Blueprint Equity

Sheldon Lewis co-founded Blueprint Equity in 2018 and focuses on vertical software and AI-native businesses. He previously served as SVP of Corporate and Business Development at PayLease, was on the investment team at Mainsail Partners, and began his career in Piper Jaffray's Technology Investment Banking group. He holds a B.A. in Finance and an M.S. in Accounting from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Taylor Cavanah joined Blueprint in 2026 as an Operating Partner, working with founders and their teams to grow ARR. He previously founded and led PetDesk, a patient engagement platform for the veterinary industry, and earlier worked at Sony America and Zyvex Corporation, where he helped develop a semiconductor application and co-founded the spin-off Zyvex Instruments. He holds a B.A. in Physics from Rice University and an M.S. in Physics from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Connor Nevelle joined Blueprint in 2022 as a Vice President, working with founders building vertical software and AI-native businesses. He previously worked in Corporate Development at CoverMyMeds and began his career at CBRE and McKesson; he holds a B.B.A. in Finance from Texas Christian University and serves on the boards of Parsec Education, REBA, Spin, and TenFore.

Francis Donohue joined Blueprint in 2018 as a Principal, working with founders building vertical software and AI-native businesses. He previously was Head of Partnerships at B2B SaaS company TrackMaven and began his career as a consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Mary Washington and serves on several portfolio company boards.

John Bonhard joined Blueprint in 2022 as a Principal, working with founders building vertical software and AI-native businesses. He previously was a VP at Beringea investing in high-growth technology and tech-enabled services, and began his career in investment banking at PMCF advising on middle-market M&A. He holds a B.A. in Finance from Michigan State University and serves on several portfolio company boards.

Michael Merritt joined Blueprint in 2020 as a Vice President, working with founders building vertical software and AI-native businesses. He previously was a Senior Associate in PwC's M&A advisory practice, holds a B.S. in Accounting and Business Management from the University of Arizona, and is a former CPA. He serves on the boards of AidKit, Axela, Careflow, Megadata, Playbypoint, and SponsorCX.

Grace Maloney joined Blueprint Equity in August 2026 as a Senior Analyst, working with founders building vertical software and AI-native companies. She was previously an Analyst in the Mergers and Acquisitions group at PJT Partners in New York City. She holds a B.B.A. with a minor in Entrepreneurship from the University of Michigan.

Jack Pimental joined Blueprint Equity in 2026 as an Associate, working with founders of vertical software and AI-native companies. He previously invested at Wavecrest Growth Partners, executing new investments and supporting portfolio companies through growth and M&A, and began his career at AGC Partners in software and technology transactions. He holds a B.A. in Economics with a minor in Finance from Tufts University.

Kaila Russell is Head of Talent at Blueprint Equity, joining in February 2026, where she works with founders and portfolio leadership on scaling their teams. She was previously a Client Director at Candidate Labs, helping early-stage founders build product, engineering, and go-to-market teams, and earlier served as Head of Talent at Community.com, growing its team from 25 to 150 employees. She began her tech career as an early outbound SDR at Zenefits and holds a B.A. in Business from UC Irvine.

Kylie Pitzak joined Blueprint Equity as an Analyst in June 2026, working with founders building vertical software and AI-native businesses. She previously interned at SpringTide Ventures and Pelion Venture Partners, advised early-stage startups through the University of Utah's Master of Business Creation program, and spent two summers at UBS on portfolio analysis and client work. She holds a B.S. in Quantitative Analysis of Markets and Organizations from the University of Utah and an M.S. in Management from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Mahad Abedin joined Blueprint in 2025 as VP of Finance, leading the firm's finance, accounting, and compliance functions. He previously served as Controller at Andreessen Horowitz, focusing on its venture funds and a16z Perennial, and earlier worked with the credit funds at Vista Equity Partners and on private investment funds at KPMG. He holds a B.A. in Economics and Accounting from UC Santa Barbara and is a licensed CPA in California.

Oly Ugorji joined Blueprint Equity in June 2026 as an Analyst, working with founders building vertical software and AI-native companies. He previously worked in analytical development at Catalent and volunteered in the Surgical and Medical ICUs at Scripps Mercy Hospital. He holds a B.A. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of San Diego.

Paul Koch joined Blueprint in 2026 as Head of Artificial Intelligence, where he supports portfolio companies in modernizing their engineering organizations and adopting AI-native development practices. He previously spent seven years as CTO at Chatmeter, where he built the product platform and contributed to the company's sale to a private equity firm. Earlier he held development leadership roles at Disney Interactive and Sony Online Entertainment and founded several technology companies, including a game studio and a video streaming platform.

Sasha Kuzmin joined Blueprint in 2026 as Workplace Experience Coordinator, where she oversees daily operations, cultural initiatives, and the firm's corporate social media presence. Before Blueprint, she was Welcome Host and Events Coordinator at F.P. Journe, handling client relations, boutique operations, and event execution. She holds a B.A. in Sociology with a focus in Business Management from UC Santa Barbara.

Torian Riley joined Blueprint Equity in 2026 as Senior Associate of Value Creation, supporting commercial optimization and value creation across the firm's portfolio. She previously worked as a Senior Associate at Everlane Equity Partners, a Boston-based growth equity firm, where she handled origination and post-acquisition integration strategy. She holds a B.A. in the Program of Liberal Studies from the University of Notre Dame.

Travis Tung is an Associate at Blueprint Equity, which he joined in June 2026, focusing on founders building vertical software and AI-native businesses. He previously worked in tech investment banking as an Associate at Cantor Fitzgerald and as an Analyst at Stifel and Height Capital Markets. He holds a B.B.A. in Finance from Texas A&M University.

Tyler Hibberd joined Blueprint Equity in 2026 as an Analyst, working with founders building vertical software and AI-native companies. He previously worked as an Equity Research Analyst at the SDSU Investment Group, conducting due diligence in consumer products and financial technology. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a Finance concentration from San Diego State University, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

Ben Redfield joined Blueprint in 2024 as Head of Value Creation, working with founders to accelerate ARR growth. He previously consulted on GTM strategy and served as an Executive Consultant at SBI Growth Advisory supporting PE-backed B2B SaaS companies. He holds a B.A. from the University of Iowa and an M.A. from Georgetown University.

Ina Kodra joined Blueprint in 2023 as a Senior Associate, working with founders building vertical software and AI-native businesses. She previously was a Senior Investment Analyst at TalentWell Partners and worked in lower middle market investment banking, and holds degrees from Harvard University. She serves on the boards of Careflow, Develo, and HubiFi.

Jacob DeMarco joined Blueprint in 2020 as a Senior Associate, working with founders building vertical software and AI-native businesses. He previously was an Associate at University Growth Fund investing in healthcare IT, fintech, consumer products, and software, and holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of San Diego. He serves on the boards of Builder Prime and Ressio.