Our Team
MAKE AN IMPACT
Our business is not about capital – it’s about people. That’s why we strive to keep business human. With zero patience for posturing, disrespect or pointy elbows, we have high expectations for ourselves – and others. We love to win, we hate to lose, and we aim for exceptional every time.
What makes us unique? The volition to be the best.
Investment Team
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Sean Cantwell
Managing Partner
Sean Cantwell
Managing Partner
“I admire the tenacity and guts of the founders we work with. They possess a level of relentlessness that inspires me to push harder for them. I consider it my personal mission to help them reach their goals. I absolutely love investing, but my favorite part of this job, by far, is the people I get to work with. I strive to have a personal relationship with every founder and every management team I meet.”
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Larry Cheng
Managing Partner
Larry Cheng
Managing Partner
"I want to be and believe I am the go-to partner for my founders and CEOs. When things are challenging, I’d like to be the first call because they know I will do anything and everything possible to help support them. When things are going well, I’d like to be there celebrating all of the little and big wins during the journey. I hope to be the most trusted and most impactful partner they can imagine."
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Roger Hurwitz
Managing Partner
Roger Hurwitz
Managing Partner
“I see value in the investment opportunities others may not immediately see. I believe recognizing what’s beneath the surface is extremely powerful. I’ve helped several companies expand into market leaders in their segment by identifying what could be. At the end of the day, I have this passion for helping founders transform their businesses. My love for this job continues to grow. There’s really no other way to do this every day other than with your whole heart all in it.”
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Tomy Han
Partner
Tomy Han
Partner
“The businesses that I get the most excited about are those that have strong relationships with their customers, with a commitment to helping each other grow and improve. What I love most about working with entrepreneurs is the opportunity to form a true partnership – both inside and outside the boardroom.”
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Jim Ferry
Partner
Jim Ferry
Partner
“I view investing as a true partnership and not a business transaction. Because of that, I spend the majority of my time on the road meeting entrepreneurs in-person and discussing how Volition can be a value-add partner. All startups have their unique challenges that I strive to understand and come up with tailored solutions to ensure Founders can realize their ambitions.”
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Kyle Howard-Johnson
Principal
Kyle Howard-Johnson
Principal
“Partnering with founders and entrepreneurs building the companies of tomorrow is endlessly interesting and rewarding. The mix of courage, creativity and passion required of them is a unique combination that only a select few possess, and supporting them along their journey is a privilege.”
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Melanie Nabar
Principal
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Tiger Henderson
Vice President
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Emily Pawlak
Vice President
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Michael Brannan
Sr. Associate
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Sinjon Goldberg
Sr. Associate
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Carolyn Woll
Associate
Carolyn Woll
Associate
"I was drawn to work in the growth equity field because of the opportunity to interact with passionate founders every day and play a role in growing their companies to the next level. At Volition specifically, I am excited by our focus on creating partnerships with aspirational and authentic founders.”
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Ella Steinhilber
Associate
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Danielle Brown
Associate
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Justin Chung
Associate
Justin Chung
Associate
"Working in growth equity is incredibly exciting as it allows me to engage deeply with visionary founders at critical inflection points in their entrepreneurial journeys. I am constantly inspired by the passion, authenticity, and positive attitude that the Volition team brings to every partnership."
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Trevor Eckler
Associate
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Cassidy Piersiak
Associate
Cassidy Piersiak
Associate
"I was drawn to Growth Equity by the opportunity to work with founders driving innovative business growth. What drew me to Volition specifically is my peers' strong work ethic and commitment to making a meaningful impact. I am excited to be part of a team that is determined to empower passionate founders to reach their utmost potential.'
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Nikki Schwenk
Associate
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Zane Salameh
Associate
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Juliet Fitzgerald
Analyst
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Hannah Ditmars
Analyst
Hannah Ditmars
Analyst
“Several of my close family members worked at technology start-ups, and I have seen firsthand how these innovative companies can impact and transform not only their own tech industries, but also the lives of the people behind the companies. Observing the grit, passion, sacrifices, and sharp decision-making skills of these entrepreneurs has instilled a deep sense of respect and admiration for their acumen and accomplishments. I am excited to have the opportunity to partner with and provide strategic support to these ambitious founders.”
