Meet the Speakers

Prior to co-founding o15, Kenneth Saffold was a Managing Director and a member of BlackRock's Global Credit Platform where he was responsible for originating and executing private credit investment opportunities across the United States. Kenneth also served as an Investment Committee Member for the BlackRock Impact Opportunities Fund, an asset class fund focused on making investments in underserved ethnic group businesses and communities. He was also on the Senior Leadership Team of the BlackRock Atlanta Office. 

Prior to BlackRock, Kenneth held roles with GE Capital and Goldman Sachs. Kenneth received his MBA from The Wharton School and his BA from Morehouse College.

Logan Lowery is a seasoned Private Equity Investor at LP First Capital, where he focuses on identifying and executing investment opportunities, particularly in the lower middle-market sector. With a background in finance and business development, Logan has played a key role in sourcing deals, structuring transactions, and driving value creation for portfolio companies. His expertise lies in working closely with management teams to optimize operational performance and scale businesses across various industries. Prior to joining LP First Capital, Logan gained valuable experience in corporate finance and M&A, which has shaped his strategic approach to investments.

Franklin Staley joined the Patriot Capital Group in January 2020 to lead Exeter Street Capital Partners, Patriot’s micro-cap buyout strategy that makes control equity investments in promising lower middle market businesses with $2-$5 million of EBITDA within the industrial growth & technology, business, consumer and healthcare services sectors across North America. Mr. Staley brings more than 25 years of private equity, advisory and strategic operating expertise to Exeter Street Capital Partners.

Prior to Exeter Street, he spent over nine years with DC Advisory LLC (formerly Signal Hill), where he founded the firm’s sponsor coverage effort and was a Managing Director in the Business Services practice area. Prior to joining Signal Hill, Mr. Staley spent nine years as a Principal and founding member of Meriturn Partners, LLC, a private equity fund focused on buyouts of lower middle-market companies in basic industries. Among other duties, he was responsible for all aspects of sourcing, evaluating, conducting diligence, structuring and leading transactions, managing strategic capital events within the portfolio, as well as other portfolio monitoring activities and fund oversight duties. Previously, Mr. Staley was the CFO and Vice President of Strategy for Axcellis, Inc., an early-stage software developer in the security alarm and systems integration industries. He has prior investment banking experience with Cowen & Company, Lehman Brothers, and Chase.

Josh Welk founded Full Guard Capital and is responsible for developing investment theses, sourcing and evaluating opportunities, and managing the firm’s investment portfolio through strategic and executive support. Prior to founding Full Guard Capital, Josh spent several years as a C-level executive of a rapidly growing telecom and technology services company. Prior to his operating role, Josh spent over a decade in private equity and mergers and acquisitions of privately held and family owned businesses, primarily with Argosy Private Equity. During his career, Josh has been involved in and completed over 25 transactions. Josh holds a BA from Franklin & Marshall College and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

A founder of Pine Street, Tim is involved with all activities at Pine Street, including deal sourcing, deal structuring, portfolio management, and administration. Tim currently serves as a board member on Pine Street portfolio companies Express Medical Transporters, Filterworks USA, NPL HomeCare, DeIorio Foods, ChemArt, and is a board observer on Pine Street portfolio company Alexis Russell. He has also been active as a board member of several other for-profit and not-for-profit entities. Tim's career has included a variety of roles, including as Chief Operating Officer and board member of Colonial Data Technologies, a $75 million revenue publicly traded provider of telecommunications equipment; Chief Financial Officer of First Albany Companies Inc., a $250 million revenue publicly traded investment banking and brokerage firm; and more than 10 years as a senior investment banker providing advisory and capital raising services to small and middle market companies in various industries. Tim began his career as a corporate and securities attorney at Cahill Gordon & Reindel in New York City. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany and Albany Law School.

Claudine Cohen oversees an integrated team of transaction, valuation, restructuring, project finance, and dispute resolution professionals serving clients throughout the lifecycles of their businesses. With specific expertise in managing opportunities and roadblocks that can impact a business moving forward, Claudine and her team help clients achieve optimal outcomes in protecting and growing stakeholder value.

Paul Marino is the head of the Corporate and Mergers &  Acquisitions group, and co chair of the Financial Services  group. Paul focuses his practice in matters concerning  financial services, corporate law and corporate finance. Paul  provides counsel in the areas of private equity funds and  mergers and acquisitions for private equity firms and public  and private companies and private equity fund and hedge fund formation. 

