Provana | Long Ridge

Founder & Managing Partner

Jim Brown

Jim is the Founder and Managing Partner of Long Ridge. He is also a member of the Firm’s Investment Committee.

Jim has over 25 years of experience investing in and supporting high-growth companies across the financial and business services sectors. At Long Ridge, Jim leads the overall strategy and direction of the firm, in addition to leading deal teams focused on the sourcing, evaluation, and management of the Firm’s portfolio companies. Over his long career, Jim has partnered with some of the most successful and innovative players in the financial services space and has served as a board member and advisor to numerous public and private companies.

Prior to founding Long Ridge, Jim was a Partner at TH Lee Putnam Ventures, a $1.1 billion growth capital firm, where he led the firm’s financial services investment efforts. Before THLPV, Jim served as a Senior Vice President of GE Equity where he led investments in financial services, technology, consumer, and media companies. Prior to joining GE Equity, Jim worked at Lehman Brothers as a Vice President and at Bain & Company as a Consultant.

Jim received a B.S. from New York University and an M.B.A. with Honors from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Portfolio Companies:

Managing Partner

Kevin Bhatt

Kevin joined Long Ridge in 2010 and serves as a Managing Partner and a member of the Firm’s Investment Committee.

Kevin leads the overall strategy and direction of the Firm, in addition to managing deal teams focused on the sourcing, evaluation, and management of Long Ridge’s portfolio companies. Over his investing career, Kevin has served on the boards of numerous public and private financial services and business services companies, partnering with visionary managers to build leading companies across a range of sectors.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Kevin was a Vice President with AEA Investors, a private equity firm with over $10 billion of committed capital. Before joining AEA, Kevin was a member of the financial services and business services teams at TH Lee Putnam Ventures, a $1.1 billion growth capital firm. Kevin started his career in McKinsey & Company’s New York office, serving as a consultant to financial institutions.

Kevin received a A.B. in Economics with Honors from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Portfolio Companies:

Partner & Chief Financial Officer

Donna Little

Donna joined Long Ridge in 2013 and serves as Partner, Chief Financial Officer, and a member of the Firm’s Investment Committee.

At Long Ridge, Donna is responsible for the Firm’s financial operations, including financial reporting, compliance matters, tax preparation, investor relations and internal controls.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Donna worked for five years as CFO and Partner at Alternative Investment Management, LLC (“AIM”), an independent, privately-held investment management firm. While at AIM, Donna served as a member of the Investment Committee, managed all operations functions and implemented their first Operational Due Diligence program. Prior to that, Donna worked for Och-Ziff Capital Management Group, a leading hedge fund, as a Controller/Senior Accountant. While there, Donna focused on the daily & monthly financial reporting for a multi-billion dollar hedge fund that traded in a broad range of products including convertible arbitrage, distressed securities and long/short equities. Prior to Och-Ziff, Donna was an Accounting Manager at International Fund Services (IFS), a State Street Company, and a Senior Mutual Fund Accountant at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers.

Donna received a B.S. in Accounting with honors from Stockton University. She is a member of Delta Mu Delta, the International Honor Society in Business Administration. Additionally, Donna is a Certified Public Accountant.

Partner

Angad Singh

Angad joined Long Ridge in 2012 and serves as a Partner and a member of the Firm’s Investment Committee.

At Long Ridge, Angad leads deal teams focused on all aspects of the Firm’s investments, from origination and due diligence through deal structuring, execution, and post-investment portfolio management. Angad also serves on several portfolio company boards and works closely with Long Ridge’s executive teams to accelerate growth.

In addition to his investment responsibilities, Angad enjoys the business-building aspects of growing the Firm, including recruiting and training junior members of the investment team.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Angad was an Associate at Alinda Capital Partners, a leading private equity firm focused on infrastructure investments. At Alinda, Angad primarily invested in the energy and telecom sectors. Angad started his career as a Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company, where he worked in the Corporate Finance Group. While at McKinsey, Angad focused on growth strategy projects in the financial services and energy sectors.

Angad received a B.A. in Biology with Honors from Haverford College.

Portfolio Companies:

Principal

Andrew Cedar

Andrew joined Long Ridge in 2016 and serves as a Principal.

At Long Ridge, Andrew leads deal teams focused on all aspects of the Firm’s investments, from origination and due diligence through deal structuring, execution, and post-investment portfolio management. Andrew also serves on several portfolio company boards and works closely with Long Ridge’s executive teams to accelerate growth.

