About Big Path Capital, Impact Investing’s Investment Bank
In 2007 the old economy driven by the single gear of profit maximization reached a dead end. It was a moment of reckoning during which Big Path Capital was formed to advance an expansive economy built on natural, social, and financial capital.
Today this new path, conducting business for profit and impact, represents the largest investment opportunity of our era. Enduring value is being created through strategies that leverage the inherent link between natural, social, and financial capital. What was marginal in 2007, today is mainstream.
At Big Path Capital, we are innovative leaders expanding the path for business interests seeking multiple bottom line interests, taking the new economy from the margins to the mainstream, seeing the financial world generate good as it generates returns. As a global firm, Big Path Capital is advancing a sustainable economy connecting mission-driven companies and fund managers with mission-aligned investors.
MEET OUR TEAM
Shawn Lesser
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Shawn Lesser
In partnership with Michael Whelchel, Shawn has founded a number of first-of-their-kind initiatives, all of which demonstrate SmarterMoney+ TM Maximize Impact, Maximize Return. Those include the Five Fund Forum, Impact Capitalism Summit, and Impact & Sustainable Trade Missions. In 2010, Shawn also co-founded the Global Cleantech Cluster Association as a meta-cluster to create momentum and move the cleantech market by networking global clusters together.
Shawn speaks at events around the world on the topic of Impact and Sustainable Investment and partners with the US Department of Commerce in conducting Impact and Sustainable Trade Mission. Shawn received his BS in Finance from Syracuse University and is conversant in German, Spanish, and Chinese.
In addition to his role with Big Path Capital in providing investment advisory and merger and acquisition support, Shawn Lesser is separately registered as a representative of Growth Capital Services, Inc. (“GCS”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC. GCS is not responsible for the separate advisory services offered by GCS Rep or for any services offered by other Big Path personnel. More information about Shawn and GCS is available through FINRA Broker check.
Michael Whelchel
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Michael Whelchel
Recognizing that impact investing isn’t just a different way of investing but a superior way of deploying capital, Michael is committed to challenging the status quo and to raising the expectation of capital. In this vein, Big Path has created a number of first-in-class initiatives demonstrating SmarterMoney+: Maximize impact, Maximize return. These include the Five Fund Forum, Impact Capitalism Summit, and Impact & Sustainable Trade Missions.
Michael received his BA summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from the University of the South in Sewanee, TN and received a joint MBA and MEM (Master of Engineering Management) from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. Michael is a Kellogg Youn Impact Scholar, an advisory board member of the Croatan Institute and is a member of the Social Venture Network and Net Impact.
In addition to his role with Big Path Capital in providing investment advisory and merger and acquisition support, Michael Whelchel is separately registered as a representative of Growth Capital Services, Inc. (“GCS”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC. GCS is not responsible for the separate advisory services offered by GCS Rep or for any services offered by other Big Path personnel. More information about Michael and GCS is available through FINRA Broker check.
J.D. Dell
Managing Director & Partner
J.D. Dell
Immediately prior to Big Path, Mr. Dell was a Managing Director with Capview Partners from October 2014 through September 2017 where he was responsible for investor relations wherein he led a team that raised over $110 million of equity capital and secured over $200 million in debt financing in 2 years for net lease real estate investments. Prior to joining Capview, Mr. Dell was Senior Vice President for Corporate Development and General Counsel for Sellars Absorbent Materials, Inc., a leading producer and distributor of absorbent and wiping products containing recycled fibers from 2010-2014. While with Sellars, Mr. Dell was instrumental in multiple financings for the company, including leading a sale-leaseback financing, which significantly reduced the company’s cost of capital and improved its finances. During his tenure with Sellars, Mr. Dell played an integral role on the management team in improving the company’s earnings. Prior to Sellars, Mr. Dell served as Senior Managing Director at Trammell Crow Company/CBRE from 2005-2010, where he raised over $250 million from institutional investors. He led investments in opportunistic and value-added real estate. Mr. Dell also was a Senior Executive and Partner at Lone Star Funds/ Hudson Advisors, one of the largest alternative private equity funds in the world from 1998-2004. While at Lone Star Funds, Mr. Dell was an instrumental team member in growing the company to over $12 billion assets under management from $1 billion assets under management when he first started. Mr. Dell was in charge of legal, regulatory and compliance matters for Lone Star Funds.
