Butterfly

Serial entrepreneur and technologist active in digital technologies since the mid-1980s, founder of four companies, with an M.Sc. in Economics. A VC since 2012 with 100+ investment rounds, he is often the first point of contact for startups at Butterfly Ventures.

M.Sc. in Technology and seasoned executive who has held management roles since 1990, including VP of Computer Associates and CEO of listed firm QPR Software. Active in startup and growth-company financing since 2008 and in venture capital since 2012, with 100+ investment rounds.

Aaron Kirkbride is a Partner on the Investment Team at Butterfly and a member of the firm's Investment Committee, having joined in 2016 shortly after its founding. His work covers deal origination, diligence, execution and portfolio management. Before Butterfly, he was on the investment team at Sixth Street Partners (formerly TPG Sixth Street Partners) and previously worked on M&A and restructuring transactions at Moelis & Company. He holds a BS in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Derick Prelle is a Partner and Chief Transformation Officer at Butterfly and sits on the firm's Investment Committee, focusing on supporting portfolio company management teams with value creation initiatives. He previously served as Managing Partner, Americas for KKR's operations team, KKR Capstone, with oversight of Consumer, Food and Retail sectors, and earlier was an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company in its Consumer and Retail practice. He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago.

Peter Tang is a Partner and Chief Financial Officer at Butterfly and sits on the Firm's Investment Committee, overseeing fund operations, reporting, compliance, and capital management. He was previously one of the early members of Butterfly's investment team before moving into the CFO role. Earlier in his career he worked on the Consumer Retail Private Equity team at KKR and on M&A and restructuring transactions at Moelis & Company, and he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Honors Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Vishal Patel is a Partner and Head of the Investment Team at Butterfly, where he also sits on the Investment Committee and oversees deal origination, diligence, execution and portfolio management. He has over 15 years of investing and finance experience concentrated in the food, consumer and healthcare sectors. Before Butterfly he spent 13 years at KKR as a Managing Director on its North American Private Equity team, and earlier worked at Moelis & Company; he holds a BS in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Sarah Fossett is a Vice President at Butterfly, where she handles private equity investment work including due diligence, transaction execution, and investment monitoring. She previously worked on the investment team at L Catterton on buyout and growth stage consumer deals, served as Director of Strategic Planning at Hanna Andersson, and started her career at Credit Suisse focusing on healthcare and consumer transactions. She holds a B.A. in Economics from Middlebury College.

Bill Allen is an Operating Advisor at Butterfly with more than 35 years in foodservice. He was CEO of Bloomin' Brands from 2005 to 2009 and its board chairman from 2009 to 2011, co-founded Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar with Paul Fleming in 1998, and previously served as President and CEO of La Madeleine French Bakery and Café. He focuses on the foodservice and food distribution sectors and works with growth companies operating in and around foodservice.

Charles Hoffman is Corporate Controller at Butterfly, where he oversees financial operations, accounting, financial reporting, and taxes. He previously worked at Kayne Anderson on corporate equity reporting across energy, credit, growth, and real estate strategies, and at Marlin Equity Partners managing corporate accounting for management companies, operations entities, and foreign subsidiaries. He holds a BA in Business Management Economics with an emphasis in Accounting from the University of California Santa Cruz.

Dr. Andrew Abraham is an Operating Advisor to Butterfly, focusing on food and nutrition. He is the founder and CEO of Orgain, a Butterfly portfolio company that makes organic nutrition products, which he started in 2009. A licensed medical doctor in California with prior experience in the Kaiser Permanente system, he has more than 11 years of experience in nutrition and food science.

Emma Cox is a Director on Butterfly's Transformation Team, where she works with portfolio management and investment teams on value creation strategy and handles operational value creation due diligence for new investments. Before Butterfly, she was in strategy consulting at Bain & Company, leading transformations for clients in restaurant, grocery, retail, and consumer packaged goods, along with due diligence for private equity clients. She holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a BA in Economics from Dartmouth College.

Ethan Hart is an Associate at Butterfly, where he works on private equity investments across due diligence, transaction execution, and investment monitoring. He previously worked in the Mergers & Acquisitions practice at Credit Suisse. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Brigham Young University.

