At Great Oaks, we are a small collegial team working towards one common goal. Every team member brings a unique perspective and each portfolio company benefits from the collective insights and experiences of the partnership.
Andy is the Founder and Managing Partner at Great Oaks. He has helped seed over 200 technology and consumer startups over the last three decades.
Prior to founding Great Oaks in 2003, Andy was a Managing Director at Neuberger Berman, co-founded and sold an asset management business and was an executive at Goldman Sachs from 1980 to 1996. Andy holds a BBA and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Henry holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College, with a double major in Economics & Environmental Science. He and his wife Laura have two boys and a pug. In his free time Henry enjoys playin Golf, Tennis, Skiing, photography and travel.
Henry was selected to the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 for Venture Capital and the Seed 100. In addition to his work at Great Oaks, Henry serves as a board member for Runway for Recovery, a non-profit working to direct vital funds to children and families who are affected by breast cancer to lessen the burden and obstacles of losing a caregiver to the disease.
Stuart is a Partner at Great Oaks, based in NYC. He started full time at Great Oaks in 2017 as a Startup Consultant before joining the investment team in 2018 and working up to partner in 2021. Stuart graduated with an Economics degree from Cornell University in 2016.
Prior to Great Oaks he worked as a Business Consultant at Sapient Global Markets. Stuart is an avid audiobook reader, fitness fanatic, and volunteers as a Crit Advisor at Cornell Tech.
Andy is the Founder and Managing Partner at Great Oaks. He has helped seed over 200 technology and consumer startups over the last three decades.
Prior to founding Great Oaks in 2003, Andy was a Managing Director at Neuberger Berman, co-founded and sold an asset management business and was an executive at Goldman Sachs from 1980 to 1996. Andy holds a BBA and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Henry holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College, with a double major in Economics & Environmental Science. He and his wife Laura have two boys and a pug. In his free time Henry enjoys playin Golf, Tennis, Skiing, photography and travel.
Henry was selected to the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 for Venture Capital and the Seed 100. In addition to his work at Great Oaks, Henry serves as a board member for Runway for Recovery, a non-profit working to direct vital funds to children and families who are affected by breast cancer to lessen the burden and obstacles of losing a caregiver to the disease.
Stuart is a Partner at Great Oaks, based in NYC. He started full time at Great Oaks in 2017 as a Startup Consultant before joining the investment team in 2018 and working up to partner in 2021. Stuart graduated with an Economics degree from Cornell University in 2016.
Prior to Great Oaks he worked as a Business Consultant at Sapient Global Markets. Stuart is an avid audiobook reader, fitness fanatic, and volunteers as a Crit Advisor at Cornell Tech.
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Raj is a Partner at Great Oaks and has been an investor for over two decades in more than 100 companies. Previously he was a Partner at venture capital firms Athena Technology Investors, Madison Angels, at private equity firm Chatterjee-Soros Group ($2 billion), and at technology banking firm Cowen & Co
He was also co-founder, seed investor and chairman of Modulus Video (acquired by Motorola). He started his career in software development and product marketing and management at a startup. He holds an MBA from Harvard and a BS (double major in computer science and economics) from Yale.
Celine is the chief financial officer of Great Oaks Venture Capital. She joined Great Oaks at inception and is involved in various aspects of the business, including investor relations, transaction reconciliation, as well as, team and fund management from an operations standpoint, etc
Prior to Great Oaks, Celine has worked at Morgan Stanley in Global High Yield, Investment Banking and Private Wealth Management divisions. Celine has worked with Andy since 2002 at Neuberger Berman. Celine holds a BA in Economics-Mathematics from Columbia University. Celine has a daughter and lives in San Francisco.
Tamara is an administrator at Great Oaks Venture Capital. She started her career at Great Oaks in 2005 and monitors investment funding and administrative affairs. Prior to Great Oaks Tamara worked in healthcare administration.
Tamara holds a Bachelor of Arts from Boston University where she majored in English and Psychology. She resides in Brooklyn with her family and enjoys exploring the parks, beaches, and ethnic cuisines of New York City’s outer boroughs.
Raj is a Partner at Great Oaks and has been an investor for over two decades in more than 100 companies. Previously he was a Partner at venture capital firms Athena Technology Investors, Madison Angels, at private equity firm Chatterjee-Soros Group ($2 billion), and at technology banking firm Cowen & Co
He was also co-founder, seed investor and chairman of Modulus Video (acquired by Motorola). He started his career in software development and product marketing and management at a startup. He holds an MBA from Harvard and a BS (double major in computer science and economics) from Yale.
Celine is the chief financial officer of Great Oaks Venture Capital. She joined Great Oaks at inception and is involved in various aspects of the business, including investor relations, transaction reconciliation, as well as, team and fund management from an operations standpoint, etc
Prior to Great Oaks, Celine has worked at Morgan Stanley in Global High Yield, Investment Banking and Private Wealth Management divisions. Celine has worked with Andy since 2002 at Neuberger Berman. Celine holds a BA in Economics-Mathematics from Columbia University. Celine has a daughter and lives in San Francisco.
