Partners | Pelican Hill Partners

Meet The Partners

Our team is made up of bankers, operators, entrepreneurs and strategists. It's a team of industry experts with decades of experience and success delivering incredible returns to both founders and investors.

Jim DeNaut

Partner

Jim DeNaut has over 30 years of global investment banking experience at Nomura, Deutsche Bank, and Morgan Stanley. His expertise in M&A, capital markets, cross-border transactions and asset management has made him one of Wall Street’s most trusted advisors. A former member of the Board of Directors of Nomura Holding America, Inc., Jim served as President and Chief Executive Officer, Senior Managing Director and Head of International Investment Banking during his twelve years at Nomura Securities International. Prior to Nomura, Jim served as Senior Managing Director, Head of Global Banking Americas, and Head of Corporate and Investment Banking Americas at Deutsche Bank Securities. Earlier in his career, Jim was a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division at Morgan Stanley where he led the Energy group and landmark transactions including the IPO of Conoco, the mergers of BP with Amoco, BP with ARCO, Chevron with Texaco, and the merger that created ConocoPhillips.

Jim earned a BA from Northwestern University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He currently serves as a Trustee of Northwestern University, a Board Member of Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA) and is the Chairman of Youth About Business (YAB).

Grant Page

Partner

Grant Page has experience in technologies addressing water, energy, healthcare, defense, AI, and infrastructure. He founded an advanced water treatment and desalination solutions company and launched a Hedge Fund focused on water technology, health & nutrition, defense and arbitration. Grant also founded the Page Family Foundation which has work to provide clean water to communities in needs in 17 countries. Grant was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 for his work at his water company, reflecting his track record as a mission-driven technologist and entrepreneur. He served as a Naval Officer and graduated from the United States Naval Academy.

Steve Quamme

Partner

Steve Quamme has had a distinguished career in investment banking and has been the co-founder of multiple funds including Cartica Capital, an asset management firm focused on the emerging markets with over $3 billion in assets under management. Prior to Cartica, he was a co-founder of Breeden Capital Management, a US-activist fund manager with over $2 billion in assets under management. He was previously the co-CEO of Milestone Merchant Partners, a merchant bank that managed four private equity funds and the parent of Milestone Advisors, a leading investment bank focused on financial services (subsequently acquired by Houlihan Lokey). Steve has extensive experience across investment management, operations, fundraising, fund formation, trading, compliance, and finance. Steve has raised over $5 billion from many of the world’s largest institutional investors. He began his career as an M&A attorney at Baker Botts. He has served on boards of companies listed on the NYSE, NASDAQ, LSE, and Mexican Stock Exchange, including audit committee roles.

Steve holds a BA from Northwestern University and a JD from Northwestern University School of Law.

Partner

Brad Allen

Brad Allen is a veteran global financier and serial technology entrepreneur whose career spans Wall Street, the West Coast, Hong Kong, and Abu Dhabi. He has worked in institutional trading and at tier-one investment banks, raising capital and executing M&A for emerging growth and public companies. Brad has founded and led multiple technology ventures across software, immersive media, advanced computing, and deep tech, achieving several successful exits, including one to Apple. Most recently, he served as Managing Partner for Abu Dhabi–based Tau Capital, a deep-tech venture fund investing in early-stage frontier technologies. He operates at the intersection of global capital and breakthrough technology, helping innovative companies scale and succeed.

Partner

Thane Ritchie

Thane Ritchie is the founder and principal of Ritchie Capital Management, a private investment firm known for its opportunistic, multi-strategy approach across public and private markets. With more than three decades of experience as an investor and entrepreneur, Ritchie has built a reputation for identifying undervalued assets, structuring complex transactions, and creating long-term value for stakeholders.

Before establishing Ritchie Capital Management, he began his career in finance after competing as a professional athlete, bringing the discipline, resilience, and strategic mindset forged on the field into his investment work. Over the years, he has led investments spanning technology, energy, healthcare, and special situations, often focusing on themes at the intersection of innovation and disruption.

Partner

Mohammed Khan

Mohammed Khan focuses on global capital partnerships and cross-border investment. He has worked with international investment groups and family-backed platforms in high-growth markets, evaluating and structuring growth and infrastructure deals. Mohammed helps align sovereign, institutional, and private capital with founders pursuing long-term, impact-oriented strategies.

Partner

Greg Clark

Greg Clark has over 30 years of business strategy and marketing experience and advises technology and consumer companies on business and capital planning. Greg’s experience as both a founder and corporate executive enables him to develop flexible capital structures aligned with practical operating plans so companies can scale rapidly and predictably. Greg has a BS from Calvin University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

Partner

David Vander Veen

David VanderVeen focuses on consumer, wellness, and tech-enabled brands. He co-founded XS, a global energy drink and sports nutrition brand acquired by Amway, where he later led the XS business worldwide, and has served as CEO of Nirvana Water Sciences. David applies a founder-operator mindset to building community, distribution, and durable brand value.

Partner

Patrick English

Patrick English structures full-cycle capital solutions for early- and mid-stage growth companies. He co-founded Sea Court Management in partnership with Compass Point and was previously a partner and COO at Three Mountain Capital, a global macro hedge fund. His experience across private equity, hedge funds, and securities helps founders scale tech-enabled, category-defining businesses. Patrick earned a BA from Boston College and an MBA from Duke University. He is a board member of XO Health.

Partner

Wes Dalton

Wes Dalton connects disruptive founders with sophisticated, long-term capital. He brings over 25 years in finance, including senior roles at THINK Partners, where he advised and raised capital for alternative funds and private companies. Wes specializes in multi-tranche structures blending equity, credit, and strategic investors. He began his career at Montgomery Securities & Robertson Stephens in institutional equity sales and held similar and managerial positions at Bear Sterns, Leerink Swann, Macquarie Capital, and Truist. Wes was head of capital markets for BAA Group, a billion dollar multifamily real estate investor in the Bay Area. Wes is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned All-PAC Ten acadamic honors as quarterback and captain of the football team. He is a registered rep with FINRA and the SEC and has his SIE, Series 7, and Series 63 licenses.