Founders, Investors & Operators

Brian Murphy is the Co-Founder of Portfolio Advisors, a middle market private investment firm with over $38 billion in assets under management. Founded in 1994 to serve institutional investors, Portfolio Advisors offers a variety of innovative investment solutions across private equity, private credit and private real estate. The firm manages a broad range of strategies including direct, secondary, and primary investments and junior and senior credit. Portfolio Advisors also provides institutional clients customized discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management across its core strategies. Most recently, Portfolio Advisors launched its MVP Private Markets Fund, a registered private equity fund with more than $500 million in assets, which is structured for both wealth management and institutional clients. Portfolio Advisors merged with FS Investments in 2023.

Cydni Tetro is recognized as an innovator of experience, a growth leader, technologist, STEM advocate, author, and speaker. Creating immersive customer experiences through technology and product innovation for business growth and market leadership is woven through her career. Cydni is the former CEO of Brandless, a technology-based consumer platform that is building the largest digitally native roll-up of mission-based brands. Prior to that she was CEO of ForgeDX, a customer acceleration platform used by companies like Verizon, Adobe, Microsoft, Dell and other large tech companies to transform customer experience. She also founded and was the CEO of 3DplusMe, which was acquired by Whiteclouds, and was a 3D printing personalization platform, where you could become an Ironman action figure and more in partnership with Marvel, Star Wars, NFL, MLB and Hasbro, Walmart and Target. She spent 5 years at Disney in Imagineering leading technology commercialization and building technology businesses inside Disney, including with Theme Parks, ESPN and ABC. She is also founder and President of the Women Tech Council a non-profit that that amplifies the economic impact of women in tech, she teaches in the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Program, Babson and BYU, sits a number of boards including the Intermountain/SelectHealth Healthcare board and has been recognized as Women of the Year, Contributor of the Year, Top 10 Coolest Entrepreneurs, received Stevie Awards for Entrepreneur of the Year and Innovator of the Year and been recognized as a Most Successful Businesswoman to Watch. She holds a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s in computer science from BYU. Enjoy!

James Fletcher is an experienced Emerging Markets portfolio manager. He's the CEO and founder of Ethos Investment Management, a $100M boutique EM fund. Prior to founding Ethos Investment Management, James was the Director & Senior PM of the EM SMID Cap fund at APG Asset Management, where he managed a ~$1.2B portfolio based in Hong Kong, one of the largest EM SMID cap funds in the world. APG is the largest pension fund manager in the Netherlands and a global leader in ESG investing. Before that, James was the Lead PM at Kayne Anderson Rudnick’s EM Small Cap fund (ticker VIESX), a Morningstar 5-Star rated fund and a Senior Analyst at Westwood Global Investments from 2005-2013. James is a CFA charter holder. James is also the founder of the global non-profit, Young Investors Society, a non-profit that teaches financial literacy and investment principles to high school students.  As of March 2023, Young Investors Society serves over 1,700 high schools in 71 countries and over 10,000 students per year. James has an undergraduate degree in Finance from Brigham Young University and is fluent in Portuguese and proficient in Spanish and has lived in Brazil and Hong Kong. We hope you enjoy this episode!

Brooks Kirchheimer is the co-founder of Leave Room for Dessert Eateries, a Utah based restaurant group designed to thrill their guests. Their restaurants include Urban Hill, Hearth and Hill, and Hill’s Kitchen.

Eric Parker is a tech junkie and crypto aficionado. And in 2021, he decided to combine his two passions with Giddy, an app that helps people tap into the rewards of decentralized finance and guide them through investing in this new financial frontier. Giddy was founded by a team of engineers with decades of experience in mobile app development, security, finance, and cryptography. And in January of this year, Giddy announced $8 million seed funding led by Pelion Venture Partners. The round includes local entrepreneurship all-stars the likes of Blake Murray of Divvy, Jeremy Andrus of Traeger, Davis Bell of Canopy, “Brand Whisperer” Shaun Neff, serial angel investor Scott Paul, real estate mogul Brandon Fugal, Scan founder Kirk Ouimet, Chamber Media founder Travis Chambers, and Jeff Burningham of Peak Capital.

Sadie & Abby are the co-founders of SadieB Personal Care, a girl-centered personal care brand with a mission to flip the script on beauty messaging and meet the needs of “girls getting things done.”

Co-Founder of LoanPro, a software designed for lenders to automate workflows, provide access to real time date, and create API-integrated, end-to-end solutions.

Lowell Crabb is the founder of Drive Wealth Advisers, an independent wealth advisory firm that specializes in serving business owners, corporate executives, and high net worth individuals.

Brian Reeder is the co-founder and CEO of Vessel Kitchen, a Utah-born restaurant redefining the concept of casual dining across the state. Founded in 2016, Vessel pushes the envelope of culinary innovation by offering an upscale vibe and quality meals at a fast-casual price and convenience. Vessel currently operates 6 locations with a 7th opening later this year in the SLC airport.

Kurt Workman is the co-founder and CEO of Owlet Baby Care, the creator of the Smart Sock baby monitor as well as the Owlet Cam, and the Owlet Band. As its co-founder and CEO, Kurt has been an advocate for infant health since founding the venture-backed company in 2013. Forbes has called Owlet the “Next Billion-Dollar Startup.” Entrepreneur included it on their “100 Brilliant Companies” list. Owlet has also won “Best Wearable” and “Tech to Change The World” at the Consumer Electronics Show. Kurt studied Chemical Engineering at Brigham Young University.