Farrin Feiner is a Fund Controller at Butterfly, overseeing financial operations, accounting, financial reporting, and taxes. Before Butterfly, she spent four years in the audit practice at KPMG LLP, leading external audit engagements for alternative investment firms, including private equity funds and their management companies. She is a licensed CPA in California and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with an emphasis in Accounting from UCLA.

Hannah Ebbers is an Executive Assistant on the Investment team at Butterfly, supporting Partner Vishal Patel, Managing Director Eric Tommarello, and the broader Investment team. Before Butterfly, she worked at UCLA Health as a Clinical Research Administrator overseeing research operations for multiple physicians. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with a minor in Psychology from the University of New Mexico.

Jacob Kelley is an Executive Assistant at Butterfly, supporting the Investor Relations team and managing daily operations in the firm's New York office. He previously worked as a Senior Administrative Professional at D.E. Shaw, supporting the Head of Investor Relations, and held a similar role at Torreya Insights, an investment banking boutique focused on life sciences. He holds a BASc in Environmental Engineering from Kalisz University in Poland.

Jeff Dunn has spent over 35 years in the food and beverage industry, including roles as President of Coca-Cola Americas and leadership at Bolthouse Farms, which was sold to The Campbell Soup Company in 2013. In 2019 he acted as a founding advisor partner at Butterfly Equity in the repurchase of Bolthouse Farms from Campbell's, later overseeing its split into Bolthouse Fresh Foods and Generous Brands, where he serves as Founder and Executive Chairman. As an advising partner and technical advisor to Butterfly Equity, he works on fundraising, deal flow, market and target diligence, and advising portfolio companies on strategic transformation.

Jeffrey Kuai is an Associate at Butterfly, working on private equity investments including due diligence, transaction execution, and investment monitoring. He previously worked at Goldman Sachs in the Global Industrials group. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Jennifer Lesser is Head of Human Capital at Butterfly, where she oversees the firm's human resources functions. Before joining Butterfly, she served as Head of Human Resources at Beach Point Capital Management and Vice President of Corporate Services at Moelis & Company. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University, Bloomington.

Jessica Lee is an Associate at Butterfly, where she works on private equity investments across due diligence, transaction execution, and investment monitoring. She previously worked in Ares Management's Private Equity group on consumer, healthcare, and services investments and portfolio management. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Honors Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Joe Topley is joining Butterfly as Managing Director and Head of Capital Formation, overseeing the firm's fundraising and investor relations. He previously served as CEO of GBL Capital, the private investment arm of Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, spent seven years at Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan as a managing director in Private Capital focused on European private equity fund investments, and led European client management and investment research at StepStone Group in London. Earlier roles included time at Credit Suisse, Nomura, and Sega; he holds a BSc in Biochemistry from Imperial College London, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Economics from University College London, and an MBA from INSEAD.

Joshua Prentice is a Private Equity Associate at Butterfly Equity, based in Los Angeles. His work focuses on food-sector investments.

Julianna Lin is a Fund Controller at Butterfly, overseeing financial operations, accounting, financial reporting, and taxes. She previously spent 10 years at PwC in Los Angeles and the Cayman Islands as a senior manager in the Asset and Wealth Management assurance practice, and earlier worked in accounting roles at CBRE and Oaktree Capital Management. She is a licensed CPA in California and New York and holds a master's in accounting from the University of Southern California.

Katie Cardwell is a Senior Associate on Butterfly's Transformation Team, where she supports portfolio company management teams with value creation initiatives. Before Butterfly, she worked in consulting at McKinsey, advising clients across the food and agriculture value chain in the U.S. and Australia, with experience in private equity diligence, supply chain transformation, and operations strategy. She earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a B.S. in Systems Engineering and Supply Chain Management from Washington University in St. Louis.

Kelly Holford is a Project Manager at Butterfly, supporting the Finance and Investor Relations teams and managing daily operations for the CFO and Partner, Peter Tang. Before Butterfly, she worked at a private equity firm and served as general manager at a Los Angeles startup, handling office administration and human resources. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Washington, where she was an Academic All-American in volleyball.

