety of other organizations and industries. His principal role today is President and CEO of Mobile Force Refueling which is a nationwide mobile fueling company specializing in gas, marine and diesel fuel delivery in 43 US states. Mobile Force Refueling’s corporate office is located in Phoenix Arizona where Brad currently resides and has since 1997.

After graduating from high school Brad opened a food service business in Arizona and owned and operated that company until selling the business in 2000. After a successful exit from the food service business, Brad started Mobile Force Refueling in 2000. Brad oversaw sales, operations, marketing, and expansion since the inception and still plays those exact roles today. The company has experienced substantial growth over the past 22 years and now operates in 43 states with fueling assets supporting the largest transportation, construction, shipping, and logistics companies in the world with mobile fueling services.

From the success of his past start-ups, Brad has utilized his expertise and business knowledge to become an accredited investor and advisor to a number of other companies and organizations. Brad elected to forgo a college education and took the leap into self-employment as soon as the opportunity presented itself. His firm belief is that no schooling can replace the real-life experience of being an entrepreneur. That experience has continued to drive his passion for implementing new visions for business models that create and drive value for both the company along with the clients those companies serve.

DAVID ADAME

President and CEO, CPLC

Since becoming President & CEO, CPLC has experienced significant growth and expansion in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, California, Texas, and Mexico making CPLC one of the nation’s largest community development corporations.

Prior to joining CPLC in 2008, David built an extensive resume in real estate and development projects and served as Vice President of Arizona Operations for McCormack Baron & Salazar and as Senior Deputy Director of Fannie Mae’s Arizona Partnership Office. David was Program Officer with the Phoenix Office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and he worked at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in corporate banking and retail business loans.

During the last two years and in response to the devastation inflicted upon the underserved communities, and Latinas in particular, David decisively lead CPLC by establishing a COVID command and control center through his executive team. As a result, CPLC created a centralized communication website hub to provide the community with information on available resources. Early in the pandemic, CPLC worked with community partners to establish COVID testing centers and later on, vaccine stations. In addition, through David’s leadership, CPLC distributed more than five billion dollars in needed PPP loans to small businesses, second in the nation only to JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America.

Born and raised in Phoenix, David holds a B.S. in Business and an MBA from Arizona State University. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of Arizona, and an Honorary Doctorate from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Throughout his career, David has served on numerous boards, including the Greater Phoenix Economic Council; the AARP Foundation; the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders; the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation; Unidos US; the Community Reinvestment Fund USA; the Creighton University Presidential Health Sciences Phoenix Advisory Board; and the Arizona Housing Commission.

R. CRAIG COPPOLA

Founding Principal, Lee & Associates

Craig Coppola is the top producing office broker in the 60+ office, Lee & Associates’ 40+ year history. He is one of the Founding Principals of Lee & Associates Arizona (1991) and received the William J. Lee Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. He has earned the top three designations in the real estate industry: CCIM, CRE and SIOR. Less than 33 people worldwide hold all three designations. He has been named NAIOP Office Broker of the Year six times, and in 2020 was awarded the NAIOP Award of Excellence. Craig is also the current CEO of CRE OneSource, an online collaboration platform that is elevating the way commercial real estate professionals complete transactions.

Beyond his successful professional career, Craig has been a lifelong athlete with a bevy of achievements under his belt. He was drafted by and played in the Minnesota Twins Baseball organization, represented the USA, and won a world championship in Tae Kwon Do. He was inducted into the Tae Kwon Do Hall of Fame in 2015. In addition, Craig is a former ultra-long-distance runner completing over 60 marathons and longer. Today, he is an avid backpacker having hiked in over 25 countries and 5 continents and completed such rigorous trails as the Arizona Trail (one of 11 U.S. National Scenic Trails), GR 20 in Corsica (widely considered one of the most difficult GR routes in the world), Everest Base Camp and the Summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Craig is extremely involved within his community, donating substantial amounts of his time annually. He has served on a broad range of community boards including Advisory Council of the World’s Largest St. Vincent DePaul (4 years), the Banner Health Foundation (9 years), the Arizona Chamber of Commerce (13 years), the Xavier Preparatory Board of Trustees (7 years), and as the Valley of the Sun United Way Tocqueville Chairman for multiple years.

