WHY stacy havener founded havener capital partners
Wall Street loves numbers,
but it needs words
After college, our founder, Stacy Havener, took a job with her high school soccer coach - a $1B small cap equity manager - to help him launch a new fund. Her goal wasn’t to build a career on Wall Street; it was to earn enough money to pay for grad school to become a professor. Stacy was a writer, a poet, a story teller, not a fancy financier. She was a blue-collar kid from a working class town who got the “wrong” degree from the “wrong” school. She didn’t belong on Wall Street…
It turns out in an industry full of men who love numbers, there was a place for a girl who loved words. After helping her soccer coach launch and grow a new fund to $500mm in two years, she joined a third party marketing firm as the first employee and continued to raise money for investment boutiques. She launched or restructured over 25 funds and raised over $5B dollars over the next 7 years.
After her mentor retired, Stacy launched Havener Capital Partners to help start-ups, new funds, and boutiques - the “underdogs” of the investment world using her unique approach to raising money. Since the firm was founded in 2010, Stacy has been breaking down the repeatable process behind her success, developing the Billion Dollar Blueprint™, a sales and marketing framework for boutiques built around two core components: authenticity and storytelling. This Blueprint has now raised $8.5B dollars that has led to $30B in follow-on AUM... and we’re just getting started.
$8.5B
Raised for
investment boutiques
500
investor meetings
per year
1,000
early adopter investors
in our network
2010
YEAR
FOUNDED
100%
family & employee-owned
1,175
leads generated per year
350+
boutique / breakaway asset MGR conversations per year
The Best in the Industry with Street Smarts to Boot
Meet the team
Comprised of seasoned sales and marketing executives, tech savvy creatives, and data loving analysts, we have an alphabet soup of credentials from Series 6, 7, 24 to CFPs and CFAs. We combine the best of our industry with the best of other industries and throw in a dash of street smarts to boot.
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Stacy Havener has a made a career raising $8B+ for new/undiscovered funds that led to $30B+ in follow-on AUM. Prior to finding her niche in raising capital, she was an award-winning writer who dreamed of becoming a literature professor. Ironically, her love of words is one of the secrets to her success in an industry dominated by numbers. Growing up the only girl on all-boy soccer teams, it’s no surprise she’s now a female entrepreneur in one of the toughest “boys clubs.”
At the heart of it all, there is one thing Stacy believes in – underdogs. Stacy is the Founder/CEO at Havener Capital Partners, a sales and marketing agency that helps boutique asset managers build, launch and grow funds. Havener Capital is on a mission to level the playing field in asset management by raising $100B for boutiques over the next decade.
Stacy holds her Series 6, 7, 24, 63, 66, and 79 licenses and is a registered representative of Compass Securities Corporation. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Western Connecticut State University, graduating summa cum laude in 1998. That same year, Stacy was named to both the NCAA and the GTE/CoSida Academic All-American teams for Division III Women’s Soccer and subsequently nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year.
Based in Newport, RI, Stacy often spends her mornings walking the beach, sipping a Dunkin’ coffee, and listening to 90’s hip hop.
MOTTO: "ACTUALLY, WE CAN."
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Joining Havener Capital Partners as the Director of Research in 2012, Erik now leads the outsourced sales program at Havener and spearheads investment analysis of both current and prospective clients across all asset classes and vehicles.
Prior to joining the firm, Erik was a member of the Investment Committee for a $1B independent RIA where he led the manager research effort and assisted with asset allocation and economic research. Erik also supported the firm’s trading functions and on-going SEC compliance obligations.
In addition to his research experience, Erik has worked for various organizations in the financial services industry in the area of trade operations and compliance, including LPL Financial of Boston, Mass. and San Diego, Calif.
Erik is a CFA charterholder and member of the CFA Institute, Boston Security Analysts Society, and the Providence Society of Financial Analysts. Erik also received his Accredited Wealth Management AdvisorSM designation in 2008 from the College of Financial Planning. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in International Marketing and Finance, from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Penn. Erik also studied abroad at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
Besides his passion for numbers, Erik also loves great restaurants, good books and the New York Giants (he is a proud season ticket holder). He grew up in Connecticut and spent several years living in San Diego and Boston before moving to Rhode Island, the home state of his favorite idyll, Block Island.
