Trey Garland
Senior Associate
Trey Garland
Senior Associate
Trey Garland is a senior associate at Advantage Capital. As a member of the investment team, he is involved in screening potential investment opportunities, performing due diligence and monitoring portfolio companies. Prior to joining the firm, Trey worked as an analyst in the Valuation and Litigation Services Group at RubinBrown LLP covering a wide range of industries including construction, M&D, real estate, professional services, agriculture and renewable energy.
Trey received his bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance from the University of Missouri.
Jeffrey Gentsch
Venture Partner
Jeffrey Gentsch
Venture Partner
Jeffrey Gentsch serves as a venture partner for Advantage Capital and brings over 25 years of private equity investing experience to the firm. He is the founder of Gentsch Capital Partners, a middle market private equity firm. Previously, he was the partner responsible for the St. Louis office of Key Principal Partners, a middle market venture and growth capital equity firm, and a managing director of Harbour Group, a middle market buyout firm. Jeffrey’s early career included leverage buyout banking at Barclays Bank in New York and Continental Illinois Bank in Chicago.
Jeffrey received his MBA in finance from the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis and his bachelor’s degree in Cellular Biology from the University of Kansas. His community involvement includes board roles at the Missouri Baptist Healthcare Foundation and chairman of the Washington University in St. Louis Alumni Board of Governors.
Lisa Gibson
Vice President
Lisa Gibson
Vice President
Lisa Gibson is a Vice President on Advantage Capital’s Partner Services team. In her role, Lisa focuses on compliance and asset management of New Markets Tax Credit loan funds and standalone transactions within the firm’s Partner Services portfolio.
Lisa began her career as a tax accountant for KPMG, where she earned her CPA certificate. Most recently, she was Director of Compliance and Asset Management for Tax Advantage Group by Cherry Bekaert in Greenville, SC, where she managed a portfolio of $680 million of NMTC transactions. She also represented both CDEs and QALICBs in facilitating numerous NMTC investments into low-income communities and businesses.
Lisa received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Louisiana State University.
Sam Gieseler
Associate
Sam Gieseler
Associate
Sam Gieseler is an associate on the Partner Services team. He focuses on origination, servicing, and compliance for the firm’s partner services relationships for both federal and state new market tax credit programs.
Prior to joining Advantage, Sam worked in corporate development for a New Orleans based holding company, where he managed finances and operations for the firm’s portfolio companies.
Sam received his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of New Orleans.
Jason Gillenwater
Vice President
Jason Gillenwater
Vice President
Jason Gillenwater is vice president of underwriting on Advantage Capital’s capital markets team. In his role, Jason is responsible for federal LIHTC property underwriting and closing.
Prior to joining Advantage Capital, Jason spent 14 years with PNC Tax Credit Solutions where he was the lead underwriter on 75 transactions, closing approximately $645 million of tax credit equity and $347 million of debt. Jason also managed a team of underwriters responsible for closing more than 45 LIHTC, HTC and NMTC equity and debt transactions.
Jason holds a B.S. in Real Estate Finance and Entrepreneurship from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
Caleb Gipple
Senior Analyst
Caleb Gipple
Senior Analyst
Caleb Gipple is a business development analyst at Advantage Capital. As a member of the investment team, he is responsible for sourcing investment opportunities and providing due diligence supprt.
Prior to joining Advantage Capital, Caleb was a regional director for a national nonprofit organization based in Richmond, VA, where he was responsible for leading strategic growth for the organization.
Caleb received his bachelor's degree in public administration from University of Northern Iowa as well as an executive certificate from University of Richmond.
Jonathan Goldstein
Managing Director
Jonathan Goldstein
Managing Director
Jonathan Goldstein is an experienced investment executive with a background in venture capital, renewable energy and urban investing. He serves as a member of Advantage Capital’s investment committee and leads the firm’s tax credit syndication group. He is also a member of both the firm’s strategy council and the clean energy investment team. Prior to joining Advantage Capital in 2010, Jonathan served on the board at McCormack Baron Salazar, the leading urban revitalization firm in the country, overseeing the Project Finance group, the various private, governmental and community funding sources. He also oversaw MBS’s New Markets Tax Credit practice, including $210 million in allocations from the U.S. Treasury.