Among his many accomplishments, Craig has also authored five books. His first book, How to Win in Commercial Real Estate Investing, won him the “Best First Time Author Award” from The National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE). As a follow-up to his investing book, Craig published The Art of Commercial Real Estate Leasing in December 2014. Craig co-wrote, Chasing Excellence: Real Life Stories from the Streets with Lee & Associates Founder Bill Lee. In addition to his three real estate books, Craig has also written The Fantastic Life: How to Get it, Live it, and Pass it On, and What Now? A 5-Prong Approach to Handling Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment.

Craig is widely known as an industry thought leader and is asked to give numerous speeches each year on market overviews, forecasting, and strategic planning. He produces two blogs on the commercial real estate industry and other interesting topics that reach over two million people annually.

Craig holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Nicholls State University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University. In 2017-2022 (the past 6 years), he was inducted into the ASU Sun Devil 100 for distinguished alumni who own or lead successful businesses.

Craig is a third-generation Arizonan and father of four remarkable children.

STEVE BRAVERMAN

Co-Founder, Pathstone

Steve is a co-founder and serves as Co-Chairman of Pathstone, the Modern Family Office, which serves families, family offices, and endowments and foundations. He is a shareholder and a voting member of the firm’s Investment Oversight Committee and serves on the firm’s Executive Leadership Team. He served as Co-CEO from the inception of Pathstone through June 2022. Steve’s professional experience extends over 25 years of working with family offices and advising families on their wealth.

Outside of his professional commitments, he is actively involved with various not-for-profit organizations with a particular focus in health, wellness, and education. He founded the Braverman Family Executive Wellness Program at Englewood Health, one of New Jersey’s leading hospitals. In addition, the Braverman Family Foundation partnered with the Jewish National Fund (“JNF”) to dedicate the Braverman Family Riding Arena at the Red Mountain Therapeutic Riding Center. The riding center serves those with disabilities or special needs for the population of small communities in Southern Israel.

MELISSA AHEARN

VP, Grey Street Capital

Melissa is a VP at Grey Street Capital. Prior to joining Grey Street Capital, Melissa ran her own business for fifteen years called Longevity Partners, affiliating through Northwestern Mutual. Melissa and her team worked across the US with a high concentration of clients being in Arizona. She worked almost exclusively with successful business owners and executives and HNW Families who were focused on accumulating and passing wealth generationally and with a key emphasis on risk management, tax efficiency and stewardship.

Melissa graduated from UC Santa Barbara, CA with honors in three years. Melissa has resided ever since in Phoenix where she was born and raised. Melissa has three children [Abby, Evan & Elliot] who take up most of her non-working time, but she also loves playing pickle ball, being outdoors whenever possible, and socializing at some of her favorite local restaurants.

Melissa is a current Advisory Board member for AZ-VC and has served in a number of board roles over the last decade such a Teach For America, Gift of Adoption Fund, First Place. Melissa also recently joined the board for Not My Kid.

ANDY LOMBARD

Investment Committee

Andy Lombard is the CEO of Arizona Venture Development Corporation (AVC), a venture capital firm, where he continues a more than decade-long passion to energize the tech startup and entrepreneurial communities across the state.

Before becoming a VC, Andy was a prolific tech founder, building and exiting four VC-backed startups in B2B SaaS, Medical Device, Cyber Security, and Wireless Broadband. Andy’s many awards and highlights include being named an E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist and selected as a member of the US Presidential Tech CEO Forum.

Prior to becoming a tech founder, Andy spent 14 years at Motorola, most notably leading Motorola Asia, and then became an investor at Motorola Ventures with over $750M under management, 32 JVs, and 31 boards in 13 countries.

Andy was Co-founder of the Arizona Innovation Challenge, one of the largest business plan competitions in the US. He is also the founder of Venture Ready Accelerator, a world-class tech accelerator at ACA. Andy serves on several public and private boards, including several VC firms, tech startups, and universities.

