Leadership
Josiah Hernandez
Owner, Founder, Chief Executive Officer
New York, USA | Cofresi, Dominican Republic
Josiah Hernandez is a financial services and capital markets entrepreneur as well as global thought leader and expert on financial innovation, central bank digital currency, bitcoin, and market structure; with experience building international financial services systems and businesses going back to 2013, including a digital asset exchange acquired in 2016 by Kraken, an exchange group valued at $10 billion, to become their USA operating arm. He releases research frequently reviewed by senior leaders at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Bank for International Settlements (BIS), and numerous central banks, governments, and leading financial firms around the world. His work and expertise has been cited in mainstream publications such as Forbes, Wall Street Journal, El Economista, Yahoo! Finance, International Business Times, and The Hill.
Fun Fact: Josiah outperformed the US hedge fund index with his stock trading when he was just 16 years old.
Nikolai Shah
VP, Capital Advisory Business Development & Capital Formation
Toronto, Canada | Georgetown, Guyana
Nikolai Shah is a capital markets professional and emerging markets-focused strategist with an emphasis on natural resource development, cross-border financing, and private credit. He also serves as Head of Guyana at Satoshi Capital Advisors, where he leads the firm’s local mandates in strategic deal origination, structuring, and execution. Nikolai previously managed multimillion-dollar infrastructure operations in Guyana and brings entrepreneurial and financial expertise rooted in both frontier and developed markets.
Fun Fact: At just 16, Nikolai taught classes in Guyanese high schools in collaboration with CARICOM to advance the region’s youth development agenda.
Tamela Hedstrom
Agent Advisor, Capital Advisory
Stockholm, Sweden | San Jose, Costa Rica
Tamela Hedström is a Business Developer based in Stockholm, Sweden and with deep experience facilitating business deals and expansion in the Middle East, Latin America, and Europe. She’s worked as a Project Manager for Digital Content Solutions and Growth at numerous large multinational corporations, including McDonalds ($MCD), Subway, Avanza Holdings Bank, and Payer Financial Services AB.
Fun Fact: Tamela is a Grammy-nominated singer.
Michel Blumenfeld
VP, Capital Advisory Business Development Latin America
Sao Paolo, Brazil
Michel Blumenfeld is a business development and management specialist based in São Paulo, Brazil. He has a vast professional background working for large multinational organizations such as the United Nations and Johnson & Johnson and holds deep experience as an entrepreneur across different sectors. Michel has been developing energy projects for the past ten years, becoming an expert in the industry.
Fun Fact: Michel is a nature enthusiast, always looking for the next trek in a remote place.
Virgilio Lizardo
Agent Advisor, Markets Advisory
Phuket, Thailand | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Virgilio Lizardo is an experienced bitcoin exchange industry executive, leading large teams for leading global bitcoin sector companies since 2015. After starting his career in operations consulting for corporates in the Boston area, he moved to China in the late 2000s and spent the next 11 years working with leading Chinese companies on globalization initiatives. In 2015 he started working with Bitbank Group, a top 4 bitcoin exchange operator in China and top 2 global bitcoin mining equipment manufacturer, leading their international expansion. After a successful tenure, he decided to exclusively focus on the bitcoin exchange industry and subsequently joined Gate.io, leading their international expansion into becoming one of the largest bitcoin exchanges in the world with more than $1 billion in daily trading volume.
Fun Fact: Virgilio is the only person on the team who shows up to every meeting in a three-piece suit and tie.
Brian Veith
Agent Advisor, Capital Advisory
Las Vegas, USA
Brian Veith is a career investment banker and private equity investor. Brian’s specialized experience in the M&A space spans more than a decade, covering varying sectors and deal sizes. He was previously a senior project manager in the M&A practice at leading mid-market investment bank STS Capital, subsequent to his role as a private equity investor at the B2B software private equity firm Bloom Capital. His career also encompasses roles at global investment banks and consulting firms such as Mizuho, CIBC, and Deloitte.
Fun Fact: Brian is a fitness enthusiast, enjoying Spartan races and surfing when not working on multi-million dollar M&A deals.
Alex Chen
Agent Advisor, Capital Advisory
Los Angeles, USA
Alex Chen is a career investment banker and corporate finance executive with a multi-decade track record leading complex international IPOs, M&As, and private equity and debt deals, as well as providing strategic financial advice to clients. He has held tenures as a senior executive with leading international boutique investment banks such as Westpark Capital and BlueMount Capital along with publicly traded corporations such as REA Group (ASX: REA) and Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB).
Fun Fact: Alex is an avid supporter of globalized supply chains, and in his spare time develops projects to bolster emerging market countries' participation in global supply chains.