In addition to his investment responsibilities, Andrew oversees the Firm’s sourcing operation and analyst program.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Andrew worked at McKinsey & Company, where he reported directly to the Global Managing Partner and previously was a consultant advising companies in the U.S., Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. Previously, Andrew worked on the Obama Administration’s national security and foreign policy team, as Senior Director for Global Engagement at the White House National Security Council, an advisor at the State Department, and on the Obama-Biden transition team in 2008. Andrew also has experience as an investor at a $25bn hedge fund focused on special situations.

Andrew received a B.A. in Political Science summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University, an M.Phil in International Relations from Cambridge University, and an M.B.A. with distinction from Harvard Business School. Andrew is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and was named a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum.

Portfolio Companies:

Principal

Jason Melton

Jason joined Long Ridge in 2014 and serves as a Principal.

At Long Ridge, Jason leads deal teams focused on all aspects of the Firm’s investments, from origination and due diligence through deal structuring, execution, and post-investment portfolio management. Jason also serves on several portfolio company boards and works closely with Long Ridge’s executive teams to accelerate growth.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Jason worked at Barclays in the Financial Institutions Group, where he advised financial technology and services companies on M&A and capital markets transactions.

Jason received a B.S. in Business Management, with a focus on Entrepreneurship and Finance, from Babson College.

Portfolio Companies:

Vice President

Doug Nelson

Doug joined Long Ridge in 2018 and serves as a Vice President.

At Long Ridge, Doug leads deal teams focused on all aspects of the Firm’s investments, from origination and due diligence through deal structuring, execution, and post-investment portfolio management. Doug also works closely with Long Ridge’s executive teams to accelerate growth.

In addition to his work at Long Ridge, Doug is an Advisory Board member for the FinTech Sandbox, a non-profit accelerator that provides financial data, hosting, and mentoring to FinTech startups.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Doug was with F-Prime Capital, a global venture capital firm affiliated with Fidelity Investments. Doug also previously worked in strategy for Fidelity Investments, product management for Amazon and finance for Flywire.

Doug received a B.A. in History with Honors from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Portfolio Companies:

Vice President

Devin Stearns

Devin joined Long Ridge in 2016 and serves as a Vice President.

At Long Ridge, Devin is actively involved in all aspects of the Firm’s investment process, including sourcing, due diligence, deal execution and managing and monitoring portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Devin worked at Fenox Venture Capital, an early stage technology-focused venture capital fund, and Wells Fargo Securities.

Devin received a B.A. in Economics with Honors and a certificate in Finance from Princeton University.

Portfolio Companies:

Investor

Ryan Silverman

Ryan joined Long Ridge in 2020 and serves as an Associate.

At Long Ridge, Ryan is actively involved in all aspects of the Firm’s investment process, including sourcing, due diligence, deal execution and managing and monitoring portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Ryan worked in Corporate Development at Diligent, a multi-billion dollar software business backed by Blackstone and Insight Venture Partners. Previously, Ryan worked at DC Advisory, a boutique investment bank.

Ryan received a B.S. in Finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Portfolio Companies:

Investor

Sohum Daftary

Sohum joined Long Ridge in 2019 and serves as an Associate.

At Long Ridge, Sohum is actively involved in all aspects of the Firm’s investment process, including sourcing, due diligence, deal execution and managing and monitoring portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Sohum worked at Millstein & Co., a boutique restructuring investment bank, and Arena Investors, a middle-market private credit firm.

Sohum received a B.S. in Finance, summa cum laude, from The Wharton School and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering.

Investor

Jerry Chen

Jerry joined Long Ridge in 2021 and serves as an Associate.

At Long Ridge, Jerry is actively involved in all aspects of the Firm’s investment process, including sourcing, due diligence, deal execution and managing and monitoring portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Jerry worked in Strategic Finance at Poshmark, a consumer technology firm. Previously, Jerry worked at Broadhaven Capital Partners, a boutique investment bank focusing on financial services.

Jerry received a B.A. in Economics, magna cum laude, and a B.A. in Mathematics from Amherst College.

Investor

Scott Kaden

Scott joined Long Ridge in 2021 and serves as an Associate.

At Long Ridge, Scott is actively involved in all aspects of the Firm’s investment process, including sourcing, due diligence, deal execution and managing and monitoring portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Scott worked at Houlihan Lokey, a boutique investment bank, in their Technology, Media & Telecom (TMT) Group.

Scott received a B.S. in Economics, magna cum laude, from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, with concentrations in Finance and Business Analytics.

Investor

Dara Li

Dara joined Long Ridge in 2020 and serves as an Analyst.

