Five Elms Capital

Austin Gideon is a Principal at Five Elms Capital and a member of the firm's Investment Committee. He previously worked as an investor at The Stephens Group, a mid-market private equity firm, and as an investment banker in Harris Williams' Technology M&A Group, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions in the technology sector. He holds a B.S.C. in Accounting and Business Administration from Washington and Lee University.

Jack Caffrey is a Principal of Value Creation at Five Elms Capital, where he works with portfolio leadership teams on growth and operating efficiency. He has nearly a decade of SaaS experience, having led the finance function at Rx Savings Solutions through its growth and acquisition, and later served as CFO at SOFTwarfare overseeing FP&A. He began his career in the audit practice at Ernst & Young and holds a Master's in Accounting from the University of Missouri.

Reed Edwards is a Principal at Five Elms Capital, where he works on due diligence, executing new investments, and supporting portfolio company boards. He previously worked as an investor at Frontenac Company, a mid-market private equity firm, and as an investment banker in Lincoln International's M&A Group, focusing on mergers and acquisitions across technology, business services, and consumer businesses. He earned a B.S. in Accounting and Business Administration from Washington and Lee University.

Adam Coffman works on due diligence, executing new investments, and supporting portfolio companies at Five Elms Capital. Before joining the firm, he worked at American Century Investments and at Walmart in omnichannel/ecommerce grocery. He earned a B.S.B.A. in Finance and Accounting from the University of Arkansas.

Alice Fitzgerald is a Legal Analyst at Five Elms Capital. Before joining the firm, she worked as a lobbyist and fiscal policy analyst for the Kansas State Legislature and previously held a role in Financial Planning & Analysis at Textron Aviation. She holds B.B.A. degrees in Finance and Economics, with minors in Music, Political Science, and Management, from Wichita State University.

Anthony Fortino leads the capital markets group at Five Elms Capital, where he manages relationships with sponsors, lenders, and intermediaries. He previously worked at CC Capital Advisors, a middle-market investment bank focused on Midwest M&A transactions, and before that at Jahani and Associates in New York, handling capital raising, M&A, and business development. He holds a Master's in Accounting, a BBA in Accounting, and a BA in Theatre from Texas Christian University.

Aziz Hajji is a Growth Investor at Five Elms Capital, where he works on due diligence, investment execution, and portfolio company support. He previously worked at Morgan Stanley in the Fixed Income division (Credit and FX) and at Nippon Life Global Investors, focusing on public equity investing in Healthcare and TMT. He earned a BBA in Finance with a second major in Economics from Emory University.

Benedict Rocchio is a Senior Advisor at Five Elms Capital, where he focuses on sourcing B2B software investment opportunities, and continues to serve Baird Capital as a Venture Partner and Senior Advisor. He spent 15 years as a Partner and Investment Committee member at Baird Capital, where he was a founding member of the venture capital team in 2000 and helped raise and deploy six institutional funds totaling $3 billion, leading more than 25 investments in B2B technology and services companies. He holds board seats with Aegis Hedging Solutions, Housecall Pro, HSP Group, and Quiq.

Benjamin DeZube works at Five Elms Capital, where he focuses on due diligence, new investment execution, and portfolio company support. Before joining the firm, he worked in JP Morgan Chase's Middle Market Banking group. He holds a B.S.B.A in Finance with a certificate in Integrated Investment Management from Kansas State University.

Brandan Fitzgerald is a Vice President at Five Elms Capital, where he works on due diligence, new investment execution, portfolio company support, and analyst development. Before joining Five Elms, he worked in equity research at Sandler O'Neill and Partners (now Piper Sandler), a New York investment bank advising financial institutions. He holds a B.S.B.A. in Finance from the University of Missouri – Kansas City.

Brian Baker works on due diligence, new investment execution, and portfolio company support at Five Elms Capital. Before Five Elms, he was in deal advisory and strategy at KPMG, focusing on financial due diligence for middle-market private equity and corporate M&A transactions, and he has additional experience in angel investing and real estate acquisitions. He holds a BS and MS in Accounting from the University of Missouri – Columbia.

Claire Barker is an Executive Assistant at Five Elms Capital. Before joining the firm, she worked as an executive assistant for around ten years at organizations including Chevron, the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing, and Iowa State University. She earned a B.S. in Event Management from Sheffield Hallam University in the UK.

Cooper Curtin works on due diligence, new investment execution, and portfolio company support at Five Elms. He previously worked in the Investment Banking Division at Lincoln International. He holds a B.S. in Finance with a minor in Spanish from the University of Kansas.

Dustin Hudson leads technology for the Five Elms Value Creation team, working with portfolio companies on scaling, operational performance, and adoption of AI and emerging technologies. He has more than 15 years of experience building engineering organizations, including senior roles as VP of R&D and VP of Product Engineering at CivicPlus, along with engineering and technology leadership positions at Mythical Games, Smart Warehousing, and Service Management Group. He holds a BBA in Computer Information Systems from Oklahoma Panhandle State University.

