Anacapa Partners
JEFF STEVENS
Jeff Stevens has 20 years of experience structuring, operating and investing in search fund companies. Jeff has managed three funded searches during the period from 1990-2005, each one culminating in the acquisition of a lower middle market company. Jeff understands the elements of the search fund model that drive success. In addition, Jeff's relationships with other experienced, successful search fund investors and current search fund principals allows Anacapa Partners access to invest in concert with a group that has been participating in this business model for over 20 years.
Prior to founding Anacapa Partners, Jeff was the CEO of three venture-backed buyouts – Balkin Cable Holdings (cable television system operator), Ancora Capital (mail presort), and Liberty Fitness (women's fitness centers). Following these three buyouts, Jeff founded Deeelish! (manufacturer/retailer of ready-to-cook gourmet meals). In each of Jeff's four ventures he has maintained responsibility for all aspects of sourcing acquisition/start-up opportunities, including identifying potential targets, industry analysis, company specific due diligence, and fundraising (debt and equity) to complete the transaction. Following the completion of each acquisition Jeff became the senior executive of the acquired company with direct reporting responsibility to a shareholder group and Board of Directors. Prior to beginning his entrepreneurial path Jeff was an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company. Jeff received his Bachelor of Arts and MBA from Stanford University, and remains actively involved in the Stanford community. He participates in classroom case discussion for entrepreneurship courses at the Graduate School of Business, serves as a mentor for students participating in a two-quarter business planning course, and volunteers in numerous capacities for the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. Jeff is also a member of the Ford Committee at DAPER.
Jeff is a member of the Board of Directors of developerprogram.com, KGHP, and the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD).
ASHLEY GIESLER
Ashley has over 15 years of experience advising, operating and investing in high growth venture and private equity backed companies. Serving in corporate development, finance and legal roles Ashley has supported companies through periods of rapid growth by creating and executing business and capital strategies, negotiating complex transactions, building management teams, and managing transformational events in a company’s lifecycle. From 2002 to 2011, Ashley was a member of the senior team at Asurion Corporation, the most successful search fund operating company to date, as the Company’s first in-house counsel and later head of Corporate Development. During this time, she led the execution of multiple transformative acquisitions, an equity recapitalization of the company and multiple subsequent leveraged recapitalizations and advised on the Company’s international expansion in Asia, Europe and Latin America. More recently, Ashley was Vice President of Transactions and General Counsel at Sunrun, a residential solar company, where she led the project finance and legal teams through the raise of over $500 million in proceeds through equity, debt and project finance transactions and was instrumental in developing the strategy and establishing the infrastructure necessary to support the company’s rapid growth. Prior to her operational experience, Ashley was a corporate associate at Venture Law Group in Silicon Valley and Riordan & McKinzie in Los Angeles and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Emilio M. Garza on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ashley graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UC, Santa Barbara and Order of the Coif from UCLA Law School.
Ashley is a member of the Board of Directors of HousingWire, Paragon Legal Group, and Automotive Business Solutions, and is a Board Observer of Tire Disposal & Recycling (TDR).
GREG MATTHEWS
Greg has direct experience with the search fund model having previously managed a funded search where he was responsible for creating and executing the entire strategy of the fund including the search process and investment criteria. Greg has worked with growing companies across a variety of industries on business development and capital strategies and he has also served in operational and management positions within the financial services industry.
Prior to joining Anacapa Partners, Greg was the Founder and Managing Principal of the Gallowae Group. Greg successfully raised capital from institutional and individual investors to search for a business to acquire and operate utilizing the search fund model. In this role, Greg was solely responsible for all the investment and operational aspects of the fund including sourcing deals, negotiating transactions, performing investment due diligence, and communicating with his investors. Before starting Gallowae, Greg further developed his deal sourcing and investment experience with the private equity firm Apollo Global Management and the search fund Wolf Point Growth Partners. Prior to his work in search funds and private equity, Greg was a Vice President at Hexagon Securities, an investment bank and institutional broker dealer that was founded in 2009. Greg was one of the first employees hired at Hexagon and he worked directly with the founding partners to develop and manage both the investment banking and broker dealer businesses. Greg started his career at Merrill Lynch in the Municipal Bond Derivatives department of the firm’s fixed income sales and trading business.
Greg earned his MBA with distinction from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Lehigh University, where he graduated with High Honors. Greg is also a CFA Charterholder.