Dara is actively involved in sourcing new investments and screening prospective opportunities for the Firm. She also works on due diligence for new transactions and with Long Ridge’s portfolio company executive teams.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Dara worked at Chloe Capital, a VC firm that invests in women-led startups, and Harvard Student Agencies, the world’s largest student-run corporation.

Dara received a B.A. in Molecular and Cellular Biology with High Honors from Harvard, and is a deferring admit to the Stanford Graduate School of Business MBA program.

Investor

Bishoy Megalla

Bishoy joined Long Ridge in 2021.

Bishoy is actively involved in sourcing new investments and screening prospective opportunities for the Firm. He also works on due diligence for new transactions and with Long Ridge’s portfolio company executive teams.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Bishoy began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst with Morgan Stanley in the Global Services and Media & Communications Groups, where he worked on a variety of M&A advisory and capital raising assignments.

Bishoy received a B.A. in Economics and a B.A. in History with distinction from Yale.

Investor

Ben Hilkert

Ben joined Long Ridge in 2021.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Ben Co-Founded Honesti, a wellness and peer to peer support platform designed specifically for college students, and worked at Guggenheim Partners, a boutique investment bank.

Ben received a BBA with concentrations in Accounting and Finance, Cum Laude, from The Ross of Business at the University of Michigan.

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING OPERATIONS

Annelise Han

Annelise joined Long Ridge in 2018 and serves as the Director of Marketing Operations.

At Long Ridge, Annelise administers and manages deal origination activities, including the Firm’s CRM and pipeline tracking processes. She also leads marketing, communications, and brand-building efforts for the Firm.

Previously, she was a consultant in the Capital Markets Communications practice at FTI Consulting, where she advised clients in the financial services, energy, and industrials sectors on their investor relations programs, including investor days, buy- and sell-side targeting, and quarterly earnings preparation. She also provided event-driven counsel for IPOs and M&A announcements.

In addition to her experience in financial communications, Annelise has an interest in K-12 education and education technology, and recently served as a chief of staff at a charter school in Brooklyn, where she managed internal communications and the school’s board and regulatory relationships. Additionally, she co-organized Startup Weekend’s first Chicago EdTech event. She started her career as an investment banking analyst in the healthcare group at Deutsche Bank.

Annelise received her B.A. in Economics and a minor in English from Wellesley College.

Office Manager & Executive Assistant

Krystina Romano

Krystina joined Long Ridge in 2019 and serves as the Firm’s Office Manager and as Executive Assistant to Jim Brown and Kevin Bhatt.

At Long Ridge, Krystina is responsible for overall office operations as well as assisting with the planning and execution of the Firm’s special events, including annual meetings and offsites.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Krystina worked for Marcum LLP as the scheduling coordinator for the assurance department.

Krystina received a B.A. in English Language, Literature, and Criticism from Hunter College.

Executive Assistant

Kaitlin Sacco

Kaitlin joined Long Ridge in 2020 and serves as the Firm’s Receptionist and Executive Assistant to Doug Nelson and Devin Stearns.

At Long Ridge, Kaitlin assists with financial operations as well as office administration. She also supports the team’s recruiting initiatives.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Kaitlin worked for HumanCo (Founders of Hu Chocolate) as Executive Assistant to the CEO.

Kaitlin received a B.F.A in Theatre and a minor in Education from Abilene Christian University.

Executive Assistant

Whitney Baldwin

Whitney joined Long Ridge 2021 and serves as Executive Assistant to Angad Singh, Andrew Cedar, and Jason Melton. Whitney also supports the planning of Long Ridge’s annual Executive Summit and other firm events.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Whitney planned festivals and events and served as the Executive Assistant to the CEO of Linder Global Events in Washington, DC.

Whitney received a B.A. in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations and graduated Cum Laude from Virginia Tech.

Operations Support

Victoria Mussalli

Victoria joined Long Ridge in 2018 and serves as the Receptionist and Office Assistant.

At Long Ridge, Victoria assists the Firm with maintaining the office, creating a positive environment, and handling administrative tasks.

Prior to joining Long Ridge, Victoria had extensive experience in administrative roles across various industries, including business, healthcare, education, and hospitality. Victoria has also worked in the entertainment industry, particularly in animation, documentaries, film production, and episodic television.

Outside of Long Ridge, Victoria works as a voice actor, specializing in commercial and character work. She also currently attends the Terry Knickerbocker Studio, where she studies the Meisner acting technique.

Victoria graduated in three years and received a B.S. in Television-Radio summa cum laude and a minor in Spanish from Ithaca College.