Advantage Capital Hires, Promotes

Jonathan Goldstein has joined Advantage Capital Partners as a managing director, with a focus on tax-incentive investing. He previously was an SVP with McCormack Baron Salazar. The firm also made several promotions: Charles Booker and Jeremy Degenhart to principal and Christopher Harris to senior associate.

PRESS RELEASE

Advantage Capital Partners, a leading venture capital and small business finance firm, is proud to announce the addition of a new Managing Director who is a nationally recognized expert in the field of tax incentive investing. In addition, the firm is pleased to note the internal promotions of several outstanding staff members.

New Managing Director Jonathan I. Goldstein will be assisting with the structuring and closing of Advantage Capital’s New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) transactions and developing the firm’s business opportunities in other areas. Mr. Goldstein comes to the firm from McCormack Baron Salazar (MBS), where he served as Senior Vice President. At MBS, he oversaw the Project Finance group, which structures the various commercial, governmental and community funding sources that support each development. Mr. Goldstein was also responsible for overseeing the firm’s NMTC practice, including $210 million in allocations from the U.S. Treasury. He is the founder and served as the President of Sunwheel Energy Partners, a spin-off firm specializing in solar energy programs for community partners, including affordable housing, civic and educational institutions. Prior to working at MBS and Sunwheel Energy Partners, Mr. Goldstein helped found Taproot Ventures, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, where he sourced and structured investments in technology companies. He began his career as an attorney, clerking for a federal appellate judge and serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney with the Justice Department. Mr. Goldstein holds a B.A. from Yale University, and he serves as an Adjunct Professor at Washington University School of Law, from which he graduated first in his class. He will be working out of Advantage Capital’s St. Louis office.

“Jonathan Goldstein is a nationally recognized expert in New Markets Tax Credit deal structuring and financing,” said Advantage Capital Senior Managing Director Scott Zajac. “He will be an incredible addition to our team, and will increase our capacity to make a significant community impact with our investments.”

Promotions

In addition to the new managing director, several employees have been promoted.

Charles H. Booker and Jeremy R. Degenhart have both been promoted to Principal. Working in the firm’s New Orleans office, Mr. Booker joined Advantage Capital in 2003. He manages the firm’s BizCapital operations, and plays a vital role in moving deals through the funding process, from underwriting to closing. He also is responsible for compliance efforts. He graduated magna cum laude from Tulane School of Law, where he was a member of the Tulane Law Review and the Order of the Coif. He received his B.A. degree cum laude from Vanderbilt University.

Newly named Principal Jeremy Degenhart joined Advantage Capital in 2001. His responsibilities include screening deal flow, conducting due diligence, negotiating transactions, managing existing investments, and developing exit opportunities. Mr. Degenhart leads several investments for Advantage, including Carbolytic Materials Company, Veran Medical, and Sunflower Food & Spice. In addition to portfolio management, Mr. Degenhart has responsibility for developing new fundraising structures and facilitating their implementation. He was the valedictorian of his class at the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, receiving a bachelor’s degree in finance.

Christopher C. Harris has been promoted to Senior Associate. Mr. Harris, located in Advantage Capital’s New York office, is responsible for sourcing, due diligence and valuation analysis of the firm’s current and prospective investments in New York. He received his M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.

Russell G. Mancuso has been named BizCapital Senior Vice President. Mr. Mancuso, located in the New Orleans office, joined BizCapital in 2003. He provides all aspects of asset management for the firm’s loan portfolio. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Southern Mississippi and has received several certifications from the American Institute of Banking.

“We are pleased to recognize the ongoing efforts of our talented staff with these key promotions,” said firm President Steven Stull. “The leadership shown by these individuals is making a great impact throughout our firm and in the communities where we do business.”
About Advantage Capital Partners
Advantage Capital Partners is a leading venture capital and small business finance firm focused on providing growth capital and other investments supporting state and local economic development efforts. The firm’s typical forms of investment include early stage, expansion equity, mezzanine financing, senior and subordinated loans and government-guaranteed lending. With offices and partners in New Orleans, St. Louis, Austin and other U.S. cities, Advantage has raised more than $1.3 billion in institutional capital since 1992 and invested in companies located in geographic areas under served by traditional capital.