We invest our time in great technologies and great founders

Our model starts with building deep partnerships with early-stage companies and supporting their growth by leveraging the scale of the federal market. By design, our advisory practice is extremely founder-friendly, making us easy to work with and granting us unique access to great companies with mission alignment and a shared vision from the start. Our advisory practice ensures that we are exposed to transformative technologies earlier than most investors, allowing us to play a meaningful part in a company’s growth and build strong relationships with founders.

Team

Thomas Hendrix
Founding Partner

Andrew Price
Partner

Eric Horan
Founding Partner

Thomas leads venture strategy, business operations, and finance for Decisive Point. Previously, he has held roles in venture capital and at early-stage startups. Thomas began his career in the private sector at Blackstone after serving in the U.S. Army for nearly 10-years as an Infantry and Special Forces Officer. Thomas earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and holds a BS in American Legal Systems from the United States Military at West Point.

Andrew directs the firm’s business development and investor relations efforts. He is a Co-Founder of UniteUs, a social determinants of health platform and he has been an investor and advisor for multiple early-stage dual-use companies providing both commercial and government technology solutions. Andrew is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and holds a BA in Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism.

Eric leads Decisive Point’s advisory practice, providing bespoke services to startups, government, and investors. Previously, Eric worked for 10-years as a Government Contracting Officer (KO) for the Navy’s major weapons systems and supported the Office of the Secretary of Defense, creating policy and establishing streamlined acquisition authorities. Eric received his BBA from Emory University and his MBA from the University of Maryland.

Ryan Benitez
Principal

Debi Jantzen
Senior Associate

Timothy Kelly
Chief of Staff

Ryan leads business operations and strategy for the advisory portfolio at Decisive Point. Previously, Ryan led programming at Techstars where she advised early-stage defense and space technology companies. Ryan served in the U.S. Navy for nine years as a Surface Warfare Officer deployed aboard warships and later as a Public Affairs Officer in the Pentagon. Ryan earned an MBA from The Wharton School, an MA in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, and holds a BA in Communication from Villanova University.

Debi is the Senior Associate at Decisive Point, working on operations, strategy and launching the Decisive Point Venture Fund. Previously, Debi worked at NationSwell, a social impact media company that consulted with corporations, foundations and nonprofits on their Corporate Social Responsibility and impact campaigns. Debi graduated from Princeton University in 2016 with a degree in Political Science. Debi is a founding junior advisory board member of Women in Funds, a community for women in the investment fund space.

Tim serves as the Chief of Staff at Decisive Point, applying his experience in government and finance to support operations and corporate strategy. Previously, he clerked for the Enforcement Division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and worked in the Office of Federal Procurement Policy at the White House. Tim holds a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, where he was a Stein Scholar for Law and Ethics and earned a B.A. in Government from George Washington University.

Laura Barnett
Associate

Laura coordinates administrative and office management for Decisive Point. She has held administrative roles in multiple law firms and holds her B.A. from Northumbria University in the U.K.

Think you’d be a good fit? If so, please send us an email at careers@decisivepoint.com.

Advisors

Liza Craig
Advisor

LTG (Ret.) Michael Nagata
Advisor

Liza Craig serves as a member of Decisive Point's Board of Advisors. She is an attorney at Reed Smith, LLP and a member of Reed Smith's Global Regulatory Enforcement Group, where she focuses on government contracting. Liza has significant experience advising on complex, high-dollar-value weapon systems competitive procurements, on highly technical IT procurements, and on procurements (both large and small) of supplies and services. Prior to joining Reed Smith, Liza worked as a senior associate counsel with the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel for over a decade. In this role, she provided legal counsel to numerous navy general and flag officers and senior executives, as well as their staff, primarily focusing on procurement law, fiscal law, and government ethics. Liza is also a professorial lecturer in law at the George Washington University Law School where she lectures on the formation of government contracts and mediation to J.D. and LL.M. candidates.

Lieutenant General (Retired) Michael K. Nagata is a Strategic Advisor and Senior Vice President at CACI, and the Owner of Hanada Bridge, LLC. LTG(R) Nagata served as Director, Directorate of Strategic Operational Planning at the National Counterterrorism Center and the Commander of Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT). Throughout his career, he served in various positions within Army Special Forces and a Special Missions Unit (SMU) as a Troop Commander, Operations Officer, Squadron Commander, and SMU Commander. After graduating from the National War College, Lieutenant General Nagata served in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. He then served within the Intelligence Community as a Deputy Director for Counter Terrorism. As a general officer, he has served as the Deputy Chief, Office of the Defense Representative to Pakistan (ODRP), the Deputy Director for Special Operations and Counter Terrorism (J-37) of the Joint Staff, and Commander, SOCCENT.

The Guts to Try

In April of 1980, the United States Government was faced with an unprecedented challenge. Following an attack on the US Embassy in Tehran, Iran, 52 Americans were taken hostage by revolutionaries. In response, the United States undertook one of the most daring rescue missions in modern history, code-named Operation Eagle Claw. The mission brought together personnel from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force to conduct a complex and extremely dangerous operation.
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During the initial phase of execution, tragedy struck as a mechanical failure caused two aircraft to collide, killing crew members and forcing the mission to be aborted before the assault force could reach the hostages. Upon return from the failed operation, the beleaguered Soldiers found waiting for them a case of beer with a simple note:
From all of us, to all of you,For having the guts to try.

Operation Eagle Claw was a failure. There were flaws in the planning and execution of the operation which led to its ultimate demise. The mission had little chance for success from the start, calling for the assault force to penetrate deep into the capital city of Iran, fight through the streets, and evacuate all the hostages out of the country. Even under the most favorable circumstances, the mission was extremely dangerous, bordering on impossible. Knowing the risks, the mission went forward anyway — because there were fellow Americans in need, a job to be done, and if not for those willing to answer the call, who else would?
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The lessons learned from the failed mission proved to be a catalyst for the establishment of America’s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) — arguably the most effective military outfit in modern history. The pioneers who planned and executed the operation saw the challenges for what they were and created innovative solutions to meet the mission need. They were loyal to the mission first, and despite the odds, they vigorously approached risks worth taking and dared greatly in the service of others. Their legacy lives on in in those innovators and risk takers who look at hard challenges facing the Nation and see problems worth solving. In both government and industry, the solutions which will most greatly impact the Nation demand the dedication and sacrifice of those among us with the guts to try.

We invest our time in great technologies and great founders

Team

Advisors

The Guts to Try

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