Our mission is to invest in the companies which are charting the future of how humans and business interact, spanning generative AI, enterprise infrastructure, industrial IoT, automation, retail and E-commerce infrastructure, automotive, and aerospace. We endeavor to enable the applications of innovative technology and business models which bring goods, people, or information to its final destination.
We are looking to partner with strong and rapidly growing companies of values greater than $1 billion where our collaborative team with special operations methodologies and extensive domain expertise can help organizations navigate the public markets and achieve next-level performance.
Our approach to business is based on teamwork, integrity and quiet professionalism, qualities we learned during our extensive training in the military. Each of our team members has uniquely honed their approach to team work out of uniform, in the process building unique approaches to helping companies succeed. We bring our unique hybrid experience and our values into the corporate world, building high performing teams in a range of specialized industries: technology, consumer, aviation, defense, automotive, investment banking, capital markets, and asset management. We are a tightly connected group of trusted and accomplished business builders. Our collective experience includes: >25 years as CEOs of public companies, 8 companies founded, 13 companies acquired, and >55 years in military leadership.
We bring a “Special Operations” culture, unique amongst special purpose acquisition (SPAC) management teams, that models selective, highly trained military units focused on a single operation. Our goal is to combine dependability, collaborative effort, approach and proficiency to drive elite performance for shareholders. This team-first approach focuses on injecting support, expertise, and partnership, enabling the company to push into the public phase and achieve the next wave of strategic imperatives.
Thomas Morgan Jr. has 27+ years of experience advising private wealth clients on asset allocation, risk management, wealth protection, and generational preservation. He founded Corps Capital Advisors in 2019, which equips clients with holistic, comprehensive private wealth management solutions. He previously served as a managing director at Morgan Stanley and built a private wealth management business at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Morgan holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Military Academy at WestPoint, an MBA from Harvard Business School and served as an infantry/aviation officer in the United States Army with the 2nd Infantry Division, 1st Cavalry Division, 6th Cavalry Squadron, attending several advanced training schools and qualifying as a helicopter pilot.
Chris Gaertner has 25+ years of experience in underwriting, advising, and mergers and acquisitions. He has been a lead advisor on over 100 equity and M&A transactions, including some of the largest deals in technology, and has led IPOs for companies such as Google and OpenTable. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, an MS in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University, and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army with the 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, and 1st Special Operations Comm
Pat Wilkison, managing partner at Integrity Partners, an early stage investment firm, brings decades of leadership in innovation-based businesses. Mr. Wilkison previously founded Exponential Partners, focusing on early-stage technology investments. Pat brings decades of experience running multiple P&Ls of fast-growing, globally-scaled data infrastructure companies, Western Digital and STEC. Pat began his post-military career as a tech investment banker at Lehman Brothers. Prior to Pat’s time leading technology businesses and investment firms, he served as an aviation planning officer and helicopter pilot with the U.S. Army. Mr. Wilkison holds a BS in Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and was a Provident Scholar at the Center for Investment Studies at University of Southern California.
Kathy Hildreth CEO and Founder of M1 Support Services, has 30+ years of government and professional services leadership experience. Prior to founding M1, she served as the vice president of business development at DynCorp and held leadership roles at General Electric and Lockheed Martin. Ms. Hildreth holds a BS in Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a master’s degree in adult education and training from Georgia Southern University, and served in the U.S. Army as an aviation platoon leader, maintenance test pilot, and aviation maintenance officer.
Joe DePinto is currently the CEO and president of 7-Eleven and previously served as the president of GameStop Corporation, and held executive positions at PepsiCo, Inc. and Thornton Oil Corporation. He is the Chairman of the Board of Brinker International, and serves on boards including 7&I Holding and Business Executives for National Security. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and served as an artillery officer in the U.S. Army.
Rick Dauch brings extensive automotive and auto-tech sector leadership experience, recently serving as the CEO of Delphi Technologies and a current Shyft Group board member. Prior, he was the president and CEO of Accuride Corporation and Acument Corporation, held executive positions at American Axle and Manufacturing, and was a board member for Koch Enterprises and the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association. Mr. Dauch holds a BS in Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, an MS in Engineering and Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army and company commander in the 10th Mountain Division.
Amit Yoran is the Chairman and CEO of Tenable, serves on the Center for Internet Security board of directors, and was a founding member of the U.S. Department of Defense Computer Emergency Response Team. Previously, he held leadership roles at RSA Security, was the Founder and CEO of NetWitness, and was a board member for Invincea, Guardium, Guidance Software, and Cyota. Mr. Yoran holds a BS in Computer Science from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an MS in Computer Science from George Washington University.
Darryl Smith, president of global portfolio operations at Skyview Capital, brings distinguished experience as a private equity investor and entrepreneur. He previously served as CEO for three companies in metal manufacturing and logistics and technology: Waples Precision Manufacturing, Cimcon Finishing, and Premier Logitech. His executive experience also includes roles at CrimStone Partners and Platinum Equity. Mr. Smith holds a BS in Economics from the U.S. Naval Academy, an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and was a commissioned officer in the U. S. Marine Corps.
Jason Hodell, CEO of Skullcandy, brings a passion for working with public and private companies during times of high-velocity change. Previously, Mr. Hodell held executive roles at Shopzilla/Bizrate, Digex, Move Networks, and was in the Technology Investment Banking group of JPMorgan, focused on communications technology mergers and acquisitions and initial public offerings, among his other roles. Mr. Hodell holds a BS in Economics from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and served as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army for five years.