Jonathan founded Sunwheel Energy Partners, an affiliated firm specializing in solar energy programs. Since beginning his career as an attorney, clerking for a federal appellate judge and serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the Justice Department, he also helped found Taproot Ventures, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, where he sourced and structured investments in technology companies. He serves on the boards of Advantage Capital portfolio companies Nextility and SDBIC. He is a member of the Board and Executive Committee for the New Markets Tax Credit Coalition and on the board of Rise, a regional nonprofit dedicated to housing and urban revitalization. In 2012, he was named to the “Who’s Who in Energy List” by a coalition of regional Business Journals. He holds a J.D. from Washington University, where he graduated first in his class, and a bachelor’s degree from Yale.
Michael Goretti
Sourcing Analyst
Michael Goretti
Sourcing Analyst
Michael Goretti is an analyst on the investment team where he is responsible for sourcing investments and providing due diligence support.
Prior to joining Advantage Capital, Michael worked as a corporate partnership Analyst for Appleton Arena.
Michael received his bachelor's degree in mathematics from St. Lawrence University.
Jeff Grass
Senior Vice President
Jeff Grass
Senior Vice President
Jeff Grass is a Senior Vice President at Advantage Capital. He serves as strategic communications counselor to the leadership team and is responsible for defining, developing and deploying compelling content to educate, engage, influence and activate key stakeholders while furthering the firm’s mission.
Prior to joining Advantage Capital, Jeff served as a Global Director of Communications at Bayer Corporation where he led reputation management, issues management, employee engagement and marketing communications for one of the multinational life science company’s fastest-growing divisions. Before Bayer, he held several roles of increasing responsibility at Anheuser-Busch, most recently leading all business and internal communications for North America as Communications Director.
Jeff graduated from Webster University.
Pete Grum
Venture Partner
Pete Grum
Venture Partner
Pete Grum serves as a Venture Partner for Advantage Capital and continues his career of investing in private companies. He has spent the past 25 years president, chief executive officer and director of a publicly traded investment company.
Pete received his MBA in finance from Rochester Institute of Technology and his bachelors in economics from Eisenhower College. He is currently an adjunct professor at University of Buffalo where he teaches corporate finance. His various community activities include board roles as trustee of Buffalo State College, Community Foundation, Horizon Health, 43 North and a variety of investment committees.
Jennifer Guenard
Vice President, Controller
Jennifer Guenard
Vice President, Controller
Jennifer Jeandron is a vice president and controller at Advantage Capital where she plays a key role in the firm’s accounting and financial reporting activities. As an accounting controller, she is responsible for oversight of the preparation of many of the firm’s financial statements.
Prior to joining the firm, Jennifer worked in the audit practices of KPMG, LLP and Deloitte and Touche, LLP. In that role, she served public and private clients in a variety of industries, including energy, banking, healthcare and oil and gas.
Jennifer is a certified public accountant and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Louisiana State University. She serves on the board of directors of the Young Leadership Council and is a member of the Junior League of New Orleans and the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants.
Darian Z. Harris
Senior Associate
Darian Z. Harris
Senior Associate
Darian Harris is a senior associate on Advantage Capital’s national expansion team where he focuses on the firm’s economic development, public policy and public finance initiatives at the state and local level.
Prior to joining Advantage Capital, Darian served as a government affairs legal intern/extern at Troutman Pepper Strategies where he collaborated with various actors in the firm to coordinate and manage meetings with the legislature and other government officials. During law school, he was a legal intern in the Appellate Division of the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office and worked as a judicial Intern for the Honorable Chief Judge Reuben M. Green.
