Meet the Speakers

Prior to joining Accel-KKR, Ankur was a customer & partner success leader at Celonis. Over the course of his five years with Celonis, Ankur launched, built and led the customer success & delivery organization for North America, as well as the partner success & delivery organization supporting Celonis’s global partner ecosystem. Before Celonis, Ankur spent time consulting at Bain & Company where he focused on private equity due diligence, post-merger integrations and strategy work. Prior to business school, Ankur spent over six years working the sales & trading organization at Bank of America. 

Ellen joined RCP in 2022 and works with portfolio companies to enhance value creation through sustained growth and strategic execution. She has served as Interim CFO for several portfolio companies and currently oversees Siegel Egg Co.

Previously, Ellen held roles at Roti Modern Mediterranean, AlixPartners, the US Small Business Administration, and Citigroup. She earned her MBA from Stanford University and her BS from MIT.

A food enthusiast, Ellen enjoys exploring new restaurants, cooking, hosting friends, and traveling to experience local cuisine—balanced by just enough movement to offset her love of food.

Ron Totaro is a member of the Bain Advisory Network (BAN), providing part-time consulting services to Bain & Company's private equity and corporate clients. In this role, he supports M&A activities, conducts diligence reviews for new investments, and develops strategies and operational plans for existing portfolio companies. With extensive experience in leadership and strategic roles, Ron has a proven track record of driving growth and operational excellence across various industries. His expertise includes business transformation, financial management, and technology integration, making him a valuable asset to organizations seeking to enhance performance and achieve sustainable success.

Has a focus on accelerating growth and driving margin expansion through technology, talent optimization, stakeholder alignment, and innovation. With extensive global experience, [Name] has managed a $1.7B P&L with 20K professionals while achieving exceptional customer satisfaction. He has led value creation plans using key SaaS metrics, scaled operations, and driven generative AI adoption. [Name] also spearheaded international expansion initiatives, SaaS transformations, and start-up growth, scaling a $20M unit to $120M in emerging markets. Proficient in six languages, he brings expertise in cross-functional collaboration and customer-centric strategies to deliver lasting impact.

Michael Frankel is the Founder and Managing Partner of Trajectory Capital. With extensive C-level experience (CFO, COO, corporate development, strategy, innovation), he has driven growth and innovation at companies like Deloitte, LexisNexis, IRI, GE Capital, and VeriSign. Michael has executed 110+ acquisitions, led corporate venture investments, and driven product development, geographic expansion, and partnerships.

He has deep expertise in scaling businesses, integrating acquisitions, and improving operations. As a growth operator, Michael has led product development, sales, marketing, and back-office functions, building operating capabilities across high-growth technology businesses and portfolio companies.

Ben is a Managing Director at Source Capital, responsible for sourcing, leading, and executing new investments while managing portfolio companies. He serves on the Investment Committee for both equity and debt practices and assists with the firm’s overall management.

Previously, Ben was a Managing Director at Gladstone Capital, overseeing equity investments in the Southeast. Before that, he held the same role at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, focusing on senior debt facilities. Ben’s prior experience includes roles at Sun Capital, CIT, Cratos Capital, and Bank of America, specializing in investment and corporate banking.

Javier Barrera is a seasoned professional in real estate development and finance, boasting over fifteen years of entrepreneurial and executive experience. Throughout his career, he has successfully devised and implemented growth strategies across multiple industries. Javier's expertise encompasses strategic planning, business development, and financial analysis, enabling him to drive significant value in various sectors. His leadership and innovative approach have consistently led to the successful execution of complex projects and the achievement of organizational objectives. Javier's comprehensive understanding of market dynamics and his commitment to excellence make him a valuable asset in the realm of real estate and finance.

Erik is the Managing Partner of Slate Capital Group, which he co-founded in 2004. With over 25 years of private equity experience, he previously co-founded and served as CEO of Let’s Dish! Mid-Atlantic, a retail meal assembly chain.

Before Slate, Erik was a Director with DB Capital Venture Partners, investing in software companies, and a Senior VP at Sterling Capital, Ltd., where he acquired and ran companies in direct marketing and e-commerce. He began his career at Kirkland & Ellis, specializing in private equity transactions. Erik has served on numerous boards across diverse industries.

Managing partner of United Western Group, an alternative investment firm based in Washington, D.C. that partners with managers and entrepreneurs to invest in strategically viable, market-leading companies across a wide range of industries.

Amanda is an Operating Partner at Bloom Equity Partners, where she leads value creation initiatives both pre and post investment for Bloom’s portfolio companies. Amanda has worked in private equity operations for five years at both Vista Equity Partners and Centre Lane Partners. Amanda has partnered with fifteen portfolio companies and has seen multiple buy and sell transactions. Prior to her time in private equity, Amanda was an operator focused on go-to-market in technology and technology-adjacent companies for twelve years.