Tamara is an administrator at Great Oaks Venture Capital. She started her career at Great Oaks in 2005 and monitors investment funding and administrative affairs. Prior to Great Oaks Tamara worked in healthcare administration.
Tamara holds a Bachelor of Arts from Boston University where she majored in English and Psychology. She resides in Brooklyn with her family and enjoys exploring the parks, beaches, and ethnic cuisines of New York City’s outer boroughs.
At Great Oaks, we have developed relationships with some of the most successful and influential people in technology startups. We are proud to work with brilliant minds who have shaped the companies of today, and grateful that they help us identify and advise the companies of tomorrow.
Bradford Benz is the Managing Partner of Benz Capital and founder of RedShift Group, an advisory and venture capital firm focused on helping companies rapidly scale their businesses. Brad has advised numerous companies, including Pandora Media, Udemy and Answers.com
Since 2011, Brad has served as a Senior Advisor for TPG Growth and TPG Rise Fund, a top global private equity firm with over $85 billion under management. During his tenure at TPG, Brad sourced deals, conducted due diligence on potential investments, advised several of TPG’s portfolio companies, and helped architect InStride, a global marketplace that enables employees to earn their degree in a cost effective manner. Brad earned his MBA from University of Michigan and an AB degree from Princeton University.
Dan Reich has been a co-founder to multiple businesses including Tula Skincare, Troops, and DIBS Beauty. He is also a contributing writer to Forbes and an advisor and investor in numerous other companies.
Dan holds a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. When he is not working, he is most likely traveling, playing golf, or volunteering (on a snowboard) at Mount Snow, VT as a member of their Ski Patrol and Rescue team.
James Gutierrez is a leading social entrepreneur and innovator in lending and financial technology. Prior to Insikt, James founded and was CEO of Oportun (formerly Progreso Financiero), the leading provider of responsible, unsecured loans to Hispanics in the US that recently surpassed $1.5 billion in loans and over half a million borrowers since its founding.
"James has served on Federal Reserve Board’s Consumer Advisory Council and the Centennial Advisory Committee, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences on financial services innovation. James also co-authored and helped pass two federal and state laws to help increase the availability of safe and affordable small dollar loans. In 2010, BusinessWeek selected James as one of America’s most promising social entrepreneurs and in 2012, Goldman Sachs named James one of America’s top 100 most intriguing entrepreneurs. James graduated with a BA in Economics from Yale University and a MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business."
Bradford Benz is the Managing Partner of Benz Capital and founder of RedShift Group, an advisory and venture capital firm focused on helping companies rapidly scale their businesses. Brad has advised numerous companies, including Pandora Media, Udemy and Answers.com
Since 2011, Brad has served as a Senior Advisor for TPG Growth and TPG Rise Fund, a top global private equity firm with over $85 billion under management. During his tenure at TPG, Brad sourced deals, conducted due diligence on potential investments, advised several of TPG’s portfolio companies, and helped architect InStride, a global marketplace that enables employees to earn their degree in a cost effective manner. Brad earned his MBA from University of Michigan and an AB degree from Princeton University.
Dan Reich has been a co-founder to multiple businesses including Tula Skincare, Troops, and DIBS Beauty. He is also a contributing writer to Forbes and an advisor and investor in numerous other companies.
Dan holds a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. When he is not working, he is most likely traveling, playing golf, or volunteering (on a snowboard) at Mount Snow, VT as a member of their Ski Patrol and Rescue team.
James Gutierrez is a leading social entrepreneur and innovator in lending and financial technology. Prior to Insikt, James founded and was CEO of Oportun (formerly Progreso Financiero), the leading provider of responsible, unsecured loans to Hispanics in the US that recently surpassed $1.5 billion in loans and over half a million borrowers since its founding.
"James has served on Federal Reserve Board’s Consumer Advisory Council and the Centennial Advisory Committee, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences on financial services innovation. James also co-authored and helped pass two federal and state laws to help increase the availability of safe and affordable small dollar loans. In 2010, BusinessWeek selected James as one of America’s most promising social entrepreneurs and in 2012, Goldman Sachs named James one of America’s top 100 most intriguing entrepreneurs. James graduated with a BA in Economics from Yale University and a MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business."
John has more than 30 years of experience on Wall Street and as a Venture Capital investor. At present, he is a Senior Managing Director at Dillon Kane Group in Chicago.
"Previously, he was Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Wellspring Captial Advisors a registered investment advisor and was an executive at Credit Suisse First Boston and William Blair and Company. John holds a BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. John has one child. When not working or parenting, he s likely to be in the gym, snowboarding, cycling, cooking or eco-travelling."
Ken Landis has been an entrepreneur, private investor and executive in the cosmetics, accessory and fashion industries for almost thirty years. Mr. Landis co-founded Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Inc., which was acquired by The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc. (NYSE:EL) and Tula Skincare, which was acquired by Proctor & Gamble Co (NYSE:PG).