Darian received his J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law, where he served as the Vice-Justice of Phi Alpha Delta and was a member of the Black Law Students Association, and his bachelor’s degree in political science from Reinhardt University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Christopher Harris
Managing Director
Christopher Harris
Managing Director
Christopher Harris is a managing director at Advantage Capital. As a member of the firm’s investment group, he is responsible for sourcing, due diligence and valuation analysis of current and prospective investments. He serves on the board of directors for several portfolio companies, including GENICON, Prioria Robotics, Beehive Industries, RepEquity, SOMS Technologies and Quoddy. Christopher also manages Advantage's investments in Veran Medical Technologies, Minimally Invasive Devices and OrderWithMe.
Prior to joining Advantage Capital, Christopher worked for GE Capital as an assistant vice president, where he helped establish the company’s presence in large cap leveraged finance underwriting and investing. He joined GE in the FMP program and cycled throughout various operating and finance roles before joining on with the large cap leverage finance team.
Christopher received his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.
Erin Harvey
Associate
Erin Harvey
Associate
Erin is an associate on Advantage Capital's investment team. She is responsible for screening potential investment opportunities, performing due diligence, and monitoring portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Advantage Capital, Erin worked for Meta as a financial analyst. She also served as a consultant on Deloitte's Mergers & Acquisitions team where she served Fortune 500 companies by performing due diligence and conducting pre- and post-close integration planning.
Erin earned her MBA with honors from The University of Texas McCombs School of Business, and she graduated cum laude from Washington and Lee University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
Tucker Hase
Analyst
Tucker Hase
Analyst
Tucker Hase is an analyst on the investment team where he is responsible for sourcing investments and providing due diligence support.
Prior to joining Advantage Capital, Tucker worked as a search intern on the formulations division of Endolytx where aided in the development of novel techniques to combat nontuberculous mycobacterial infections.
Tucker attended Northeastern University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences.
Joseph Henderson
Senior Vice President
Joseph Henderson
Senior Vice President
Joseph Henderson is a senior vice president on the firm’s investment team where he provides due diligence support and monitors portfolio companies. Prior to joining the firm, he was the director of finance and analytics at Punchbowl, Inc., a venture-backed technology startup. Joseph also worked with the Maine Venture Fund where he evaluated potential investments and worked closely with portfolio companies.
Joseph received his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and his bachelor’s degree in economics from Bowdoin College.
Leah Hendricks
Senior Vice President
Leah Hendricks
Senior Vice President
Leah Hendricks is a senior vice president on the investment team, where she focuses on portfolio management. She monitors current firm assets, seeks new investment opportunities for the firm and interacts with portfolio companies to evaluate their capital requirements.
Prior to joining Advantage Capital, Leah served as an assistant vice president at BMO Private Bank. Additionally, she worked in the commercial lending division of BMO at M&I Bank, where she gained valuable experience working with executive management and key financial officers in middle market companies to provide debt obligations for various operational purposes.
Leah graduated magna cum laude from the John Cook School of Business at Saint Louis University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in economics.
Laura Heying
Content Manager
Laura Heying
Content Manager
Laura Heying is a Content Manager at Advantage Capital, gifted at crafting and implementing dynamic marketing strategies across social media, blogs, and email platforms. With a background in Communications, she earned her Master's Degree with an emphasis in Promotions and a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communications with a focus on Public Relations, both from Lindenwood University.
Before her time at Advantage Capital, Laura succeeded as an Associate Director of Social Media at Elasticity, where she honed her expertise in developing and executing organic social media campaigns and influencer marketing initiatives for a diverse range of agency clients. Her proactive approach and understanding of digital landscapes enabled her to drive engagement and foster meaningful connections between brands and audiences.
Laura's passion for leveraging innovative strategies to amplify brand presence and foster audience engagement defines her professional ethos. She brings a unique blend of creativity, strategic thinking, and analytical prowess to the table, consistently delivering results that exceed expectations. With her comprehensive skill set and dedication to staying ahead of industry trends, Laura continues to make impactful contributions to the digital marketing landscape, driving growth and success for her team and affiliates at Advantage Capital.
Stephanie Hiatt
Senior Vice President
Stephanie Hiatt
Senior Vice President
Stephanie Hiatt joined Advantage Capital in 2018 as senior vice president. Ms. Hiatt focuses on origination, compliance and asset management of the firm’s Partner Services portfolio, which includes federal and state New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) loan funds and standalone transactions. Ms. Hiatt is a seasoned financial professional with more than 15 years of banking, investment, and finance experience, including 11 years facilitating investments in low-income communities, low-income housing, historic preservation and renewable energy.
