Mercato Partners

A technologist and entrepreneur with experience building and growing market-leading companies, Warnock co-founded Mercato Partners in 2007 and brings deep expertise in venture capital, management team development, and entrepreneurship financing from his doctoral studies.

A former founder and Kauffman Fellow, Sanders brings operational experience and five years of mezzanine investing in growth-stage software and SaaS companies before joining Mercato to lead the Traverse growth fund's investment activities in the South, Southeast, and Pacific Northwest.

With nearly three decades of experience building revenue organizations and leading enterprise sales, Davis serves on Mercato's Investment Committee and focuses on identifying growth-stage companies scaling go-to-market engines, drawing from his background in C-suite roles at private equity-backed firms.

A serial entrepreneur who built and sold seven companies to acquirers including Oracle and Amazon, Boyce brings deep SaaS expertise and has authored a book on growth patterns; he joined Mercato as an investor after years advising the growth portfolio on product-led growth.

A former VP of Private Equity Investing at Cicero Group, Christensen joined Mercato in 2016 and now leads sourcing and investing efforts in Southern California, leveraging expertise in organizational design, corporate strategy, and change management.

An experienced operator with investment banking and private equity background, Kaiser advocates for overlooked entrepreneurs in the Midwest and currently serves on numerous portfolio company boards while investing in the region.

With over 20 years of customer service and leadership experience including a decade at Morgan Stanley supporting financial advisors, Cooper serves as executive assistant to Managing Director Ryan Sanders and Director Dave Boyce.

An associate supporting early and growth-stage ventures, Lignell transitioned from valuation work to pursue an MBA at Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School, where he focused on AI and entrepreneurship while working with early-stage VC firms.

A seasoned CFO with deep SaaS and healthcare expertise from both public and private companies, Lanier manages Mercato's financial reporting, portfolio valuation, compliance, and fund operations.

A former strategic finance manager at Homie, a tech-enabled real estate brokerage that grew 40x in revenue during his tenure, Nixon completed his MBA at Kellogg and now supports Mercato's diligence and portfolio governance efforts across Southern California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Southeast.

A former senior fund associate at Alter Domus, Niko brings specialized expertise in financial reporting and fund accounting, managing Mercato's accounting and capital operations.

A Michigander with a finance degree from Michigan State University, Calo supports diligence efforts, sourcing, and AI workflow construction for Mercato's growth fund, believing in extending venture capital access to overlooked regions.

A technologist with a passion for data analytics, Warnock oversees Mercato's technology adoption and platform direction to advance the growth-stage investment process. Prior to this role, he co-founded a direct secondaries fund and a prominent angel network.

With eight years of experience at Lendio, a Mercato Fund III portfolio company, across roles spanning marketing and executive operations, Harper brings firsthand knowledge of Mercato investments to her work managing investor relationships and communications.

A Boston College graduate with experience at University Growth Fund, a $100M student-run venture fund where she conducted due diligence and evaluated investments including Anthropic and Sardine AI.

A long-serving administrator to Co-Founder Greg Warnock, Walred manages professional communications, calendar coordination, travel arrangements, and internal project management for over 15 years.

An administrative specialist supporting firm-wide operations, communications, and events, Rodriguez joined Mercato in 2021 after serving as a communications specialist for a large organization.

With experience in strategic partnerships and business development across scaling startups and corporate enterprises including VTS (which grew from Series A to unicorn status), Mohammadi oversees expansion and operationalization of Mercato's network and community engagement.

With 15 years of administrative experience at Franklin Covey, Lindsey serves as executive assistant to Director Ben Davis, managing calendars, communications, and records with a focus on operational efficiency.