MOTTO: "FATE FAVORS THE FEARLESS"
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Dustin joined Havener Capital Partners in July 2017 as the firm’s Growth Strategist. He works with our current clients on their strategy development and execution and is also responsible for identifying potential clients for the firm to represent. Making sure we partner with the right people, helping them find success, and ensuring they stay happy is the name of his game.
Prior to joining Havener, Dustin worked in the capital introduction space for two boutique sales/research firms. These firms provided introductions to allocators and market intelligence on global institutional investors. As VP of Manager Research and Head of Sales in the US, he managed teams that sold the firms’ services to hedge funds, venture capital, real estate and private equity funds. His role was to make sure sales goals were met and build the brand within the alternative fund universe.
Dustin received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Merrimack College and was a member of the Men’s Baseball Team. He finished his studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
If Dustin is not traveling with his wife and Golden Retriever Cooper (@capecodcoop), he is at his home in Connecticut. You will often find him golfing, enjoying some wine/scotch while cooking, working out, or watching a game. Being idle is not in his DNA, but being Native American is (says Ancestry.com).
MOTTO: "WINNERS EMBRACE HARD WORK. THEY LOVE THE DISCIPLINE OF IT, THE TRADE-OFF THEY'RE MAKING TO WIN. LOSERS, ON THE OTHER HAND, SEE IT AS PUNISHMENT. AND THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE." – LOU HOLTZ
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Anna joined Havener Capital Partners in March 2022 to lead the outsourced marketing program and strategically grow the team.
Prior to joining Havener, Anna worked with our founder, Stacy, and other CEOs to grow their personal brands. She brings over a decade of experience in marketing and operations in the tech industry.
Anna received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Washington.
Anna is passionate about quality design and content. When she’s not toggling between screens, she’s eating at new joints in San Diego, chucking dodgeballs at her kids, or plotting her next road trip.
MOTTO: "BE WHERE YOUR FEET ARE"
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Josh joined Havener Capital Partners in April 2018 as Sales Director focused on the Western United States and responsible for identifying potential investors for Havener’s clients, facilitating the due diligence process, and maintaining relationships with investors.
Prior to Havener, Josh has held various investment distribution roles successfully raising capital across multiple product structures in both traditional and alternative asset classes. Most recently, Josh was a part of the retail distribution team at Colony NorthStar, a leading diversified equity REIT and alternative investment manager.
Josh holds his Series 7, 63, and 65 licenses and is a registered representative of Compass Securities Corporation. He received his Bachelor of Science in Finance and Real Estate from Florida State University (Go Noles!). Residing in Downtown Denver, Josh embraces MOST things Colorado has to offer and enjoys an active lifestyle with a good balance of exploring new local bars and restaurants. When not on the road, you can catch Josh running around Wash Park, rocking out a metal show, or traveling with his wife Hailee.
MOTTO: "IT AIN'T ABOUT HOW HARD YOU HIT. IT'S ABOUT HOW HARD YOU CAN GET HIT AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD.” ~ ROCKY BALBOA
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Shannon joined Havener Capital Partners in May 2018 as Sales Director. She is responsible for identifying potential investors for Havener’s clients, facilitating the due diligence process, and maintaining relationships with investors.
With twenty years of experience in financial services, Shannon brings a broad skill set to Havener. Shannon began her career at Fidelity Investments which proved an excellent training ground. While her career has spanned retirement services and now asset management, Shannon has always focused on developing and nurturing relationships with RIAs and family offices. In her prior position at Retirement Alliance (a retirement recordkeeping firm which was acquired by Alerus Retirement Services), Shannon was VP of Sales. She managed the firm’s top advisor relationships, their custody partner relationships, and ran the sales and marketing teams. During her tenure, the firm AUM grew by 10x.