Michael Chung is a Director at Butterfly, where he oversees the firm's technology functions, including IT operations, information security, workplace technology, business applications, and AI initiatives. He previously founded and led Neetek, an IT managed services provider serving clients in the alternative investment industry, and earlier held senior technology leadership roles at Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase.

Nicolle Bendel is a Project Manager at Butterfly, where she supports the Transformation team's operational execution and firm-level strategic initiatives, working with Derick Prelle. She previously worked at Platinum Equity as a Business Development Events Coordinator and Executive Assistant. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Environmental Science from Sonoma State University.

Paige Green is a Senior Manager on Butterfly's Transformation Team, where she supports portfolio company management teams with identifying, designing, and delivering long-term value creation. She previously worked in the Retail & Consumer Products practice at L.E.K. Consulting on strategy and commercial due diligence for corporate and private equity clients, and earlier held brand management and sales roles at Unilever across food, beverage, and beauty brands. She holds a BBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Robert Hanson is an Operating Advisor at Butterfly focused on the beverage and beverage alcohol sectors, and served as the firm's lead operating advisor on the take-private acquisition of the Duckhorn Portfolio. He previously held CEO, President, and board roles across consumer brands, including Global Portfolio President of Wine and Spirits at Constellation Brands, Chairman and CEO of John Hardy, and CEO of American Eagle Outfitters. Earlier in his career he spent 23 years at Levi Strauss & Co., where he rose to Global President.

Sanam Khalili is a Senior Fund Accountant at Butterfly, handling financial operations, accounting, financial reporting, and tax oversight. She previously worked as a Senior Assurance Associate in the Asset and Wealth Management sector at PwC in Los Angeles, where she audited registered investment advisors and private equity funds. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Southern California's Leventhal School of Accounting and is a licensed CPA in California.

Shreya Goyal is Vice President of Finance and Strategy at Butterfly, where she leads the firm's FP&A and strategic growth functions and supports senior leadership on fundraising, investment execution and origination, capital management, and technology/AI implementation. She was previously a private equity investor in the Flagship Buyout Fund at Apollo Global Management, focusing on Consumer & Retail and TMT, and earlier worked in investment banking at JP Morgan's Media and Communications group in New York. She holds a B.A. in Economics with a Computer Science minor from The University of Chicago.

Teya Good is a Staff Accountant at Butterfly, where she supports financial operations, accounting processes, financial reporting, and tax activities. She previously held a Staff Accountant role at Mitchell & Associates, a public accounting firm, handling tax return preparation, bookkeeping, account reconciliations, and financial statement preparation. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business with a minor in Marketing from California State University Channel Islands.

Thomas Burke is an Associate at Butterfly, where he works on private equity investments across due diligence, transaction execution, and investment monitoring. He previously worked at Moelis & Company on Industrials transactions. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Pennsylvania State University's Schreyer Honors College.

TJ Walsh is a Senior Manager of Portfolio Operations at Butterfly Equity, working with The Duckhorn Portfolio. His work centers on operations within food and beverage companies, including post-close value creation planning, enterprise and portfolio strategy, demand and supply planning, gross margin improvement, and separation planning and execution. He also conducts commercial and operational diligence.

An early-stage tech investor and environmentalist focused on the Nordic markets in ICT, deep tech and science-based innovation, emphasizing impact, diversity and global goals. She has been named one of Sweden's most powerful tech investors by Di Digital.

Holds an M.A. in Law and International Finance with 10+ years of management and specialist experience in legal and financial fields. He advises on startup and investor deal structures in the Baltics and is an active investor himself, providing insight into the Baltic market.

Holds an MSc in Business Development and Internationalization and joined Butterfly Ventures after running her own marketing and consulting companies. She has deep knowledge of EU SFDR regulation and leads the firm's sustainability strategy with an interest in impact investing.

A former asset manager and M&A investment banker from New York who moved into tech investing in 2013 and co-founded her first VC fund, CAP A, spanning the USA and the Nordics. Now based in Stockholm, she holds dual Mathematics and Marketing degrees from Georgia State University.

Transaction and fund management specialist with 15 years of experience in entrepreneurship, VC financing, M&A and technology management, holding an LLM and M.Sc. in Economics. A partner at Butterfly Ventures since 2014.