Erin Green works on the Talent Team at Five Elms Capital, where she supports internal hiring as well as recruiting for the firm's portfolio companies. Before joining the firm, she worked in management and sales within the fitness industry. She holds a B.S. in Kinesiology from Kansas State University and an M.S. in Kinesiology from Avila University.

Erin Holm leads talent recruiting for Five Elms and its portfolio companies, and manages the firm's university relations. She started her career in higher education as a college admissions counselor and academic advisor, and previously served as director of talent acquisition at a content marketing agency. She holds an M.S. in Student Affairs and Higher Education from Missouri State University and a B.S. in Marketing and Public Relations from Northwest Missouri State University.

Francisco Bolota is an Associate at Five Elms Capital, where he works on due diligence, new deal execution, portfolio company support, and analyst development. He previously worked as an investment banking associate at Financial Technology Partners. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics and a Master's degree in Finance from Università Bocconi.

Gabrielle Diederich is an associate on the financial performance team at Five Elms, where she supports investor relations and fundraising activities. She previously worked in Deloitte's Audit & Assurance practice, serving on engagements in the technology and manufacturing sectors, including multinational SEC filings and private company audits. She holds a B.B.A. in Accountancy and a Master of Science in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame.

Grace Grunau works on fundraising and investor relations across Five Elms Capital's vehicles. She previously served on the Private Funds Advisory team at Lincoln International, handling advisory and distribution for primary funds, single asset vehicles, and continuation vehicles, and earlier worked in the Private Funds Group at UBS. She holds a B.A. in Economics from Boston College.

Haley Admire is an Executive Assistant at Five Elms Capital. Before joining the firm, she worked for six years as an administrative assistant at the University of Northern Iowa. She holds a B.S. in Criminology from the University of Northern Iowa.

Josh Casey works on due diligence, executing new investments, and supporting portfolio companies at Five Elms. Before joining the firm, he was part of the Revenue Operations team at Candex, an enterprise payments platform. He holds a BSc in Economics from University College Dublin and has completed the CFA exams with a focus on private markets.

Josh Aroesty works on sourcing new investments and market research for the investment team at Five Elms Capital. Before joining the firm, he was a Capital Advisor helping small businesses secure funding, and earlier served as Director of Sales at Real Equity Management, overseeing a portfolio of multi-family developments across the US. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of Missouri.

Kathleen Ashlock is an executive assistant at Five Elms Capital. Before joining the firm, she worked as an executive assistant across various companies for seven years and previously spent three years as a tax accountant. She holds a B.S. in Accounting and an MBA from the University of Central Oklahoma.

Keaton Goodale works on due diligence, new investment execution, and portfolio company support at Five Elms Capital. Before joining the firm, he worked in the commercial banking division at Commerce Bank, at Just Play Sports (a SaaS company automating workflows for sports programs), and in investment banking at Spring Creek Advisors. He holds a B.S. in Finance with a minor in Business Analytics from the University of Kansas.

Kim Gordon is a Business Development Executive at Five Elms Capital. She previously founded and led the prepared meal subscription company Conveniently Natural as CEO for five years before selling it, and earlier worked as an investment professional at First Command and Cambridge Legacy Group. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Dayton and an M.S. in Kinesiology from Texas Christian University.

Laura Cain is a member of the Talent Team at Five Elms Capital, where she supports internal hiring and recruiting for the firm's portfolio companies. She previously worked as an HR and operations intern at a real estate management company. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and a certificate in HR Management from the University of Missouri.

Nick Geannacopulos works on due diligence, executing new investments, and supporting portfolio companies at Five Elms. Before joining the firm, he was a growth equity analyst at Blueprint Equity. He holds a BBA in Finance from the University of San Diego.

Randy Cox is a Managing Director leading the Value Creation team at Five Elms Capital, where he works with portfolio leadership teams on growth and operational execution. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Rx Savings Solutions and held leadership roles at H&R Block and Sprint across product, pricing, and customer experience. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration and Management from William Jewell College.

Zach Gornet is a Vice President at Five Elms Capital, where he works on due diligence, new investment execution, and portfolio company support, drawing on over eight years of experience in software M&A. He was previously a Vice President at Greater Sum Ventures, focusing on growth and buyout-stage software and tech-enabled services investing, and earlier worked in investment banking at AGC Partners and Progress Partners. He holds a B.S. in Engineering from Cornell University and is a CFA charterholder.

Joined Pontifax in 2007 with over 15 years of finance and operations experience at Israeli and multinational VC firms; previously CFO of Neurone Ventures Fund. Serves as director in several portfolio companies. Holds a B.A. in Accounting & Business Management and is a CPA.

Investor on the Investment Team at Seraphim Space who joined after interning for five months. Previously interned at BDC's Seed Fund in Toronto focusing on early-stage Canadian ventures and holds an MFin in Finance from McGill University.

Nathalie König joined Capnamic in early 2021, where she oversees finance-related activities for the funds and advises portfolio companies. Before Capnamic, she spent over four years at Deloitte as a financial advisor working on financial due diligence. She studied in London and holds a Master of Science in Corporate Finance.