Shannon Blair Taji is a Registered Representative of Compass Securities Corporation, a FINRA general securities broker/dealer. Shannon received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Gettysburg College where she played four years of Division III Women’s Soccer. She was also lucky to have studied abroad at Flinders University in Australia for six months. Shannon resides in Jamestown, RI with her husband and 3 daughters. If it has to do with being active and being outdoors, Shannon is in. If she’s not playing soccer herself, she’s coaching her daughters’ soccer teams, probably on a field with a view of the water. Living by the ocean feeds her soul.
MOTTO: "WHEN IN DOUBT TELL THE TRUTH." ~ MARK TWAIN
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There’s no gentle way to say this: Mary was a weird kid. But growing up in Newport, RI, her parents embraced and encouraged her individuality. Wearing plaid yellow pants to school today? Nice, you look great! You want people to call you Bob? Cool, will do. You’re going to be Forrest Gump in the school talent show? Amazing!
While the name change didn’t stick (she’s really more of a Mary), the sentiment did. Today, she’s unapologetically authentic, fully owns her unique abilities—and loves to help others do the same. She found her niche in traditionally “boring” industries and lives to discover that sweet spot where personality and professionalism intersect.
Luckily, fate stepped in when Mary and Stacy Havener crossed cobblestoned paths in Newport—now, she’s living the dream as Brand Manager for Havener Capital Partners.
Mary earned a BA in Visual and Media Arts from Emerson College and an MS in Internet Marketing from Full Sail University. When she’s not boosting the HCP brand, she embraces her inner Scorpio by unearthing family secrets on Ancestry.com. She also loves exploring Las Vegas (her new hometown) with her husband Andy, dancing to Britney Spears and other Y2K jams, and doing fabulous photo shoots with her dog, Kenny Powers.
MOTTO: “THE ONLY THING THAT COULD MAKE THIS DAY BETTER IS ICE CREAM.” – MICHAEL SCOTT
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Brian comes to Havener from IPS Strategic Capital, a quantitative RIA firm specializing in options and hedging, where he served as a Quantitative Analyst. Brian backtested various options strategies, created structured notes, analyzed options portfolio Greeks, performed back-end software development, supported mutual fund operations, performed due diligence for clients, and marketing functions like SEO and competitor research. During this time, he also served as the teaching assistant for a class on hedging commodities at the JP Morgan Commodities Center at the University of Colorado – Denver.
Brian also worked for a startup and succeeded in gaining acceptance to an extended venture accelerator, which included an investment in the firm and world-class mentoring from successful entrepreneurs and adjunct professors
Prior to IPS, Brian served 10 years in the Army as a Green Beret. There, Brian gained expertise in unconventional warfare, intelligence collection, information operations, and human intelligence, in addition to more traditional special operations missions.
Brian Hennigan graduated from the University of Colorado – Denver with an MBA in Marketing and an MS in Finance & Risk Management. Concurrently, he received a graduate certificate in commodities from the JP Morgan Center for Commodities. Brian also holds an MA in Security Management.
Born in Trinidad, CO, and growing up in New Mexico, Brian is an avid fly-fisherman. He loves spending time with friends, volunteering, investing with options, bocce ball and the outdoors.
MOTTO: WHEN YOU CAN’T FIND THE SUNSHINE, BE THE SUNSHINE.
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Emily joined Havener Capital Partners as Director of Content in November 2022. With more than 25 years of financial writing experience, she has developed the unique ability to translate complex topics into engaging, digestible stories. In her role at Havener, she leads a team of writers in conceptualizing and creating content for Havener’s asset manager clients.
Like many of Havener’s clients, Emily spent years working for “The Bigs” before breaking away to do her own thing. After writing for some of the biggest and best asset managers in the industry, she was ready for something different, so she cleared out her cube, turned in her employee ID, and set up shop in her drafty 100-year-old Denver home. In the years that followed, Emily led and supported hundreds of writing and editorial initiatives across diverse genres and interest groups – from investors, athletes, and artists to economists, educators, and environmentalists. She also had a baby (her third), became a certified yoga instructor, joined the board of a non-profit organization, and backpacked through the Grand Canyon.