Most recently, she was Director of Advisory Services at Dudley Ventures in Phoenix, AZ, where she led a team focused on raising and deploying capital utilizing federal tax credit programs, such as the NMTC Program, among others. During her tenure with Dudley, Ms. Hiatt was responsible for closing more than $750 million in NMTC investments in over 150 low-income community businesses. Ms. Hiatt also worked in the banking industry for Wells Fargo Bank and First Security Bank.
Ms. Hiatt received her bachelor of arts in political science from the University of Rochester, with a minor concentration in Italian language and culture.
Gregory Hulecki
Venture Partner
Gregory Hulecki
Venture Partner
Gregory Hulecki serves as a venture partner for Advantage Capital and brings more than 30 years of private equity investing experience to the firm. Mr. Hulecki was a partner and founder of FA Technology Ventures, an independent, established venture capital firm that invests in early stage technology companies in targeted emerging technology sectors. Previously, he was a managing director and founder of Seacoast Capital, a growth equity fund. Prior to founding Seacoast, Greg managed the investment portfolio of Signal Capital. Mr. Hulecki also worked as a principal at Capital Growth Partners, a middle market private equity firm, and Venture Founders, an early stage technology venture capital firm.
Mr. Hulecki earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Kettering University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. His community involvement includes recruiting and screening entrepreneurs for Springboard Enterprises, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to accelerating women’s access to the venture capital markets. In addition, he has worked with mentors from the MIT Venture Mentoring Service, comprised of successful entrepreneurs and investors who assist technologies and startups in spinning out of the University.
Reid Hutchins
Managing Director
Reid Hutchins
Managing Director
Reid Hutchins is a managing director at Advantage Capital where he manages the firm’s New York investment portfolio. His responsibilities include sourcing and structuring new investments, as well as working with current portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Advantage Capital, Reid served as a product development engineer for Advanced Micro Devices and as an engineer and manager with IBM Microelectronics. He brings operational experience in semiconductor design, manufacturing, testing and production to the firm.
Reid currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Upstate Venture Association of New York (UVANY). He also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Northeast New York.
Reid holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from St. Lawrence University, in addition to a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s in engineering management from Dartmouth College.
Kelly Jacobi
Analyst
Kelly Jacobi
Analyst
Kelly Jacobi is an analyst on the Partner Services team,where she focuses on asset management for Advantage Capital’s network ofpartner firms.
Prior to joining Advantage Capital, Kelly worked as theOperations Manager at Convergence Accounting, where she supervised taxpreparation workflow, processed payroll for a variety of clients, preparedbookkeeping, and managed accounts receivable.
Kelly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Filmmakingfrom Stephens College. She is currently completing a Certificate of Proficiency in Accounting with Saint Louis Community College.
Michael Johnson
Managing Director
Michael Johnson
Managing Director
Michael Johnson, an experienced venture capitalist and a specialized transactions attorney, is a managing director at Advantage Capital. He is involved in all aspects of the firm’s operations, with a primary focus on capital-raising transactions, regulatory compliance and government relations. He also serves as chief compliance officer.
Previously associated with New Orleans’ largest law firm, Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrère & Denègre, Michael practiced securities and corporate law for a broad range of clients.
Michael received his J.D. degree from Stanford University School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif, and an his bachelor’s degree from Harvard College, graduating cum laude.
Alex Johnson
President, InState Partners
Alex Johnson
President, InState Partners
Alex Johnson is the President of InState Partners, leading a dynamic and experienced team of state affairs professionals from across the country. Offering comprehensive state government affairs and strategic counsel, he works to ensure that clients are well informed about state political environments and current policy issues.
Alex has worked in politics for over 20 years working on campaigns, PACs and political committees. Previously, Mr. Johnson served as the founding director of both the Republican Legislative Committee and the Republican Lieutenant Governor Association. More recently, he served as senior vice president at FP1 Strategies and founded a boutique state affairs firm.
