NEW INVESTMENT: Volition Capital leads $20M investment in Levanta  Read More

VOLITION NEWS: Sean Cantwell & Roger Hurwitz Named Top Software Investors of 2024  Read More

FOLLOW-ON INVESTMENT: Volition Capital Announces Meaningful Follow-On Investment in Creatio  Read More

VOLITION MEDIA: Why Hardware-Enabled SaaS is a Winning Formula  Read More

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.

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Investment Team

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Sean Cantwell

Managing Partner

Volition Capital

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.”

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Larry Cheng

Managing Partner

Volition Capital

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."

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Roger Hurwitz

Managing Partner

Volition Capital

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.”

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Tomy Han

Partner

Volition Capital

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.”

Jim Ferry VIEW MY PROFILE

Jim Ferry

Partner

Jim Ferry

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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Steve Achatz

Principal

Volition Capital

Steve Achatz

Principal

"Investing at Volition is all about partnering with accomplished entrepreneurs and management teams guiding their companies through rapid growth. It’s simply fascinating to routinely engage with companies that are shaping the future of their respective markets.”

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Tiger Henderson

Vice President

Volition Capital

Tiger Henderson

Vice President

“Investing to me is 90% about people. Recognizing how the character of a founder can ripple through an organization, I strive to partner with entrepreneurs of resilience, integrity, and creativity.”

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Kyle Howard-Johnson

Vice President

Volition Capital

Kyle Howard-Johnson

Vice President

“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.”

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Melanie Nabar

Vice President

Volition Capital

Melanie Nabar

Vice President

Melanie joined Volition in 2022 and works on the Volition Capital Software team.

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Emily Pawlak

Sr. Associate

Volition Capital

Emily Pawlak

Sr. Associate

"What excites me about joining Volition is not only the opportunity to provide passionate founders that extra boost towards their fullest potential, but also the simple fact that I get to identify and work with smart people and great ideas all day, every day."

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Victoria Robertson

Sr. Associate

Volition Capital

Victoria Robertson

Sr. Associate

"Talented, passionate people with a vision of how things ought to work and the bravery to take risks can change the world. As an investor, I have the unique opportunity to partner with these founders and help them realize that change."

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Michael Brannan

Associate

Volition Capital

Michael Brannan

Associate

"I wanted to work in growth equity because it allowed me the opportunity to work with different founders and companies, helping them to achieve their goals and make a difference in their respective fields."

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Danielle Brown

Associate

Volition Capital

Danielle Brown

Associate

“What excites me most about Volition is the opportunity to partner with passionate founders, learn from them, and help propel their businesses forward. It is not only fascinating, but also rewarding to speak with such authentic and hard-working individuals every day.”

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Sinjon Goldberg

Associate

Volition Capital

Sinjon Goldberg

Associate

"The Volition team has a real appreciation for the hard work and grit that goes into starting a business and I am excited to partner with entrepreneurs to help accelerate growth."

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Aaron Hou

Associate

Volition Capital

Aaron Hou

Associate

“Joining Volition allows me to work in an environment and with individuals that value passion and grit – something I think the world has less and less of.”

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Isabelle Tashima

Associate

Volition Capital

Isabelle Tashima

Associate

"There is nothing more fulfilling to me than partnering with passionate founders who are addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Growth equity enables me to be a part of their journey, support their missions, and dynamically solve problems alongside them. In this role, the learning never ceases."

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Carolyn Woll

Associate

Volition Capital

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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Aparajita Chauhan

Analyst

Volition Capital

Aparajita Chauhan

Analyst

"I am drawn to growth equity because the chance to contribute to the success of businesses that are driven by a genuine passion for their mission is both inspiring and motivating. I believe that the combination of trailblazing founders and dedicated deal teams creates an energetic environment that fosters innovation, resilience, and a shared commitment to achieving exceptional results."

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Justin Chung

Analyst

Volition Capital

Justin Chung

Analyst

"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."

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Hannah Deljkic

Analyst

Volition Capital

Hannah Deljkic

Analyst

"I believe in investing time and capital into ideas that not only challenge the status quo but also improve how we interact with the world around us. When used appropriately, technology gives us a set of tools to solve the world’s toughest problems - access to quality healthcare, the growing climate crisis and the threat of cyber insecurity to name a few. I am inspired by audacious founders and am excited to work alongside them to build a better and safer world. "

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Trevor Eckler

Analyst

Volition Capital

Trevor Eckler

Analyst

“Volition is full of energy. From the highly motivated team around me to the passionate founders that I get to speak with on a daily basis, everyone’s enthusiasm is contagious”

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James McGibbon

Analyst

Volition Capital

James McGibbon

Analyst

"Growth-stage software provides fascinating practical insights into what people care about. But what drew me to the Volition team specifically was its genuine interest in developing lasting relationships with curious, driven founders."

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Kevin O’Donnell

Analyst

Volition Capital

Kevin O’Donnell

Analyst

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours”
- Henry David Thoreau

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Cassidy Piersiak

Analyst

Volition Capital

Cassidy Piersiak

Analyst

"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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Ainsley Radell

Analyst

Volition Capital

Ainsley Radell

Analyst

"I was drawn to the growth equity field because of the chance to interact daily with passionate founders and contribute to advancing their companies. At Volition, our focus on forming partnerships with ambitious and genuine founders excites me."