JERRY COLEMAN

Investment Committee

Jerry Coleman, Offerpad founder, is a serial entrepreneur and pioneer in the institutional single-family rental industry. In 2012, he partnered with the Blackstone Group to co-found Invitation Homes which acquired, renovated and managed over 50,000 single-family homes, and deployed over $10B in investment capital. Invitation Homes went public in early 2017.

Jerry has also started several other businesses, including Elevation, one of the Southwest’s largest solar companies and Alliance Investment Group, which acquired, entitled and developed over 10,000 acres of land.

He supports numerous professional and charitable organizations including invisionAZ, the Anasazi Foundation and Forever Young Foundation, and is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute. He holds an accounting degree from Arizona State University and a Juris Doctor from Brigham Young University.

STEVE BROWN

Investment Committee

Steve Brown is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer at Trinity Capital, a leading provider of venture debt and equipment financing to institutionally backed growth stage companies. He took the company public through the NASDAQ exchange with the ticker symbol “TRIN”.

Mr. Brown sets the strategic direction of the company, promoting a people and relationship first culture, which ultimately drives long-term shareholder value. He has been a part of the venture ecosystem for over 30 years and is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and the venture capital firms that back them. Under his leadership, Trinity continues to build and grow the team and the portfolio, becoming a recognized leader in the market they serve.

Before founding Trinity, Mr. Brown served as a general partner at Point Financial Capital Partners, a venture leasing fund, and prior to that he helped start, and worked as a partner at, Cornerstone Equity Partners, a venture fund based in Phoenix.

Mr. Brown resides on the Board of Directors for invisionAZ, which has a mission of accelerating the growth of Arizona’s vibrant tech ecosystem.

Steve earned a B.S. in business administration and marketing from McNeese State University.

BRUCE K. LEE

Investment Committee

Bruce is the Founder of Keebeck Wealth Management, and the source of its namesake. Keebeck, Bruce’s given name by his first generation US immigrant parents, means “to ascend.”

As a Wealth Advisor, Bruce draws on his extensive knowledge of multi-generational wealth creators to determine the role an advisor can serve in a client relationship. With 33 years of investment experience alongside some of the world’s largest financial institutions. Bruce leads Keebeck Wealth Management with a vision of empowering clients through a transition of being the CEO of their company to becoming CEO of their capital.

In the past, Bruce was named to the Barron’s “Top 100 Financial Advisors” list every year since 2007, the Barron’s “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors” list in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022 and the Financial Times’ “Top 400 Financial Advisors” in 2014.

Bruce serves on the Board of Trustees for The University School of Milwaukee, and formerly served on the board of the John G. Shedd Aquarium, and The DuPage Community Foundation. Bruce and his wife, Jennifer, along with their two daughters, Mia and Lauren, live in Chicago, Illinois.

JACK R. SELBY

Managing Partner

John R. Selby (Jack) is a technology, finance and independent film entrepreneur. His primary role is as Managing Director at Peter Thiel’s family office, Thiel Capital, in Los Angeles, California.

As a “PayPal Mafia” member, Jack co-founded, along with Peter, Clarium Capital Management, a macro hedge fund after selling PayPal to eBay in October 2002. At PayPal, Jack joined as an original employee and later served as a Corporate Officer/Senior Vice President, overseeing the company’s international and corporate operations.

As an active technology investor and advisor, Jack is involved with notable companies such as SpaceX, Palantir, Affirm, Blend, Bird, Offerpad, Myeloid Therapeutics and many more.

Jack received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Hamilton College and currently serves as a Charter Trustee and member of the Investment Committee for the college’s endowment. Jack’s other philanthropic activities include the Navy SEALs Foundation, member of the Board of Directors at the Arizona Commerce Authority, cohost/founder of the Arizona Technology Innovation Summit with Governor Doug Ducey, founder/chairman of invisionAZ, and co-founder and member of the Board of Directors for the Wyoming Global Technology Partnership with Governor Mark Gordon.

Jack is a resident of Teton Village, WY and Paradise Valley, Arizona.