The Gray Ghost Ventures (GGV) team brings to the social investment arena diverse public and private sector experience. Our team includes professionals with expertise in investment banking, corporate finance, non-profit management and international development. We take a proactive and creative approach to addressing the funding needs of our investment partners and collaborate to provide the knowledge, insight and support our investees need to grow and succeed.

 

Ross Baird
Investment Analyst,
First Light Ventures
First Light’s Investment Analyst, Ross Baird, assists the group’s Investment Manager to build the First Light Venture's investment portfolio by analyzing and recommending investment opportunities. He also works closely with entrepreneurs to assist them in preparing for long-term financing. He helps connect them with the resources and knowledge they need to create strong business models and successful prototypes.

Ross recently completed his Masters Degree in Comparative Government as a Marshall Scholar at the University of Oxford, England. He graduated from the University of Virginia, where he was a Jefferson Scholar and the President of the Class of 2007, with a B.A. in Government. He started two civic participation initiatives, Vote From Home, which uses technology to motivate political participation, and Georgia PACE, a civic education program.

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Lisa Blanco
General Counsel
Lisa is Gray Ghost Ventures’ general counsel and brings to the team extensive experience in private equity, including venture capital investments, leveraged buyouts, and investment funds. She also has expertise in mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, and general corporate matters.

Lisa joined Gray Ghost Ventures from King & Spalding where she was a Partner in its corporate practice focused on private equity and mergers and acquisitions. Lisa represented fund investors in reviewing and negotiating the terms of their investments and represented private equity funds in venture capital investments and leveraged buyouts. During her tenure at King & Spalding, Lisa was seconded to her client, GE Equity, General Electric Company’s global private equity division, where she served as internal counsel for investments and fund-related issues. Lisa has written on a variety of private equity topics, including “How to Auction Your Company to a Private Equity Fund,” which was published in Executive Counsel, a publication providing C-level insights for business leaders. She also wrote a chapter titled “Setting the Stage for a Successful M&A Exit” in the publication VC Portfolio Company M&A Strategies. Lisa has also been a guest speaker on a panel discussing “Fundraising and Effective Investor Relations Strategies” at the Southeastern Private Equity Summit of 2008.

Lisa graduated from the University of Georgia with a BBA in International Business and received her law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law. She has been selected as a “Georgia Super Lawyer Rising Star” in the corporate area by Law & Politics and Atlanta magazine for five years and has been recognized for her commitment and dedication to pro-bono work. She has served on the Board of Directors of the University of Georgia Alumni Association, completed the Leadership Buckhead program and was a Visiting Professor at Georgia Tech in the School of Public Policy Pre-Law Program for five years. She currently serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors of AADD - All About Development Disabilities.

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Frank Brown
Senior Financial Analyst
As Senior Financial Analyst, Frank is responsible for performing investment and financial analysis for opportunities across GGV’s lines of business. In association with Steve Hardgrave, he manages GGV’s microfinance portfolio and has oversight for short-term investments.

Frank initially joined the GGV team as Senior Investment Officer for the Gray Ghost Microfinance Fund and was instrumental in implementing the fund’s strategy, including sourcing and executing purchases and sales of debt and equity investments. Prior to joining Gray Ghost Ventures, Frank was a Vice President and Senior Analyst in the equities research department at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. During his career, he has held several analyst and portfolio management positions for firms including Prudential Securities and SunTrust Bank.

Frank received his MBA from Duke University, and completed undergraduate studies at the University of the South. Frank is a Chartered Financial Analyst and member of the Atlanta Society of Financial Analysts.

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Brian Cayce
Principal,
Social Venture Group
Brian brings both business expertise and years of valuable field experience in emerging markets to Gray Ghost Ventures’ Social Venture Group. Brian was the chief architect of the strategic direction for GGV’s social venture investment practice, and he helps lead the analysis, evaluation, and execution of investment opportunities.

Prior to joining Gray Ghost Ventures, Brian was an independent economic development and microfinance consultant for a start-up social venture company named Benevolink. Brian began his professional career as a volunteer focused on community development, information and communications technology with the United States Peace Corps in Turkmenistan, Central Asia. He subsequently worked with KPMG as a consultant in the Business Valuations practice, and later joined the international humanitarian organization CARE International. While at CARE, Brian was the Financial Systems Implementation Manager responsible for Asia, Eurasia and parts of Africa, and also served as Deputy Director for the Southeastern European offices.

