THE TEAM
The Akkadian team has decades of experience building company relationships, evaluating opportunities, structuring transactions, and managing to liquidity.
Ben Black
Co-founder and Managing Director
Ben Black
Co-founder and Managing Director
- 20 years VC/PE experience
- Co-founder Raise Summit
- Co-founder New Cycle Capital
- Associate at Maveron and Rosewood Capital
- Co-founder of Harris Interactive (IPO)
- BA and JD from Cornell University
Mike Dinsdale
Managing Director
Mike Dinsdale
Managing Director
- During 20+ years as CFO, secured over $1.8b in financing, created 100b+ in Value, and created 3 Brands with instant recognition: DocuSign, DoorDash, and Gusto
- Angel investor in 50+ tech companies
- Co-Founder of Plum Partners SPAC Platform
- Currently a board member for various software companies and WildAid
- BS from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA from McMaster University
- CFA Designation
Peter Smith
Co-Founder, COO, and CCO
Peter Smith
Co-Founder, COO, and CCO
- 20+ years of legal experience
- Associate at Cooley, Morrison & Foerster, and Bryan Cave
- Real estate investor and developer
- BA (Cum Laude) from Cornell University and JD from UC Berkeley
- Member of the State Bar of California and the State Bar of Colorado
Craig Nolan
Partner
Craig Nolan
Partner
- Director at Arcstone Partners, a valuation and investment research firm
- MBA and BS from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver
- CFA Charterholder
Daniel Kennedy
Partner
Daniel Kennedy
Partner
- Head of Corporate Development at Gusto
- Strategic Finance and Business Operations at Otto and Jawbone
- Technology Investment Banking at Credit Suisse
- BS and MA from University of Southern California
Adam Marchick
Partner
Adam Marchick
Partner
- Led $2B venture portfolio at Emory University
- Venture investor at Bain Capital Ventures and Menlo Ventures
- Founder and CEO of Sequoia-backed company
- Founded and sold an AI company
- BS in Computer Science and MBA from Stanford University
Elisa Karsenty
Associate
Elisa Karsenty
Associate
- French citizen who lived in Israel for 15 years
- Business Development at Techcode China forging relationships between the EU and China
- Co-founder of Athoss
- BA and LLB from IDC Israel
- Zell Entrepreneurship Program alumni
Gloria Gennaro
Associate
Gloria Gennaro
Associate
- Investments Associate at Hamilton Miller
- Business Development for National Geographic's Time Square Exhibit
- Led SpeedETab's (acquired by Wix) expansion from Miami to NYC by launching in 30+ locations
- BS (Cum Laude) from Florida International University College of Business