Phillip has partnered with software founders and executive teams as an operator, investor, and strategic advisor throughout his career. He leads PeakSpan’s Strategic Development program, working closely with portfolio companies on exit preparedness, strategic positioning, and long-term value creation, while also overseeing Investor Relations and firm-wide stakeholder communications.

Prior to PeakSpan, Phillip served as Head of Corporate Development at Cloudbeds, where he led the company’s $150 million Series D financing and executed three strategic acquisitions. Earlier in his career, he was a member of PeakSpan’s investment team across Funds I and II, advised late-stage software companies in Goldman Sachs’ Technology, Media & Telecom group in San Francisco, and served as an officer in the United States Air Force.

Phillip holds a B.S. in Operations Research from the United States Air Force Academy and an M.B.A. from New York University. Based in Austin, Texas, he is a landlocked surfer who can often be found at Waco Surf Park or exploring the Hill Country with his wife and their three children.

I’m excited to come to work each day because I get to serve two constituencies I care deeply about: our limited partners and the entrepreneurs building our portfolio companies. Both ultimately want the same thing: strong, consistent, risk-adjusted outcomes, and my role sits squarely at the intersection of those goals.

I have a strong conviction that thoughtful exit preparedness can meaningfully change the trajectory of an outcome. When founders plan earlier, tell their story clearly, and engage the right stakeholders at the right time, outcomes become more predictable, more intentional, and better for everyone involved. Helping entrepreneurs regain control over that process while delivering durable results for our LPs is what makes the work both challenging and deeply rewarding.

One of the most meaningful moments at PeakSpan was helping the firm raise our fourth fund while, in parallel, supporting multiple founders through critical inflection points around exit planning and strategic decision-making. The fundraise itself was deeply fulfilling because it reflected the trust we have built with our limited partners and validated the consistency of our approach to risk-adjusted outcomes.

At the same time, some of the most impactful work happened quietly and behind the scenes with portfolio founders. In several cases, my involvement was less about maximizing a single headline outcome and more about helping management teams slow down, get prepared, and regain control of the process. That meant clarifying strategy, pressure-testing options, sequencing decisions thoughtfully, and ensuring they were positioned to achieve the best possible outcome for their business, their teams, and our investors, regardless of the ultimate size or timing of an exit.

Seeing that preparation change the confidence of founders and the predictability of outcomes, even when those outcomes look different on the surface, is where I’ve felt my involvement most directly influence a company’s trajectory.

The personal experience that most shaped how I approach my work today was seeing firsthand what happens when strategic development is not prioritized early. I’ve watched strong businesses end up in reactive situations where management teams are under significant stress, responding to a single inbound acquiror without truly knowing whether it is the best option, simply because they never had the time or perspective to understand their full buyer universe.

Earlier in my career, I also learned the importance of preparation in a more personal way. I once showed up unprepared to a senior leader and realized that “doing your best” is rarely about a single moment. It is the cumulative effect of small, consistent work done every day. That lesson has stayed with me and deeply influences how I think about readiness, whether it is preparing a founder for a board conversation, a capital decision, or an eventual exit.

Those experiences reinforced my belief that founders must remain firmly in control of their outcomes. My role is not to drive decisions but to support them with pattern recognition, context, and preparation. Capital choices, timing, and strategy all open some doors while closing others, and thoughtful planning allows founders to make those trade-offs intentionally rather than reactively.

Ultimately, strategic development is a long-term effort built on trust. At PeakSpan, we consistently see better outcomes when relationships are formed early, expectations are aligned, and preparation begins well before a transaction is on the table. That philosophy now underpins how I work with both founders and investors every day.

If someone worked closely with me for a year, they would likely say I’m authentic, deeply prepared, and genuinely invested in their success. Entrepreneurs often tell me that they trust my intentions because I care just as much about the outcome as they do, not only for the business but also for the people and families behind it.

At PeakSpan, I’m especially focused on aligning outcomes for all shareholders, with a deep respect for the sacrifices founders make when they commit themselves to an idea. I bring a strong sense of ownership to that responsibility, and I approach each situation with the belief that when one of us wins, we all win. That mindset is what fuels my passion for the work and shapes how I show up every day.