Brian serves on the boards of local non-profit organizations and facilitates a financial management workshop for at-risk homeless families in the Atlanta area. Brian is a summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Georgia, and earned an MBA in Finance from Georgia State University. He is a Kauffman Fellow and Certified Financial Analyst.

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Arun Gore
Managing Director,
Social Venture Group
Arun is Managing Director of Gray Ghost Ventures’ Social Venture Group and leads the team that is responsible for overseeing the development, evaluation, governance, and operational management of the social venture portfolio. His executive management, policy and finance experience drives the strategic direction for the funds under management and he is actively engaged as a board representative for the portfolio companies.

Arun served in a consulting capacity with GGV before joining the company on a full-time basis in 2008. Prior to GGV, he worked with T-Mobile USA, where he held executive positions in various capacities, from managing market operations to serving as CFO for Cook Inlet/T-Mobile. As CFO he was engaged in managing joint venture operations and procuring funding of over $1 billion through syndications of senior-secured credit facilities. Before his tenure at T-Mobile, Arun led the international operations of SAI Inc., an energy and oil field supplies company. During his career, Arun has provided advice for, invested and participated in the growth and success of multiple technology and telecom focused ventures.

Arun has an MBA with a specialization in Finance. He pursued undergraduate studies in both India and the United States, and has a Bachelor of Science degree in the sciences, as well as a BSc. in Accounting.

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Steve Hardgrave
Senior Managing Director,
Social Venture Group
As Senior Managing Director of Gray Ghost Ventures, Steve is responsible for leading the strategic direction of the company and its impact investing initiatives. With more than 10 years of cross-functional management experience, he brings a unique mix of entrepreneurship, international development and investment expertise to the team. Steve helped build GGV’s early social venture portfolio and more recently led the launch of GGV’s initiative to provide financing to affordable private schools throughout the developing world.

Prior to joining GGV, Steve was an Investment Manager with the Omidyar Network, where he was responsible for sourcing, analyzing and managing assets in the Access to Finance portfolio. He previously spent seven years in Mexico, where he worked with a Mexican community development NGO (Amextra) and later started a for‐profit microfinance institution (Avance).

Steve holds an MBA from University of California, Berkeley and a BA in International Economics from University of California, Los Angeles. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Global Social Venture Competition and sits on the board of the Silicon Valley Microfinance Network.

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John Hardman
Investment Manager
As the Investment Manager for First Light Ventures (FLV), John Hardman oversees all analysis, negotiations and execution of First Light’s investments. Day-to-day, John develops and prioritizes the investment pipeline and assists the Investment Analyst in creating investment strategies and working with investees.

John came to FLV with a diverse background in both law and business. He practiced as a corporate attorney at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP in Atlanta, rotated through various groups in the Financial Management Services division of Synovus Financial Corporation, and provided business and legal advisory services through his own firm. From 2001-2002, John served as a faculty member of a bilingual school in the Dominican Republic, and in 2008 he volunteered as an election monitor for the Carter Center in Nepal. John is a native of Atlanta and remains active in various nonprofit and community organizations.

John has a Masters Degree in Business Administration from INSEAD, where he spent time on the Fontainebleau, France and Singapore campuses. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University Of Virginia School Of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University with a focus in International Relations and Economics.

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Jennifer McReynolds
Executive Special Assistant ,
Social Venture Group
Jennifer joined the Social Venture Group in the fall of 2008 as Executive Special Assistant. She provides the team with administrative support and serves as administrative liaison with our outside partners and developers. Jennifer is also responsible for managing contract administration, as well as preparing investor-related materials and conducting basic research.

Jennifer started her investment industry career as a trainee in the Merrill Lynch Sales and Trading Analyst Program, with a focus in debt capital markets. She subsequently worked as an Associate in Merrill Lynch’s Atlanta-based fixed income office, where she specialized in mortgage backed securities. Prior to joining Gray Ghost Ventures, Jennifer worked with the principals of a Citigroup entrepreneurial venture. Actively involved in community outreach, Jennifer supports programs for un-wed mothers and at-risk teenagers in the Atlanta community. Jennifer is a graduate of Spelman College with a BA in Economics.

