Black Dragon Capital

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.

Allen Caviles has over 30 years of experience in the payment processing industry, working across start-up, growth, and late-stage companies on financial, operational, and revenue matters. He is CEO of PayMaple LLC and previously held technology leadership roles including CIO of 4D Healthware, CIO/CTO of Bluepay Inc, CTO of AssureBuy Inc, and VP of Technology at Data Transfer Associates. He developed PC Charge and the Bluepay Payment Gateway and holds a patent for an e-commerce automation tool, Online App.

Former president of BECU and chair of a FinTech fund, advising in financial technology.

Bob Woods is a financial services executive currently serving as a Partner with CCG Catalyst, a bank advisory, consulting, and research firm, where he advises financial institutions and fintechs. He previously held senior roles at Fiserv, leading strategic initiatives, and at Unisys, overseeing financial services programs for global clients, and has advised fintech start-ups. He holds a B.S. in Business, Management, and Marketing from the University of Nebraska.

Cary Strange is a fintech executive with over twenty years of leadership experience across payments, SaaS, and financial services, and has led several companies to exits. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of PayOnward, a provider of payment solutions for credit unions, financial institutions, SMBs, and enterprise clients. He previously held senior roles at Insperity, QRails, PEX Card, and ExpenseWire.

Executive vice president and chief innovation officer at the Independent Community Bankers of America.

Chris Otey is Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer at CU 2.0, where he works to build partnerships between fintech providers and credit unions. He also chairs the board of South Bay Credit Union and serves as a Business Development Executive at Strategic Resource Management, advising credit unions on data analytics strategy and board planning. He previously was Chief Revenue Officer at CU Wallet and spent eighteen years in the credit union division of Fiserv (including XP Systems, Summit Information Systems, and LynxGate Solutions). He holds a BA in Communications from California State University, Northridge.

David Dame has over 30 years of experience across operating, consulting, and investing, with leadership roles spanning sales, marketing, services, and R&D. At Black Dragon Capital he supports the operational side of the portfolio and served as Chairman of Payveris. His earlier roles include Operating Partner at Sorenson Capital, Managing Director at Huntsman Gay Global Capital, Partner at KPP, and Managing Director at KVP; he also co-founded a consulting firm that merged with IBM Consulting Group. He holds an MBA with Honors from the University of Chicago and a BS in Computer Science from Brigham Young University.

Drew Hyatt is a fintech executive whose work spans digital banking, mortgage, cloud, core banking, payments, blockchain, mobile apps, and AI solutions. He has held senior leadership roles including President of HNC Software (now FICO), SVP of Digital Banking at Digital Insight, SVP of Sales and Product at Mitek Systems, and Senior Partner in IBM's Global Banking Consulting Practice. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business.

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 COO at Owners Bank.

Irwin Kramer has built software and service companies in supply chain, marketing, and e-commerce systems, working with retail manufacturing and distribution firms. He founded iCongo and previously was Founder, Chairman, President, and CEO of Richter Systems International. He holds an MBA from Columbia University and a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from McGill University, and is a member of the Quebec and Canadian Order of Chartered Accountants.

Jim Cerkleski is Executive Chairman of the Board of Clover Imaging Group, where he oversees strategy, sales, business development, and strategic alliances. He founded Superior Office Products after graduating from Northern Illinois University, later selling it to US Office Products and becoming a divisional president, then started Superior Wireless. In 2000 he acquired a majority stake in Clover and grew it into a global provider of aftermarket imaging supplies and recycling services. He holds a Bachelor's in Marketing from Northern Illinois University and received Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year for Manufacturing and Distribution (Lake Michigan Area) in 2006.

Joseph D. Lockwood previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of COCC, where he oversaw product, technology and security strategy along with daily operations and customer service. His background centers on financial technology, including electronic payment channels, digital banking platforms, virtualization, business intelligence and risk management systems. He holds an MBA, was named a 2009 National CIO 100 honoree, and received the Connecticut Quality Council's first Process Excellence award.

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.