Mr. Landis holds a B.S. in Economics from University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School and an MBA in Finance from New York University. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
Nat is CEO of Collectors, a holding company focused on the collectibles industry, and General Partner at Operator Partners. Prior to his current roles, Nat was co-founder and CEO of two Great Oaks portfolio companies: Flatiron Health (acquired by Roche) and Invite Media (acquired by Google).
"An active angel investor since 2010, Nat has invested in over 250 startups, including BarkBox, Cedar, Clover Health, Color Genomics, Headway, Imagen, Immuta, Oscar, Philo, Plaid, Ribbon Health, Workrise, Vise, and Zipline. Nat graduated from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Nat is an avid golfer and collector of sports cards. ?"
John has more than 30 years of experience on Wall Street and as a Venture Capital investor. At present, he is a Senior Managing Director at Dillon Kane Group in Chicago.
"Previously, he was Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Wellspring Captial Advisors a registered investment advisor and was an executive at Credit Suisse First Boston and William Blair and Company. John holds a BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. John has one child. When not working or parenting, he s likely to be in the gym, snowboarding, cycling, cooking or eco-travelling."
Ken Landis has been an entrepreneur, private investor and executive in the cosmetics, accessory and fashion industries for almost thirty years. Mr. Landis co-founded Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Inc., which was acquired by The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc. (NYSE:EL) and Tula Skincare, which was acquired by Proctor & Gamble Co (NYSE:PG).
Mr. Landis holds a B.S. in Economics from University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School and an MBA in Finance from New York University. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
Nat is CEO of Collectors, a holding company focused on the collectibles industry, and General Partner at Operator Partners. Prior to his current roles, Nat was co-founder and CEO of two Great Oaks portfolio companies: Flatiron Health (acquired by Roche) and Invite Media (acquired by Google).
"An active angel investor since 2010, Nat has invested in over 250 startups, including BarkBox, Cedar, Clover Health, Color Genomics, Headway, Imagen, Immuta, Oscar, Philo, Plaid, Ribbon Health, Workrise, Vise, and Zipline. Nat graduated from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Nat is an avid golfer and collector of sports cards. ?"
Randall Burkert is the Managing Partner and a Co-Founder of Mercer + Bond Capital, Merchant Bankers, a Quadrant Company transacting in lower middle markets focused on direct investments by family office and significant net worth investors.
"Prior to M+B, Burkert spent five years in wealth management working with family offices and significant net worth investors as a Managing Director for The Northern Trust Company and Hirtle, Callaghan & Co. Previously, he was at Goldman Sachs for twenty years as a Managing Director in the Securities Division. One of the original members of the Goldman Sachs Trust Company, he then served on the institutional sales force, eventually co-founding and heading the Global Institutional Group. Prior to his tenure at Goldman Sachs, Burkert earned his CPA at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He was an NBA draft choice and played basketball professionally overseas. Burkert earned his MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and attended Drexel University as an undergraduate where he currently serves on the Board of Trustees. He is also currently serving on the board of the Abingdon Theatre Company of New York City"
Zach is Co-Founder and CEO of Curie.Bio. Prior to his current roles, Zach was co-founder of two Great Oaks portfolio companies: Flatiron Health (acquired by Roche) and Invite Media (acquired by Google).
"An active angel investor, Zach has invested in hundreds of technology startups throughout the country, including Bark, Clover Health, Color Genomics, Cometeer, Headway, Hyperscience, Imagen, Plaid, Oscar, RigUp, Ro and Spring Health. Zach studied economics and entrepreneurship at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania but proudly did not graduate."
Randall Burkert is the Managing Partner and a Co-Founder of Mercer + Bond Capital, Merchant Bankers, a Quadrant Company transacting in lower middle markets focused on direct investments by family office and significant net worth investors.
"Prior to M+B, Burkert spent five years in wealth management working with family offices and significant net worth investors as a Managing Director for The Northern Trust Company and Hirtle, Callaghan & Co. Previously, he was at Goldman Sachs for twenty years as a Managing Director in the Securities Division. One of the original members of the Goldman Sachs Trust Company, he then served on the institutional sales force, eventually co-founding and heading the Global Institutional Group. Prior to his tenure at Goldman Sachs, Burkert earned his CPA at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He was an NBA draft choice and played basketball professionally overseas. Burkert earned his MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and attended Drexel University as an undergraduate where he currently serves on the Board of Trustees. He is also currently serving on the board of the Abingdon Theatre Company of New York City"
Zach is Co-Founder and CEO of Curie.Bio. Prior to his current roles, Zach was co-founder of two Great Oaks portfolio companies: Flatiron Health (acquired by Roche) and Invite Media (acquired by Google).
"An active angel investor, Zach has invested in hundreds of technology startups throughout the country, including Bark, Clover Health, Color Genomics, Cometeer, Headway, Hyperscience, Imagen, Plaid, Oscar, RigUp, Ro and Spring Health. Zach studied economics and entrepreneurship at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania but proudly did not graduate."