Our extraordinary team
Avante's team combines deep lower middle market expertise with a partnership-first approach. We've spent our careers in this market—and we're committed to helping our partners win.
100+
COMBINED YEARS
30+
TEAM MEMBERS
2
PRIMARY OFFICES
LEADERSHIP
The leaders who shape Avante
LEADERSHIP
Ivelisse Rodriguez Simon
Managing Partner
Ft. Lauderdale, FL →
LEADERSHIP
Jeri Harman
Founder & Chairman
Los Angeles, CA →
LEADERSHIP
Paul Hayama
Chief Investment Officer
Los Angeles, CA →
LEADERSHIP
Richard Strait
Investment Committee Partner
Madison, WI →
LEADERSHIP
Chaz Cocuzza
Managing Director
New York, NY →
LEADERSHIP
Omar Abou Sayed
Managing Director, Origination
Houston, TX →
LEADERSHIP
Omar Simmons
Senior Advisor
Boston, MA →
LEADERSHIP
John Ritter
Senior Advisor
Hartford, CT →
LEADERSHIP
Gladys Cordova
Chief Financial Officer
Chicago, IL →
LEADERSHIP
Amanda Kim
Managing Director
Los Angeles, CA →
LEADERSHIP
David Ng
Managing Director
New York, NY →
OUR BROADER TEAM
The heart of Avante
INVESTMENT
Chelsea Celistan
Principal
New York, NY →
INVESTMENT
Nicole Vatter
Principal
Los Angeles, CA →
INVESTMENT
Lamar Horne
Principal
Charlotte, NC →
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
Alyssa Coiley
CCO/Controller
Chicago, IL →
CAPITAL FORMATION
Jesse Beck
Vice President
New York, NY →
CAPITAL FORMATION
Victor Villalpando
Vice President
Las Vegas, NV →
INVESTMENT
Karel Ignacio
Vice President
Los Angeles, CA →
INVESTMENT
Victoria Smorodinova
Vice President
New York, NY →
INVESTMENT
Colin Johnson
Senior Associate
Los Angeles, CA →
INVESTMENT
Marissa Topolski Singleton
Senior Associate
Houston, TX →
CAPITAL FORMATION
Makena Barats
Senior Associate
San Francisco, CA →
INVESTMENT
Emily Yin
Associate
Los Angeles, CA →
INVESTMENT
Neriah Ray-Saunders
Associate
New York, NY →
INVESTMENT
Josh Zhuo
Associate
New York, NY →
INVESTMENT
Priyank Shah
Assistant Fund Controller
New York, NY →
CAPITAL FORMATION
DeAisha Johnson
Analyst
New York, NY →
IMPACT
Chau Nguyen
Director of Marketing & Impact
Los Angeles, CA →
FINANCE & STRATEGY
Danielle Rosales
Project Manager, Operations & Strategy
Los Angeles, CA →
IMPACT
Gabriella Rodriguez
Manager of Community
Chicago, IL →
CAPITAL FORMATION
Hannah Eiler
Executive Assistant
San Francisco, CA →
COLLECTIVE EXPERTISE
Combined experience that delivers
16
YEARS LMM FOCUS
Exclusively focused on the lower middle market since 2009
100+
TRANSACTIONS
Deep experience across deal structures and industries
200+
SPONSOR RELATIONSHIPS
Trusted partnerships with PE firms and independent sponsors
$1.5B+
ASSETS MANAGED
Significant capital deployed to support growth
THE AVANTE DIFFERENCE
Built on partnership
At Avante, we believe that exceptional outcomes come from exceptional teams. Our culture is defined by collaboration, intellectual curiosity, and a genuine commitment to helping our partners succeed.
We've built a team of professionals who bring not only deep expertise in lower middle market credit, but also a shared belief that the best partnerships are built on trust, transparency, and a long-term perspective.
Collaborative Spirit
We work together across every deal
Partner-First Mindset
Your success is our success
Long-Term Relationships
Built on trust and results
Shared Expertise
Over 100 years of LMM experience
Ready to partner with us?
Whether you're a PE sponsor, independent sponsor, or company looking for flexible financing—we'd love to connect.