Mr. Dell has been an active volunteer for the Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas Foundation, previously serving as Chairman of the Investment Committee and Chairman of the Foundation that oversees Jesuit’s endowment through June 2017.
Mr. Dell has been a member of the State Bar of Texas for more than 30 years, and he holds an undergraduate degree, with honors, from Carroll University in Wisconsin and law and masters in accountancy degrees, with honors, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
In addition to his role with Big Path Capital in providing investment advisory and merger and acquisition support, J.D. Dell is separately registered as a representative of Growth Capital Services, Inc. (“GCS”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC. GCS is not responsible for the separate advisory services offered by GCS Rep or for any services offered by other Big Path personnel. More information about JD and GCS is available through FINRA Broker check.
Christie Lange
Director
Christie Lange
Christie received a B.S. in Finance from The Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
In addition to her role with Big Path Capital in providing investment advisory and merger and acquisition support, Christie Lange is separately registered as a representative of Growth Capital Services, Inc. (“GCS”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC. GCS is not responsible for the separate advisory services offered by GCS Rep or for any services offered by other Big Path personnel. More information about Christie and GCS is available through FINRA Broker check.
Nick Dell
Vice President
Nick Dell
Nick received a B.S. in Agricultural Economics with a focus in Finance and Real Estate from Texas A&M University.
In addition to his role with Big Path Capital in providing investment advisory and merger and acquisition support, Nick is separately registered as a representative of Growth Capital Services, Inc. (“GCS”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC. GCS is not responsible for the separate advisory services offered by GCS Rep or for any services offered by other Big Path personnel. More information about Nick and GCS is available through FINRA Broker check.
Rebecca Jablonsky
Private Equity Execution Assistant
Rebecca Jablonsky
- Rebecca has experience supporting the M&A deal process and served as an M&A Execution Assistant at Harris Williams in the Food & Beverage sector.
- Prior to joining Big Path, Rebecca was a Client Success Manager at demandDrive, a sales development and demand generation company.
- She has experience in B2B sales and managing sales teams in the IT industry.
- Graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire with a B.A. in Psychology and Organizational Communication
Patrick McDonald
Associate
Patrick McDonald
Patrick joined Big Path in 2021. Prior to joining Big Path, Patrick was an Investment Banking Analyst for Harris Williams’ Healthcare & Life Sciences Group, where he worked with companies across a variety of subsectors on M&A transactions. At his previous firm, Patrick’s roles relied heavily on due diligence, financial modeling, and execution support.
Patrick received a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Notre Dame, where he was a member of the varsity baseball team.
In addition to his role with Big Path Capital in providing investment advisory and merger and acquisition support, Patrick McDonald is separately registered as a representative of Growth Capital Services, Inc. (“GCS”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC. GCS is not responsible for the separate advisory services offered by GCS Rep or for any services offered by other Big Path personnel. More information about Patrick and GCS is available through FINRA Broker check.
Kristin Remenschneider
Project Manager
Kristin Remenschneider
Kristin comes to us with an extensive background in project and event management. She has worked as a project manager, juggling multiple clients and projects, and as an event manager with 20+ events annually. Ranging from large to small, trade shows to corporate, and most everything in between. She has worked on large-scale events such as the Olympics, the ESPN X Games, CES, and AWS. Kristin graduated from Carthage College in Kenosha, WI with a B.A. in Recreation & Resort Management, a self-designed major that she developed and won approval for.
Isabel Whelchel
Analyst
Isabel Whelchel
Isabel joined Big Path in 2022. Prior to joining Big Path, Isabel was a Venture Capital Analyst for Greenspring Associates (acquired by StepStone Group), where she was responsible for sourcing and due diligence efforts on direct, fund-of-fund, and secondary investments. While at Greenspring, Isabelspecialized in impact and diversity fund-of-fund investing.
Isabel received a B.S.B.A. in Business Administration and Global Studies from the Honors College at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.