Amrit Saxena is the Founder & CEO of SaxeCap, serving as a senior advisor to 30+ PE funds globally, having led 100+ AI transformations globally, and sitting on the Board of Directors of The Princeton Review and Foundant Technologies. Prior to SaxeCap, Amrit successfully founded & sold two AI companies (Fancy That to Palantir, Stella to PE funds). Amrit is also an active angel investor in data, AI, and enterprise software companies in the Silicon Valley, investing in 300+ early stage technology companies, private businesses, and PE/VC funds, including AI pioneers like Anthropic, OpenAI, FigureAI, Groq, HuggingFace, etc.. Amrit received his B.S. in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and M.S. in Management Science & Engineering with a concentration in Operations Research, both from Stanford University with Distinction.

Prior to joining Accel-KKR, Steven served as a Director for a boutique search and investment firm, Aequitas Partners, focused on the healthcare technology space. While there, he led national searches for executive-level positions covering all business verticals and interviewed 1000’s of executives whose companies spanned the health-tech landscape. Earlier in his career, he worked with a merchant and investment bank called Etico Capital, successfully placing over $100M in debt and equity funding for growth-stage medical device and life science companies. Additionally, he has served as an advisor for several health-tech businesses, called on by founders & CEOs for people operations and organizational design strategies.

Peter Lombardi is a seasoned business development and operations professional with 20 years of experience in the Alternative Assets industry. Known for his strategic expertise and ability to penetrate complex markets, Peter helped launch leading software platforms like PitchBook, Thomson Banker, and Dow Jones Venture Source.

He has led sales organizations across private equity, M&A, investment banking, and legal sectors, gaining a deep understanding of the dynamics between LPs, GPs, and portfolio companies. Today, Peter leverages his extensive network to identify deal opportunities for middle-market and lower-middle-market private equity firms and family offices.

CEO, entrepreneur, CFO, and CTO with a proven track record of driving growth, operational execution, and efficiency-focused turnarounds at companies like Ingram Micro, Asurion, Juul Labs, Jacuzzi Group, and Bain & Company. A seasoned executive, he has actively participated in over 200 board meetings as a board member, executive, and operating partner.

As an advisor and investor in sports, media, and entertainment at Rainmaker Holdings and TowerBrook Capital Partners, he’s passionate about growing soccer in the U.S. He also advises Ramp, a leading fintech company empowering over 27,000 businesses with finance automation solutions.

Smija Simon is a director in Citrin Cooperman’s Digital Transformation Practice, specializing in aligning strategy, business models, processes, and technology to drive long-term success. With expertise in technology and management consulting, Smija leads strategic planning and project management for process and technology improvement in complex environments. She has a deep understanding of business processes, operating models, and systems strategy, specializing in enterprise architecture and technology vendor engagement for mid-market companies. Prior to joining Citrin Cooperman, Smija founded a boutique consulting firm and was an engagement manager for a Fortune Global 500 firm.

Ron Senatore, CBPA, is a Certified Business Performance Advisor at Insperity, Inc. (NYSE: NSP), where he partners with business owners and leaders to drive growth and profitability. Since joining Insperity in 1999, Ron has helped more businesses than any other advisor in the company’s history, earning Business Performance Advisor of the Year honors four times. He specializes in improving organizational success through HR strategies and services, helping businesses ranging from manufacturing to technology. Ron also supports private equity firms with M&A, providing human resources infrastructure and due diligence for successful transactions.

Burton Francis is a Managing Director of Business Development at ECA. He works with clients to fill permanent and project based roles. Burt has wide-ranging experience in engineering, business leadership and management consulting in various industries including aerospace, software, financial services, and manufacturing. This includes notable tenure with Oliver Wyman, The Boeing Company, General Dynamics and Starbase Technologies Inc.

Mark Sinatra is the CEO of Aspen HR, where he leads the strategic direction and growth of the company. Prior to Aspen HR, Mark was CEO of Staff One HR, where he led the company through a period of substantial growth highlighted by achieving the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies for four years in a row, and culminating in Staff One HR’s sale to its largest privately-held competitor, Oasis Outsourcing, in December 2017. Mark oversaw the Western half of the country for Oasis Outsourcing until its sale to Paychex for $1.3bn in December 2018. Prior to his leadership experience in the HR industry, Mark worked as a consultant and investment banker.

Mohammed Zakir is the founder of Acustrategy and a pricing advisor with over 25 years of experience advising mid-market, Fortune 500, and private equity clients. Before founding Acustrategy in 2008, he worked at Simon-Kucher & Partners, where he honed his expertise in pricing strategy. Mohammed’s work focuses on helping businesses optimize their pricing strategies to drive profitability and growth. He holds a BA from Middlebury College and an MBA from MIT. With a deep understanding of pricing dynamics, Mohammed has become a trusted advisor to a diverse range of clients across industries.