Alex received his bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Marquette University. He currently serves on the executive committee of the board for the America Council of Young Political Leaders.
Anne Johnson
Principal
Anne Johnson
Principal
Anne Johnson is a principal and helps lead the Capital Markets team, focusing on capital formation and investor relations across the firm's Renewables, LIHTC, NMTC and state tax credit platforms. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the public and private equity markets, and has closed nearly $1.5 billion in federal tax credit equity transactions and placed more than $400 million in state tax credits during her time with Advantage Capital.
Anne was with Johnson Rice & Co. for eighteen years, first as an equity research analyst and later in institutional equity sales. She worked in corporate finance for Deloitte and Chaffe & Associates, valuing privately-held companies and financial institutions for capital raises, mergers and acquisitions, and estate planning. Immediately prior to joining Advantage Capital, she was with DeMonte & Falgoust CPAs, focusing on tax compliance and planning for corporations and individuals.
Anne holds an MBA from the University of New Orleans and a bachelor's degree in business from Rhodes College.
Geet Kalra
Associate
Geet Kalra
Associate
Geet Kalra is an Associate at Advantage Capital, playing a key role in advancing the firm's impact efforts as part of its investment team.
Geet has experience in working with a wide range of impact actors - including investors, NGOs, and consultants - across the globe on themes such as sustainable finance, poverty alleviation, and climate change. He also has attended/presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos, COP meetings, and the World Government Summit.
Prior to joining Advantage Capital, he worked with Yunus Social Business (YSB) leading cross-sectoral investments in multiple early-stage social enterprises in India and other developing countries. Alongside, he also advised three EU based consultants and investors on impact-related projects. Previously, Geet worked with Nomura Securities in its Global Markets function as Analyst.
Geet received his MBA from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and his bachelor's degree in finance and engineering from BITS Pilani in India.
Thomas Keaveney
Advisor
Thomas Keaveney
Advisor
Thomas Keaveney serves as a board member and senior advisor for Advantage Capital. He has extensive experience in all phases of private finance, including deal origination, structuring, pricing and documentation.
Thomas previously served the firm as an investment banker with Credit Suisse First Boston, where he was Chairman of the Private Finance Department, and a member of both the Investment and Investment Banking committees. Prior to CSFB, he worked in the private finance department of Salomon Brothers and at the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association. He is a director of the Gregorian University Foundation in Rome, Italy.
Thomas earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics at Fordham University.
Mitch Kelly
Senior Associate
Mitch Kelly
Senior Associate
Mitch Kelly is a Senior Associate on Advantage Capital’s Affordable Housing team where he focuses on supporting our State Low-Income Housing Tax Credit business. Mitch brings extensive experience from his previous roles as Housing Finance Director, Allocation Manager, and Tax Credit Specialist at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
Mitch received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the Georgia Institute of Technology's Scheller College of Business, graduating with highest honors.
Brooks Kiser
Associate
Brooks Kiser
Associate
Brooks Kiser is an associate at Advantage Capital. As a member of the investment team, his primary responsibilities include helping underwrite new investments, performing due diligence and aiding in growth initiatives for the firm’s portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Advantage Capital, Brooks worked for IBERIABANK in New Orleans, LA. After spending a year working with the bank’s commercial underwriting team, Brooks switched roles and became the portfolio manager for the bank’s tax credit investment team, managing a portfolio of Historic, Low-Income, and New Markets tax credit investments.
Brooks received his bachelor’s degree in Public Relations with a business minor from Tulane University.
Jonathan "Buzz" Kofos
Analyst
Jonathan "Buzz" Kofos
Analyst
Buzz Kofos is an investment analyst at Advantage Capital. As a member of the investment team, he provides due diligence support and helps underwrite and structure new investments.
Prior to joining the firm, Buzz worked at Deloitte as an intern in their Audit & Assurance department and Houlihan Lokey as a summer analyst on their Transaction Advisory Services team.
Buzz received both his BBA in accounting and master’s in professional accounting from The University of Texas at Austin.