Our Team

Our Team is Grounded in and Built Upon a Set of Core Values: Integrity, Partnership, Respect, Focus and Excellence.

Fernando Gentil

Fernando Gentil is the co-founder and managing partner of Natureza Growth Partners. He serves as a Board Director at Windmill, Hosted, Jiant, Seaweed Bath Co. and Board Observer at Slrrrp, and Dormify. Prior to co-founding Natureza, He was Associate Finance Director at Anheuser-Busch Inbev working in St. Louis, New York, and Shanghai, China. Fernando began his career in the M&A Group at Deutsche Bank in New York before moving to JPMorgan’s Global Investment Opportunities Group in the Private Bank. He received his MBA from Oxford University and BS from Georgetown University (Foreign Service).

Collin Eckles

Collin Eckles is the co-founder and managing partner of Natureza Growth Partners. He serves as a Board Director at Buffalo Market, Jiant, and Arber and a Board Observer at Cleancult and Cabinet Health. Prior to Natureza, Collin spent 6 years at the Rose Rock Group beginning in its venture arm to then building the family office’s Asia platform. Collin earned a BS in Finance from Georgetown University.

Joe Tonnos

Joe Tonnos is an active investor in the consumer and retail industry with experience across private equity, venture capital and investment banking, spanning a wide range of transaction sizes and structures, both public and private. Joe is currently a Managing Director at Roth Capital Partners and a serial SPAC sponsor. He is also the co-founder of Ketch Ventures, an investor in early stage, disruptive, consumer facing businesses. Joe was a principal at Mistral Equity Partners and prior to that worked in the consumer investment banking group at Lazard and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Joe earned a BS in Finance and an MBA from Niagara University.

Melody Lai

Melody Lai is a member of the Natureza MBA associate program and is currently a 2nd year candidate at Chicago Booth. Melody assists the Natureza team in sourcing opportunities, conducting due diligence, and performing financial analysis. In addition to her diligence duties, Melody focuses on portfolio management across the firm’s funds. Prior to Booth, Melody was a Strategy Manager at Accenture and earned a BA in Economics and Entrepreneurship at UCLA.

Matthew Pontikas

Matthew Pontikas is a member of the Natureza MBA associate program and is currently a 2^nd year candidate at the UNC Keenan-Flagler School of Business. Matt assists the Natureza team in conducting due diligence, performing financial analysis, and drafting financing views and investment memorandums. In addition to his diligence duties, Matt engages with the management teams of the existing portfolio companies and Natureza’s operating partner advisory board. He is currently the CFO of Kenan Flagler’s private equity fund.

Clyde Tuggle

Clyde Tuggle is an Operating Partner with Natureza Growth Partners. Clyde brings over 30 years of operating and management experience from The Coca-Cola Company, where he was a Senior Vice President and member of the Executive Committee. Previously, Clyde held several senior management roles at The Coca-Cola Company and was most recently Senior Vice President and Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer.

Our Team

Fernando Gentil

Collin Eckles

Joe Tonnos

Melody Lai

Matthew Pontikas

Clyde Tuggle

FERNANDO GENTIL

COLLIN ECKLES

JOE TONNOS

MELODY LAI

MATTHEW PONTIKAS

CLYDE TUGGLE

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Our Team

Fernando Gentil

Collin Eckles

Joe Tonnos

Melody Lai

Matthew Pontikas

Clyde Tuggle

FERNANDO GENTIL

COLLIN ECKLES

JOE TONNOS

MELODY LAI

MATTHEW PONTIKAS

CLYDE TUGGLE

Get In Touch

Follow Us

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