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Zane Salameh

Analyst

Volition Capital

Zane Salameh

Analyst

"I came into growth equity because there is no better opportunity to meet accomplished founders and help them bring their businesses to the next level. Working at Volition allows me to do this with passionate and enthusiastic investors every day."

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Nikki Schwenk

Analyst

Volition Capital

Nikki Schwenk

Analyst

"I was drawn to growth equity because of the ability to empower founders at such a pivotal stage of their business. I’m excited to be joining the Volition team to ensure continued success, find humor in the challenges, and build meaningful relationships along the way."

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Ella Steinhilber

Analyst

Volition Capital

Ella Steinhilber

Analyst

“ What drew me to Volition was the opportunity to interact with founders who have a passion for innovation and the drive to reach the potential of their vision. ”

Operations Team

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Pete Lamson

COO & Head of Portfolio Operations

Volition Capital

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

Volition Capital

Mike Wilkens

Chief Financial Officer

"At its core, my role is to provide the reporting and controls every company needs from its finance and accounting team. But, what makes my job interesting and every day a little different is the fast-paced industry we operate within."

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Kevin Lamo

Finance Manager

Volition Capital

Kevin Lamo

Finance Manager

Kevin joined Volition in 2024 and works on the Volition Capital Finance team.

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Allyson Gallagher

Accounting Manager

Volition Capital

Allyson Gallagher

Accounting Manager

Allyson Gallagher joined Volition Capital in the Summer of 2024 as an Accounting Manager.

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Chris Fahey

SVP, Talent & Human Resources

Volition Capital

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."

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Kelly Barnum

Sr. Talent Manager

Volition Capital

Kelly Barnum

Sr. Talent Manager

“It’s no use going back to yesterday because I was a different person then.”
–Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

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Laura Moran

Sr. Director of Marketing

Volition Capital

Laura Moran

Sr. Director of Marketing

"Volition's commitment to innovation, growth, and empowering businesses aligns seamlessly with my passion for driving impactful marketing through a data-driven approach and strategic storytelling. I'm thrilled to bring the two together in this exciting space! "

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Alan Soclof

Marketing & Content Associate

Volition Capital

Alan Soclof

Marketing & Content Associate

"Being able to work every day with some of the smartest investors and founders in the world is an incredible experience. I could not ask for a better opportunity at this stage in my career."

Volition Capital VIEW MY PROFILE

Ashley Harding

Operations Specialist

Volition Capital

Ashley Harding

Operations Specialist

“The more you know, the more you know you don’t know”
– Unknown

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Aimee Tashjian

Sr. Executive Assistant & Administrative Manager

Volition Capital

Aimee Tashjian

Sr. Executive Assistant & Administrative Manager

“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”
-Winnie the Pooh

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Kristen Murphy

Executive Assistant

Volition Capital

Kristen Murphy

Executive Assistant

“Some results are positive and some are negative, but all of them are data points”
– James Clear

Senior Advisors

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Rob Ketterson

Senior Advisor

Volition Capital

Rob Ketterson

Senior Advisor

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Beth Birnbaum

Senior Advisor

Volition Capital

Beth Birnbaum

Senior Advisor

"My best work experiences have been in environments where a small group works together to surmount significant challenges. There's something magical about a passionate, scrappy group that organically learns to draw on the strengths of individual members, engage in healthy debate, and then move forward decisively in lockstep. Even with limited resources, teams like that can move quickly and accomplish a great deal."

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Michael Giannetto

Senior Advisor

Volition Capital

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.”

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Blake Day

Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer | Chewy

Volition Capital

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.

Volition Capital
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Raul Fernandez

Vice Chairman & Partner | Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Volition Capital

Raul Fernandez

Vice Chairman & Partner | Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Raul Fernandez is currently Vice Chairman and Owner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, a private partnership which owns some of Washington DC’s major sports franchises including the WNBA’s 2019 Champion Washington Mystics, the NHL’s 2018 Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals, the Washington Wizards, and Wizards District Gaming NBA 2K team.  The partnership also owns and … Continued

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Karen Flathers

Chief Customer Officer | Qure4u

Volition Capital

Karen Flathers

Chief Customer Officer | Qure4u

Strategic Customer Executive with a proven history of driving customer-centric revenue growth and retention. Today, Karen is the Chief Customer Officer for Volition Portfolio company, Qure4u. Prior, Karen was the Chief Customer Officer for Blackline, where she led all post-sales customer functions through a successful IPO, multiple acquisitions, and significant domestic and international growth. Prior … Continued

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Anna Griffin

Chief Market Officer | Commvault

Volition Capital

Anna Griffin

Chief Market Officer | Commvault

Anna Griffin is the Chief Marketing Officer at Intercom. She brings more than two decades of experience in senior marketing roles and was most recently Chief Marketing Officer at Smartsheet. Before Smartsheet, Anna was the Cheif Marketing Officer of IEX Group, a disruptive trading exchange for U.S. equities. Prior to IEX Group, Anna spent five … Continued