In 2021, while still running her own business and running to keep up with her active family, Emily joined Havener on a contractual basis, where she supported the marketing team in developing content for the firm’s growing roster of clients. As the volume of work increased, so did Emily’s interest in helping boutique asset managers tell (write) their breakaway stories. As it turns out, joining Havener in a full-time role was the next chapter in her own story.
When she’s not conceptualizing and crafting content for Havener’s asset managers, Emily enjoys reading, traveling, hiking, soccer (from the sidelines), and gathering around backyard fire pits with friends—a pandemic-inspired trend that seems to have stuck.
MOTTO: “DRAW THE ART YOU WANT TO SEE, MAKE THE MUSIC YOU WANT TO HEAR, WRITE THE BOOKS YOU WANT TO READ.” ~ AUSTIN KLEON
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Kerby joined Havener Capital Partners in July 2023 armed with years of investment and financial writing expertise. With an approach rooted in his journalistic upbringing, he believes the keys to producing stellar content are asking good questions and shutting up and listening.
Previously, Kerby ran his own consulting firm, which specialized in financial content, for more than 20 years. He also started and ran a college hockey magazine for five years in the early 1990s. In between, he held a handful of corporate jobs, including a marketing role with one of Wall Street’s biggest data purveyors. In addition to his financial world exploits, he’s contributed to the entrepreneurial ecosystem by teaching college courses, facilitating workshops, and writing about start-up realities.
Kerby earned his MBA from the University of Northern Colorado in 2021 and received a BS in journalism from a Big Ten school many years earlier. A longtime Colorado resident, he enjoys running, biking to get places, yoga, reading, and watching football -- all much easier now that the three kids he and his wife have raised are mostly past the care and feeding stage (he doubts they’ll ever turn down free/prepared meals).
MOTTO: “WHEN THE WORLD ZIGS … ZAG” - BARBARA NOAKES
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Alicia Purden joined Havener in January 2016 as Graphic Designer on our Marketing team before becoming Senior Graphic Designer in June 2020. Alicia was promoted to Marketing Manager in 2022, where she is responsible for executing overall marketing and content strategies for clients.
Previously, Alicia worked for the Preservation Society of Newport County and the Newport Mansions Stores, where she designed marketing collateral and e-commerce graphics for their retail stores and website. Experienced in both print and digital design, Alicia’s work focuses on the importance of brand identity and sharp, direct design that tell a powerful (and beautiful) story. She is an award-winning graduate of Salve Regina University, where she studied Art and Art History with a concentration in Graphic Design.
Alicia is a Newporter by way of a New Jersey suburb of Philadelphia. She loves all forms of art and design as well as the creative challenge of combining form and function. When she isn’t designing, Alicia can be found practicing hot yoga, supporting her favorite team Manchester United, or soaking up useless trivia in the hopes of one day becoming a Jeopardy! champion.
MOTTO: "CREATIVITY IS INTELLIGENCE HAVING FUN." ~ EINSTEIN
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Steph Russell joined Havener in January 2023 as a Marketing Manager on our Marketing team. She is responsible for executing the overall marketing and content strategy for Havener's clients.
Before joining Havener, Steph was a freelance digital marketing strategist, SEO, and Wordpress developer for 14 years, working with a variety of clients from different industries and backgrounds. Experienced in marketing, development, and design, Steph is passionate about business and all phases of website creation and growth. Steph is a graduate of Northeastern University where she studied Organizational Communications. She holds certificates in Digital Marketing and Startup Entrepreneurship.
When she isn’t in front of a computer screen for work and fun, Steph loves to travel, try new restaurants, spend time with family and her dog, go on adventures, and obsessively read and collect business and personal development books.