Paul works on a variety of M&A transactions, including  leveraged acquisitions, divestitures of business divisions, going-private transactions, and other strategic acquisitions and dispositions, in the following industries: manufacturing,  telecommunications, consumer products, hospitality, healthcare, and technology, among others. His practice also includes joint ventures and general company  representation matters. 

Paul has represented national and multinational corporations, ranging from telecoms to tech companies, as well as real estate syndication and financial investors  and investment advisors. He has also negotiated and  structured a number of U.S. domestic and cross-border  mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures.

Mr. Simmons is a seasoned private equity professional who has closed over 20 principal transactions exceeding $3B in aggregate transaction value over a 20-plus year private equity career.

Omar also ran ECP Planet Fitness as CEO and Executive Chairman from 2012-2021 increasing ECP from 15 to over 100 units before successfully exiting the business.

Omar currently serves as a board member to ECP-PF (Planet Fitness), EVG (Urban Air), ECM-GF (The Good Feet Store), InXpress Global, and the International Franchise Association.

Prior to co-founding Exaltare, Omar was a Director at Windjammer Capital Investors, a leading middle-market private investment firm with over $2B under management. Prior to Windjammer Capital Investors, he was a co-founder and Managing Director at Reliant Equity Investors, a private equity firm based in Chicago. Omar also worked at leading private equity firms such as Summit Partners and McCown DeLeeuw. He started his career helping Fortune 500 businesses as a management consultant at Marakon Associates.

Omar graduated from Harvard Business School with honors, following his graduation from Princeton University.

Jay is a Principal at Tamarix Equity Partners, a middle-market fund based in NYC, where he leads deal execution, investment strategy, and portfolio management. Over ten years’ experience in private equity, growth capital, investment banking and as a consumer startup founder. Prior investment firms include Centre Partners, a middle-market private equity firm in NYC, Palisades Growth Capital, a growth-equity firm in Los Angeles, and Macquarie Capital, an investment bank. Bachelor of Arts degree from Middlebury College with a major in International Politics and Economics.

Bill is the Founder and Managing Member of Hall Capital Holdings, LLC, since 2001. He is responsible for managing the firm’s investment portfolio.

Bill has over 38 years of operating experience, coupled with private equity, venture capital and real estate investments.

Adam Connatser joined Platt Richmond in 2023.
Adam serves the firm’s clients by drawing on 22-
plus years of experience practicing business law,
including 13 as an associate and partner at the global firm Squire Patton Boggs, and 8 years as co-
founder and partner of boutique business firm
Wright Connatser. He serves a wide range of
clients, from those at the highest echelons of
business and finance to entrepreneurs, small and
medium-sized businesses, and non-profits. Adam’s
expertise includes business and transaction
structuring, private placements, M&A, fund
formation, finance, workouts and restructurings,
corporate and securities, and various related areas
of practice. He has written and spoken extensively
on topics such as M&A, finance, impact investing
and social entrepreneurship.
Adam has been named to the list of D Best Lawyers
in Dallas by D Magazine, as well as the Rising Stars
list by Thomson Reuters for many years.
In the community, Adam has served on numerous
non-profit boards, including as Board President of
Family Compass, a strong and long-standing child
abuse prevention agency. He coaches as many of
his son’s sports teams as he can, tries to keep up
with his dynamo dressage champion daughter, and
is also a proud member of the Leadership Dallas
class of 2014.

Mark joined Centerfield in 2007. He is responsible for investor relations, executing transactions, overseeing due diligence, and portfolio management. Mark also assists with managing the general activities of the firm. Mark is a member of the Partnership’s Investment Committee.

Mark has spent his entire career working with small to mid-sized companies and their owners as a lender, investor, advisor, and board director. Prior to Centerfield, Mark began his career at National City Corporation where he managed middle market corporate banking relationships, and gained experience in private banking and wealth management.

Mark is a member of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and has served as President of ACG Indiana and on the ACG Global board of directors. Mark is active in the community and is a board member and Past President of the Indiana Chapter of JDRF.

A lifelong resident of the Hoosier State, Mark and his wife have three daughters and a dog named Scout. When not cheering on his girls as they participate in their many sports and activities, Mark enjoys exercise, golf, rooting for the Pacers and Colts, and a good sci-fi show. Mark is also working on his private pilot license which is taking longer than he likes to admit.