Managing Partner Mark Hasebroock founded the firm in 2010 and leads our commerce theme, leading investments in Bulu, Summersalt, Amify, and AddStructure. Mark got his entrepreneurial start selling colored moccasins to pay for a spring break trip while at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (he paid for the trip, then had to issue refunds upon his return when his customers quickly realized that the moccasin dye stained their feet).
After a stint as an investment banker – and another as a popcorn distributor – Mark founded his first company, giftcertificates.com, in 1997. Mark founded Hayneedle, which raised capital from Sequoia and Insight Venture Partners before exiting to jet.com in 2016 (Hayneedle went on to become part of Walmart). In 2010, Mark launched Dundee VC to solve the problem he faced as an entrepreneur building startups in Omaha: the lack of early-stage capital available throughout the Mighty Middle. Mark is the first Nebraska-based member of the Kauffman Fellows (Class 22). He previously served on Omaha Children’s Hospital Board of Directors, is part of Omaha Westside’s Hall of Fame, and plays in the Beer & Pretzel Hockey League (BPHL). Importantly, Mark has played for and is GM of the BPHL’s Team AU (Gold) as part of ten championship teams.
Still want to learn more about Mark? Look here!
Partner David Mann joined in 2016 and oversees our Chicago office. He leads our supply chain and logistics theme, and currently serves on the boards of Fooji, PartySlate, and MissionControl. David brings to our team two decades of varied investment, operations, and legal experience. David graduated Cum Laude from Harvard University with an A.B. in Government, then earned his J.D. from the Northwestern University School of Law, spending two years as a corporate attorney thereafter.
Immediately prior to Dundee, David managed Lakewest Venture Partners in Chicago with Dundee advisors Jon McCulloch and Buzz Ruttenberg. Lakewest invested primarily in Chicago from 2010 to 2015 and David quickly became enmeshed in the Chicago startup and VC ecosystem. David and his family reside in Chicago in the shadow of Wrigley Field, and he’s sadly starting to forget the excitement of the Cubs’ World Series in 2016.
Partner Greg Beaufait joined the firm in 2013 and leads our Minneapolis office, where he lives with his wife Ingrid. Greg has degrees in Finance and Economics from the Heider College of Business at Creighton University, and started with Dundee as an intern in undergrad.
Greg leads our FinTech investing theme, and has led investments in ANRA, ZoroCard, Omnia Fishing, Ripple Science, Costello (exited), DAtAnchor, Gather, and Pear Commerce. Greg is a semi-retired pro-poker player and an avid traveler, having been to 23 countries. He successfully climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2019 despite a fear of heights (he swears it is mild).
Partner Ron Watson joined the team in 2020 and leads our St. Louis office. Prior to joining Dundee, Ron was with Lewis & Clark Ventures, a $129M venture fund in St. Louis, Missouri. At Lewis & Clark, he led investments in Beam Dental, Territory Foods, Summersalt and Waldo Photos. Ron also sourced the fund’s investments in Springbuk and Blue Medora. Before Lewis & Clark, Ron was a management consultant with A.T. Kearney where he led projects focused on strategy, sales effectiveness, M&A, and supply chain for over a dozen Fortune 500 clients.
Ron has a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from Indiana University, a M.A. in International Economics from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studied (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins, and a Ph.D in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis. Ron is an avid golfer and a diehard Philadelphia Eagles fan.
Principal Allie Esch joined the team full time in July 2017 after spending a year as an intern. Throughout her internship, she conducted market research, evaluated investment opportunities, assisted in the fundraising process for Dundee’s prior fund and created a more effective means to measure and track deal flow. Her current focus is on sourcing and underwriting investment opportunities and cultivating Dundee’s brand in key sourcing markets. Allie has recently sourced investments in two new areas for the firm: pet telemedicine and blockchain and cryptocurrency.
Allie graduated Summa Cum Laude from Creighton University’s Heider College of Business with degrees in financial analysis and business analytics. She enjoys spending time outdoors, and is a proud dog mom of two Shiba Inus, Sage & Pretzel, who helped Dundee achieve “dog-friendly” status. Other passions include painting, cooking, gardening, and wine, in no specific order.
Catherine Williams joined the team in 2021 and is based in the Chicago office. As Principal, she is focused on sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities within Dundee’s fintech and construction themes. Previously, Catherine led finance and strategy at an early-stage cybersecurity startup. She began her career as a growth equity analyst at Kayne Anderson Capital.
Catherine studied finance and theology at the University of Notre Dame. She enjoys reading, running, and spending time with her family in Colorado!
Matt Shandy joined the team in 2021 and is based in the firm’s Chicago office. As Principal, Matt leads our commerce and supply chain investment themes. Previously Matt was an investor with Lewis & Clark Ventures.
Matt began his career in venture as a startup and venture capital attorney with Cooley in New York. Matt holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Oklahoma. He enjoys snow skiing and has a casual approach to his current marathon training.
Chief of Operations Kalli Mustard joined the team in 2020. Based out of our Omaha office, Kalli manages internal operations, finances, investor relations and provides portfolio support. Prior to joining Dundee VC, Kalli served as Executive Director for the Association for Corporate Growth Nebraska, growing the organization from inception in 2010 to one of the best performing ACG chapters world-wide. Prior to that, she worked as a tax associate at Deloitte focusing on both the corporate and individual tax sectors.
Kalli graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Nebraska Omaha with a B.A. in Business and Accounting. Kallie has a love of running, as much for the mental clarity it provides as for the fitness. Other hobbies include traveling, reading, and spending time with her family… preferring to do those on a beach as often as possible.