MOTTO: “IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, YOU CAN DO IT” ~ WALT DISNEY
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Erika holds a BFA in Graphic Design and an MFA in Interactive Media Design from Rochester Institute of Technology. She has extensive experience with design strategy and dynamic digital and print media, branding solutions and integrated media.
She has been a creative director, art director and designer throughout her career working with government non-profits, NGOs and many more including Fortune 500 companies in a variety of industries.
Her work experience spans natural/organic foods, products & services, conservation, financial, retail, hospitality, education, government and technology clients. She has assisted entrepreneurs, non-profits and government initiatives that improve food, health, protect wildlife and the environment.
Throughout her career, Erika has had the opportunity to provide design work for various mutual fund companies.
She has also written and taught undergraduate and graduate courses for major universities in the areas of Graphic Design, Data Visualization, Web and Digital Strategy Design & Development, Human Factors, Design Management and Design Research & Innovation.
She is passionate about wildlife and conservation issues. Her extensive work with state and national initiatives has brought her into contact with a diverse set of industry leaders. Living outside of Boulder, Colorado, she enjoys spending her free time traveling, hiking, cycling, snowboarding and enjoying anything outdoors with her family.
MOTTO: “PLAY IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF RESEARCH.” – ALBERT EINSTEIN
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Andrew Makowski joined Havener in June 2020 as Graphic Designer on our Marketing team. He is responsible for the design and execution of our client marketing materials and delivering customized creative and marketing solutions for our clients.
Prior to joining Havener, Andrew worked for Edelman Financial Engines and M2K Branding & Communications, where he designed marketing materials and digital graphics. Experienced in both print and digital design, Andrew’s work focuses on the importance of brand identity and how compelling visual design can tell an impactful (and beautiful) story. Andrew is a graduate of Carrington College California where he studied Graphic Design.
Andrew spent most of his life living in Los Angeles County California but now lives in the state of Maryland, near Washington DC. When he isn’t designing, he can be found spending quality time with his wife and two kids. Some of their activities include outdoor walks, family-friendly movies, and playdates. Being a creative type, Andrew is also a long-time musician and enjoys writing and producing alternative music with friends at his home studio.
MOTTO: NO ONE EVER MADE A DIFFERENCE BY BEING LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
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Ralph brings over 20 years of industry experience to Havener in his role as Growth Strategist. Ralph’s entire professional career has been spent in wholesale or capital raising capacities, including management. Ralph spent 15 years in the capital markets division of Inland Real Estate Investment Corporation and more recently as Founding Partner and Chief Development Officer of TrueMark Investments. During his career, he has been involved in the distribution side of several different product structures, including mutual funds, LP’s, ETFs and TAMPs. Ralph studied business at Elmhurst University, and served in the United States Marine Corps.
Ralph lives in the suburbs of Chicago, and spends time with his daughters as much as they’ll allow. When he’s not out discovering new restaurants with them, you’ll find him hanging out with friends on the golf course or trying to sit through a whole Bears game.
MOTTO: “BE THE PERSON YOUR DOG THINKS YOU ARE”
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Kaila McGreal joined Havener Capital Partners in September 2016 as the Executive Assistant to the CEO of our team. Her smiling face is the first one you’ll see when you walk in to our Newport office. She is responsible for planning, organizing, scheduling, prioritizing, and keeping everything in the HCP office running smoothly.
Kaila began her career in Financial Services while living in Southern California. Working for SC Distributors as a Corporate Events Coordinator, she planned due diligence meetings and roadshow events, which helped her find her love for preparation. She has an eye for presentation and is a firm believer that organization is key to great success.
Kaila is a graduate of Roger Williams University, where she studied Psychology and Dance Performance. She has a true passion for movement and helping people.
Originally raised south of Boston, Kaila has been a Rhode Island resident for over ten years and takes a lot of pride in where she resides. She loves photography, the ocean, and recreating delicious cuisine after trying new restaurants. When Kaila is not busy capturing beautiful sunsets or finding the best local bites, she can be found at the park with her white German Shepard, Murray, whom she rescued in San Diego, CA.
MOTTO: "THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE."
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