Black Dragon Capital

Founder, Chairman and CEO of Black Dragon Capital; an entrepreneur and operator whose experience with traditional investors inspired him to create a private equity firm combining operating expertise with sophisticated investment capabilities.

CEO and co-founder of Gaia Software, advising on financial technology.

Founder and managing partner of CCG Catalyst.

Former WWE executive and co-founder and president of Digital Joy, advising on media technology.

Mark Bashforth is an Investment Partner at Black Dragon Capital with more than 35 years of experience building and scaling software and technology businesses across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. He has led public and private technology companies as CEO, President, and senior executive across enterprise software, SaaS, AI, and energy technology sectors. At the firm, his responsibilities include fundraising, investor engagement, capital formation, investment sourcing, and portfolio company oversight.

Vineet Begwani is an Analyst at Black Dragon, where he supports transaction execution, valuations, and financial analysis, with experience in the financial services and manufacturing sectors assessing M&A and financing opportunities. He previously worked in the investment banking unit of UBS in New York and Hyderabad, India, supporting the firm's global healthcare investment banking groups on transactions exceeding $500 million, and before that was an equity research analyst at the Indian subsidiary of Zacks Investment Research. He also founded and ran an apparel manufacturing business in Delhi, India, starting in 2012.

CEO of PayMaple, advising on financial technology.

Partner at CCG Catalyst.

CEO of PayOnward, advising on financial technology.

EVP and chief innovation officer for the Independent Community Bankers of America.

EVP and CRO at CU 2.0, advising on financial technology.

Managing director at Sorenson Capital Partners with e-commerce and financial technology expertise.

CEO of Ladonware, advising on financial technology.

Elizabeth Higgs is a Capital Development Specialist at Black Dragon Capital, where she works on investor relations, capital raising, and event management. Her background includes private markets, early-stage venture capital, and angel investing, along with market research, competitive analysis, and deal flow support across various industries. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Colorado State University and serves as a gubernatorial appointee to the Colorado Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Council.

Former chief innovation officer at Banksouth and former COO at Owners Bank.

Serial entrepreneur and investor with e-commerce technology expertise.

Chairman of the board of Clover Imaging Group, advising on general technology.

Former president and COO of COCC, advising on financial technology.

Joey Hasson is a legal and venture advisor who counsels emerging ventures and portfolio companies on business law, e-commerce, and growth strategy, including contracts, corporate structuring, intellectual property, and investment due diligence. At Black Dragon Capital he advises portfolio companies on legal and operational matters while identifying growth opportunities. His prior experience includes roles at American Tower, early-stage technology startups, and running his own legal practice; he holds a JD and MBA from Suffolk University and a bachelor's degree in History from Binghamton University.

Johanna Vazquez is a Controller at Black Dragon Capital and supports the finance department of the For Bright Future Foundation. She has over 23 years of financial experience across large multinational companies and an IT startup, working in accounting, finance, audit, payroll, and forecasting and reporting. She has taken part in due diligence processes, internal and external audits, and ERP system implementations, and holds an honors degree in Accounting from the University of Buenos Aires.

Former senior EVP at Kohl's with e-commerce technology expertise.

President and CEO of Painted Hills and CU 2.0, advising on financial technology.

Lorenzo Ariotti is a Financial Analyst at Black Dragon Capital, supporting various aspects of the firm's business. He previously worked at audit firms in Zurich and Buenos Aires, including PwC. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA).

Lourdes Castillo is Director of Human Resources and Administration at Black Dragon Capital, with over 20 years of HR experience across the private and public sectors. She has managed HR administration, operations, compliance, tax reporting, recruiting, payroll, benefits, and employee training for employers in the tech, resort/casino, legal, and financial sectors. She holds a BA in Business Administration and Finance from Brandman University and is fluent in Spanish and English.

Educational consultant advising the firm.

CEO of Naveo Commerce portfolio company, leading the company's digital transformation initiatives and eCommerce platform solutions.

Nigel Prince has more than 30 years of experience in the financial software services industry, leading global teams through mergers, acquisitions, and technology transformation efforts at both private and public companies. He previously served as Senior Vice President at Axiom Bank, where he worked on fintech growth and partnerships with organizations including Visa and Mastercard, and held executive roles at FIS, Finastra, and Harland Financial Solutions focused on Banking-as-a-Service, open banking, and digital banking. He earned a BS in Computer Studies from the College of Arts Science and Technology (UTech) and holds Pragmatic Marketing product management and developer certifications.

Former EVP at FISERV with financial and media technology expertise.

Sarah Hernandez is the Special Projects Director at Black Dragon Capital, where she manages the shared services group overseeing corporate travel, events, and IT administration. She previously assisted with investor relations and transaction support at the firm, and earlier worked as a project manager at Open Solutions and as an executive assistant and project manager at Colt Defense. She served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an aviation operation specialist and holds a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice Administration from Park University.

Sarina Tamagna is Vice President of Capital Relations at Black Dragon Capital, where she oversees investor engagement, strategic partnerships, and capital development supporting the firm's investment strategy. She has over 30 years of experience across technology, financial services, and business development, working with banks, credit unions, Fortune 500 companies, and technology partners. Her focus areas include executive relationship management, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, analytics, and financial services.

Vice chairman of the board of Jetsen Technology, advising on media technology.