Gridiron Capital, an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs and management teams, promoted several team members: Ryan Gardner and Aaron Stoppelmann to principal, Nate Krause to financial planning and analysis manager and Rohit Basu to senior associate.
Gardner and Stoppelman both joined Gridiron Capital in 2016 as associates before earning their MBAs from Columbia Business School and UCLA, respectively. After completing business school, Gardner and Stoppelman returned to Gridiron, where their outstanding professional development was quickly acknowledged, earning their promotion to vice president. As principals, Gardner and Stoppelman will play a pivotal role in conducting due diligence and sourcing prospective investments, while continuing to aid value-creation efforts across the portfolio.
At Gridiron, Gardner focuses on companies in the industrial growth and consumer products and services sectors. He is currently working with several portfolio companies, including Colibri Group, Legacy Service Partners and M&D Distributors, where he also serves as a board member. Before joining Gridiron, Gardner was an analyst at Deutsche Bank Securities, specializing in the gaming, lodging and leisure sectors. Gardner received a Bachelor of Arts, with honors, in finance at the University of Richmond.
At Gridiron, Stoppelmann focuses on companies in the business services and industrial growth sectors. Stoppelmann is currently working with Health Monitor Network and Vertical Supply Group, where he also serves as a board member. Before joining Gridiron, he was an analyst at Rothschild in the industrials, mergers and acquisitions advisory practice. Stoppelmann received a bachelor of business administration, with high distinction, in finance and accounting from the University of Michigan.
Krause started his career at PwC as a senior associate in the financial services assurance practice. He also worked at Fortress Investment Group on the credit accounting team. He currently focuses on budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting. Krause received a bachelor of science in accounting from the Lundquist College of Business Honors Program at the University of Oregon.
Basu started his career at Morgan Stanley as an analyst in the Healthcare Group. He currently focuses on new investment opportunities, due diligence, and value creation at current portfolio companies, including AML Rightsource, Jacent Strategic Merchandising and Vertical Supply Group. Rohit received a bachelor of science in finance-mathematics with a minor in computer science from Northeastern University.
“At Gridiron, our team is our greatest asset, and we place immense value on fostering internal growth,” Tom Burger, co-founder and managing partner of the firm, said. “Aaron and Ryan have consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and a relentless desire to win, driving Gridiron forward and setting a benchmark for excellence in the industry. Nate and Rohit’s outstanding contributions and commitment to enhancing operations at Gridiron are highly valued, and we look forward to their future achievements in their new positions.”
“On behalf of the entire Gridiron team, we want to congratulate Aaron, Ryan, Nate and Rohit on their well-deserved promotions,” Kevin Jackson, managing partner of the firm, said. “We are proud of their leadership and significant contributions over many years to the firm. By investing in our people and cultivating a culture of continuous development, we empower our team members to reach their full potential, which in turn helps drive success for our investors and across our portfolio companies.”