John Wazowicz has an extensive background in corporate finance and advisory roles, working with private and public companies, boards, private equity sponsors, and management teams across various industries. He most recently served as CFO of a growth-stage consumer products company, where he built out GAAP reporting, controls, and technology systems before its sale to a public strategic buyer. Earlier, he co-founded a professional services firm providing IPO readiness, SEC registration, and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance support, and began his career in internal audit and Big Four auditing before holding roles including Director of SEC Reporting and Treasurer.

Ken Bonning has operational experience in omnichannel operations and supply chain strategy focused on improving speed, cost, and quality. He is a Founding Partner of Orion Advisors Group, an advisory firm centered on supply chain, IT, and digital transformation. He previously served as Senior Executive Vice President at Kohl's, overseeing supply chain, IT, store design, store construction, and sustainability. At Black Dragon Capital, he contributes insights on digital, retail, and e-commerce markets and investments.

Kirk Drake is an entrepreneur focused on fintech within the community financial institution industry. He is President of Painted Hills CUSO and founder of CU 2.0 and Resistance Wine Company, and works on collaborative business models and helping entrepreneurs build and fund companies in that sector.

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.

Marisol C. Rosales is an education leader with a three-decade career in New York City public schools, where she served as the first Latina Senior Deputy Chancellor of the NYC Department of Education and oversaw the reopening of schools after the COVID-19 pandemic and the launch of the Summer Rising program. She previously worked as a teacher, principal, superintendent, and Executive Superintendent for Manhattan, overseeing 273 schools, and secured $70 million in Magnet Schools Assistance Program grants. She currently consults for organizations including the Leadership Academy, the For A Bright Future Foundation, Black Dragon Capital, and the U.S. Department of Education, focusing on leadership development and educational systems.

Mark Meyer is CEO of Filene, where he leads a research and innovation team focused on cooperative and consumer finance. He is a consumer finance expert who has published widely, lectured internationally across several continents, advised the US Department of the Treasury, and taught in academic settings including Harvard Business School. An attorney licensed in Colorado and Arizona, he previously worked at the firm Montgomery, Little & McGrew and held executive roles at Arizona State Credit Union and CUNA Mutual Group.

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

Nate Dudek is co-founder and CTO of Gaia K-12, a vertical SaaS platform for public school nutrition. He previously led and scaled technology organizations at growth-stage companies that reached exits, including Payveris, Clarus Commerce, and Oakleaf Waste Management. His areas of expertise include technology org design, payment technology, platform architecture, sales engineering, implementations, cloud infrastructure, and security and compliance.

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.

Founder and managing partner of CCG Catalyst.

Rashid Desai works on technology investments and operational improvements across Black Dragon Capital's portfolio, drawing on a background in commercial technology products, cloud architecture, and technology infrastructure. He previously held senior technology roles including SVP and CTO at Avid Technology, Managing Director, CIO and CTO at Barclaycard, EVP and CTO at Open Solutions, and SVP at Equifax. At Open Solutions he served as primary architect of the DNA open API banking suite, and he contributed to Avid's cloud-based MediaCentral operating system and Barclaycard's digital transformation.

Rumi Contractor is President and COO of Quinnox, with a 35-year career combining executive technology roles and business operations in the financial services industry. At HSBC he held CIO, COO, and CEO positions across the US, UK, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Brazil, the Middle East, and India, including serving as Global Head of Service Delivery and Group General Manager. He earlier led HSBC Global Resourcing and the HSBC Global Technology Centers responsible for software development across the group.

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.

Shengli Han is a media and broadcast technology executive with international experience across news media and broadcasting. He currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Board at Beijing Jetsen Technology Co., Ltd., where he was CEO from 2015 to 2018, and previously held senior roles growing the China business of companies including Thomson Broadcast, Technicolor, Grass Valley, Envivio, and Thales Broadcast. He also helped develop early standards for Provincial Converged New Media Platforms in China.

Tracey Shaw is an entertainment executive with over 25 years of experience across production, media operations, content acquisition, global distribution, programming, strategy, and direct-to-consumer product design. Her work includes the launch and re-platforming of the WWE Network, a live linear and VOD global OTT streaming service. She focuses on evaluating business and technology opportunities, developing strategies, improving operational processes, and building teams.