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Mindy Grossman

Partner and Chair of Consello Business Development | The Consello Group

Volition Capital

Mindy Grossman

Partner and Chair of Consello Business Development | The Consello Group

Business icon, entrepreneur, mother, fashion enthusiast and self-proclaimed ‘accidental CEO’ are just a few ways to describe Mindy Grossman. One of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business and Fortune’s Business Person of the Year, Mindy is a high-energy, disruptive leader with over 38 years of experience in building and transforming consumer brands. In July … Continued

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Sam Hall

Chief Product Officer | CLEAR

Volition Capital

Sam Hall

Chief Product Officer | CLEAR

Sam Hall serves as Chief Product Officer at CLEAR and brings deep experience and leadership to his role executing CLEAR’s platform strategy and expanding its product vision. Before joining CLEAR, Sam was Chief Product Officer at Grubhub. Prior,  Sam was chief product and technology officer of ClassPass, leading the company’s engineering, product, and design teams. … Continued

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Paul Melchiorre

(Former) CRO | Anaplan

Volition Capital

Paul Melchiorre

(Former) CRO | Anaplan

Paul Melchiorre is an independent director at R3, an enterprise blockchain technology company, and was previously an independent director at Scout RFP, a sourcing and procurement software company that was acquired by Workday (NASDAQ: WDAY). He also sits on the board of nonprofit Spark.Org. Previously, Paul served as Global Customer Officer and Chief Revenue Officer … Continued

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Lynne Oldham

Chief People Officer | Stash

Volition Capital

Lynne Oldham

Chief People Officer | Stash

Lynne is a successful global Chief People Officer and business leader with 20 years of progressive experience in strategic HR leadership and key talent acquisition in various industries, driving profitable growth strategies for startups, private and public companies, and international organizations. She is currently the Chief People Officer at Stash. Prior, Lynne served as Zoom’s … Continued

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Cathy Polinsky

Chief Technology Officer | DataGrail

Volition Capital

Cathy Polinsky

Chief Technology Officer | DataGrail

Cathy Polinsky is a technology executive with over 20 years of industry experience. Currently, Cathy is the VP of Engineering at Shopify. Prior to that, she was the Chief Technology Officer at Stitch Fix, an online personal shopping. She joined in 2016 prior to the Stitch Fix IPO and led the Engineering, Product and IT … Continued

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Niraj Shah

Co-Founder & CEO | Wayfair

Volition Capital

Niraj Shah

Co-Founder & CEO | Wayfair

Niraj Shah co-founded Wayfair with Steve Conine in 2002 and the pair rapidly grew the business to become the largest online retailer of home furnishings, housewares and home improvement goods in the U.S., Wayfair generated $13.0 billion in net revenue for the twelve months ended September 30, 2020. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts with operations throughout … Continued

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JD Sherman

Former CEO & Current Advisor | Dashlane

Volition Capital

JD Sherman

Former CEO & Current Advisor | Dashlane

JD Sherman is the Chief Executive Officer of Dashlane, where he leads a 300+ global team across New York, Paris, and Lisbon, supporting Dashlane’s continued commitment to building the best password management service for both businesses and consumers. Prior to joining Dashlane in early 2021, JD served as President and Chief Operating Officer of HubSpot, where he … Continued

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Shauna Spenley

President of Entertainment | Riot Games

Volition Capital

Shauna Spenley

President of Entertainment | Riot Games

Shauna Spenley is the President of Global Entertainment at Riot Games, where she manages music, animation, film, television, 3rd party games, and consumer products. Prior to joining Riot Games, Shauna was the Vice President of Marketing and Publicity at Netflix, where she spent 15 years in various roles. Shauna led North America Marketing strategy and … Continued

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Tim Wallace

(Former) CEO | iPipeline

Volition Capital

Tim Wallace

(Former) CEO | iPipeline

Tim Wallace is a Strategic Advisor to iPipeline and has over 30 years of experience in the software, service, and consulting industry. In 2008, Tim joined iPipeline as CEO with the mission of scaling the company and solidifying iPipeline as an industry leader and innovator. Under his successful leadership, the company grew to be the … Continued

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Vince Thomas

Founder & (Former) CEO | Billhighway

Volition Capital

Vince Thomas

Founder & (Former) CEO | Billhighway

Vince Thomas is currently the Chairman of Highway Ventures and lead investor of StandUpDetroit, a group of gritty and relentless Detroit based investors who are passionate about business. In 1999 from his college apartment Vince founded Billhighway, an enterprise level cash management, accounting, and payment processing platform for member and donor based organizations. As the … Continued

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Julie Wainwright

Founder | The RealReal

Volition Capital

Julie Wainwright

Founder | The RealReal

Julie Wainwright is an e-commerce pioneer whose latest venture came to her as an epiphany while shopping in a brick-and-mortar consignment store, an industry she felt was ripe for reinvention. She founded The RealReal in June 2011, bringing luxury consignment online and into the modern world with a digital marketplace for authenticated luxury consignment. In … Continued

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