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Sam Moss
Managing Director
Sam is responsible for establishing and maintaining Gray Ghost Ventures’ strategic partnerships and leading GGV’s external communications function, ensuring the integration, coordination and continuity of messages and positioning. He serves on the investment committees of GGV and Gray Matters Capital (GMC), and as board president of GMC.

Sam spent more than 20 years at Wachovia Bank, where he held executive positions in International and Corporate Banking, Capital Markets and Wealth Management. He was appointed the inaugural Chairman of the International Association of Microfinance Investors (IAMFI) and remains an active board member. He currently chairs the Atlanta Arts Loan Fund, and sits on the advisory boards of Oglethorpe University and Appalachian Community Enterprises (ACE). An active supporter of the arts and a cyclist, Sam is a graduate of Williams College.

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Pete Peyton
Managing Director
Pete is the Chief Investment Officer for Gray Ghost Ventures and oversees the company’s financial operations. In addition to managing the overall investment process, he is responsible for financial planning and is actively engaged in strategic planning and analysis.

With more than 25 years of experience in financial services industry management, Pete brings a wealth of expertise developing, integrating, and executing business plans for client origination, capital markets, and risk management activities. He began his career in U.S. Corporate Banking at Wachovia Bank, N.A., and was subsequently promoted into increasingly senior positions including, Group Executive of Merchant Banking and Financial Advisory Services and Executive Vice President of Equity Capital Markets. Prior to joining the GGV team, Pete served as Head of Portfolio Management, International Corporate Finance with responsibility for Wachovia’s non-U.S. $6.5 billion corporate loan portfolio.

Pete earned his MBA, with a concentration in Finance and Accounting, from the Goizueta Business School, Emory University, and completed his undergraduate studies in Banking and Finance at Mississippi State University. Pete currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Buckhead Christian Ministry, an organization that seeks to prevent hunger and homelessness in Atlanta. He is also a member of the Board of Advisors for the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.

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Genia Topple
Program Director, Gray Matters Capital/
Executive Director, Rockdale Foundation
Genia manages the philanthropic arm of Gray Ghost Ventures. She serves as Program Director of Gray Matters Capital, a private operating foundation, as well as the Executive Director of the Rockdale Foundation, a grant-making foundation. Genia works closely with the Board of Directors to define each foundation’s strategic focus and is responsible for coordinating program and grant-making activities to improve the quality of and access to education for poor children in developing countries.

Genia joined the Rockdale Foundation in 2003 as Program Officer for Microfinance and spearheaded the Foundation’s activities in the Middle East. As part of this role, she traveled extensively to the Arab region and lived in Egypt for a year, where she helped open and staff the headquarters of Sanabel, a regional association serving the Arab microfinance industry. Prior to joining Rockdale, Genia was an analyst with Glover Capital where she specialized in mergers and acquisitions.

An active member of Atlanta’s civic community, Genia currently sits on the boards of the Decatur Preservation Alliance and the Atlanta Montessori International Education Foundation. Genia is a graduate of the Thunderbird School of Global Management and she completed her undergraduate studies in history at Furman University.

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Frank Zaubi
Managing Director
Frank is the Managing Director responsible for coordinating the company’s operating activities. He oversees the internal infrastructure, including accounting, information technology, facilities, office management, human resources and administration. Frank was initially hired in 2005 to put in place the structure for “Idea Lab” which subsequently evolved into Gray Matters Capital and served as its first Executive Director. He has served as Senior Managing Director of GGV Enterprises and assumed his current duties in January 2009. In addition, Frank holds the position of chairman of Racemi, a high tech software company owned by GGV.

Frank brings to the team more than 30 years of experience in financial industry operations management and held senior positions with Wachovia Bank, N.A, First National Bank of Atlanta and National City Corp. In his last position at Wachovia, Frank served as Executive Vice President of Wachovia Operational Services Corporation responsible for banking operations.

Frank earned his MBA in Systems Management from Baldwin-Wallace College and completed his BA at Cleveland State University. He is also a graduate of the Stonier School of Banking at Rutgers University.

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