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Chad Kemmerer
Analyst
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Emily Yoon
Analyst
Emily Yoon
Analyst
"I chose growth equity because of how many different companies and individuals you get exposure to. We get to see some of the most exciting technology and trends while making data-driven decisions at the end of the day. Volition is composed of people who I can look up to, and work is always better when you’re doing it with a team of fun and driven people."
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Louis Cornett
Analyst
Louis Cornett
Analyst
"I was drawn to growth equity for the opportunity to build relationships with incredible founders and unlock the next stage of growth in their business. What drew me to Volition was the team’s combined experience and knowledge base, delivering exceptional results for founders."
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Simon Kushkov
Analyst
Simon Kushkov
Analyst
"Having firsthand experience building my own ventures, I have always felt that entrepreneurship and investing are deeply ingrained in me. After meeting the Volition team, I quickly realized there was no other group of accomplished, driven individuals I would rather work alongside as we support the next generation of transformative companies."
Operations Team
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Pete Lamson
COO & Head of Portfolio Operations
Pete Lamson
COO & Head of Portfolio Operations
"Building successful, sustainable businesses is hard work. There are no shortcuts or easy buttons. There is also nothing more rewarding, in every sense of the word. Leading a team from ideation to launch to become a high performing, high growth organization where customers happily exchange dollars for the solutions founders and their teams envisioned is the ultimate team sport. I have been very fortunate to be a part of several such teams and am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to assist Volition backed companies achieve their dreams."
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Steve Shaffer
Operating Partner
Steve Shaffer
Operating Partner
"Throughout my career I have had the privilege of working with gifted and visionary technology entrepreneurs. Building great companies is extremely difficult, but it is work worth doing -- and it takes the right team to be successful. Volition was a great partner for us at Insite Software -- so the chance as an operator to join Volition to support and resource our portfolio founders and executive teams is very exciting and purposeful for me."
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Mike Wilkens
Chief Financial Officer
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Allyson Gallagher
Accounting Manager
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Chris Fahey
SVP, Talent & Human Resources
Chris Fahey
SVP, Talent & Human Resources
"Behind every business is an idea, but the success of that idea is the direct result of the humans operating and iterating behind it every day. Working in Talent at Volition, I get to help some of the best operators and leaders take their business to the next level through the addition of world-class talent."
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Caitlin Burke
Community Manager
Caitlin Burke
Community Manager
"I’m excited to be working at Volition because of the unique opportunity to partner with innovative founders and portfolio company executives at a pivotal moment in their growth journeys. I’m especially looking forward to building on the already vibrant sense of community across the Volition portfolio and contributing to the collaborative, team-driven culture that makes Volition so special."
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Ashley Harding
Operations Specialist
Senior Advisors
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Michael Giannetto
Senior Advisor
Michael Giannetto
Senior Advisor
“The most rewarding moments of my career have been working through the myriad of high growth challenges with teams focused on building great businesses that create value for all stakeholders; customers, employees, and investors. High growth businesses require vision, hard work and constant learning to keep pushing through the challenges that constantly appear when you set high ambitions. In my role at Volition, my focus is on helping the portfolio company leadership work through those challenges quickly while leveraging my business experiences.”
Blake Day
Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer | Chewy
Blake Day
Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer | Chewy
Michael Blake Day is the co-founder and former Chief Technology Officer of Chewy, Inc. He founded the company with Ryan Cohen in 2011 and rapidly grew the business to become a market leader in the pet industry, selling to PetSmart for $3.35 billion in the largest e-commerce acquisition at the time. Today, Blake focuses on his personal investments in both public and private markets. He currently lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Raul Fernandez
Vice Chairman & Partner | Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Karen Flathers
Fmr. Chief Customer Officer | BlackLine
Anna Griffin
Chief Market Officer | Commvault
Mindy Grossman
Partner, Vice Chair | The Consello Group
Sam Hall
Chief Product Officer | Epidemic Sound
Lynne Oldham
Chief People Officer | Dataiku
Cathy Polinsky
Chief Technology Officer | DataGrail
JD Sherman
Former CEO & Current Advisor | Dashlane
Shauna Spenley
Global Chief Marketing Officer | Warner Bros. Discovery
Vince Thomas
Founder & (Former) CEO | Billhighway
