
Our Team

Chris Lay
Co-Founding Partner
Christopher (Chris) Lay is a Co-Founding Partner at Leonid Capital Partners, a private credit fund supporting the U.S. national security ecosystem. With a Ph.D. in Neurobiology, an MBA from USC, and 15+ years of neuroscience research experience, Chris brings a unique perspective to finance and innovation. His career spans healthcare, financial services, and technology, including leadership roles in private equity. Chris is committed to advancing mission-driven initiatives and fostering alignment with clients who share Leonid’s values of supporting veterans and military families.

James Parker
Co-Founding Partner
James Parker, Founding Partner, helps lead the firm’s strategic investments in U.S. National Defense and Space contractors. With over 25 years of experience in finance and investing, James has spearheaded initiatives in fundraising, mergers and acquisitions, portfolio management, and direct lending across various industries. Under his and Chris’ leadership, Leonid Capital Partners has deployed hundreds of millions of dollars across multiple funds and SPVs. Before co-founding Leonid Capital Partners, James held leadership roles at public and private companies, managing restructuring, corporate finance, acquisitions and investments including a successful public listing as CFO.
Earlier in his career, James spent more than 10 years as an engineer and program manager in the Aerospace and Defense industry, working primarily on programs requiring TS/SCI clearance for both the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. James holds an MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and a Bachelor’s in Astrophysics from Rice University.

Ian Holroyd
Chief Financial Officer
Ian Holroyd, CFO of Leonid Capital Partners, has nearly 30 years of experience in accounting, finance, and operations. He previously served as an outsourced CFO at a consulting firm supporting hedge funds, private equity and venture funds, and family offices. Ian held senior roles at IQ-EQ, WMD Asset Management, and other financial services firms. He began his career with a Big Four CPA firm in Los Angeles. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from California State University, Northridge.

Jefferson Chang
Vice President
Jefferson Chang is the Vice President of Leonid Capital Partners. Before joining the team, he worked on the Consumer M&A Desk at Piper Sandler, where he honed his expertise in financial strategy and deal execution. Jeff holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.

Jack Ray
Vice President
Jack is a Senior Associate at Leonid Capital Partners. Prior to joining Leonid Capital Partners, Jack served as a Submarine Officer on the USS Alabama. During his naval career, he held multiple strategy and operations roles and was certified as a Naval Nuclear Engineer by the Department of Energy. Jack holds a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Economics from the United States Naval Academy, where he also was the captain of the Men’s Lacrosse Team.

Caleb Hou
Senior Associate
Caleb is a Senior Associate at Leonid Capital Partners. Before joining the firm, he worked as an Associate in investment banking credit risk at J.P. Morgan, where he served as a credit officer. Caleb has experience covering highly leveraged, non-investment-grade corporate clients across the TMT, C&R, and HC industries.

Sam MacGregor
Senior Associate
Sam is a Senior Associate at Leonid Capital Partners. Prior to joining Leonid, he served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy, specializing in direct action operations and mission support. Later serving as a plank owner and Director of R&D for the Navy’s Unmanned Surface Vessel Program. Prior his Naval service, Sam worked as an Associate BlackRock. He earned a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Bates College, where he was a Varsity, All-Conference Rower.

Melissa Howell
Director, Office Operations and Human Resources
Melissa Howell is the Director of Office Operations and Human Resources at Leonid Capital Partners. She brings extensive experience in operations and administration across various industries. Before joining Leonid, Melissa held roles such as Administrative Supervisor, Contract Manager, and Executive Assistant. She also led a legal inquiry desk, working with agencies including the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and international law enforcement. Melissa holds a B.A. in Business Administration and Management.

Angel Brosowsky
Associate Data Scientist
Angel is an Associate Data Scientist at Leonid Capital Partners. Before joining the team, she interned with Lockheed Martin Space, specializing in Natural Language Processing and data visualization. Previously, Angel served 10 years as a U.S. Coast Guard officer, leading operations in emergency response, law enforcement, and specialized training. She holds a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Texas at San Antonio and an M.S. in Data Science from Eastern University.

Claire Carloss
Marketing Analyst
Claire is a Marketing Analyst at Leonid Capital Partners. Before joining Leonid, she gained valuable experience in market research and communications during her internship at Tracker + Scout. Claire holds a B.S. in Psychology from Santa Clara University.

Sheena Moreno
Accounting Associate
Sheena is an Accounting Associate at Leonid Capital Partners. Prior to Leonid Capital Partners she worked as a Tax Associate at PwC, focusing on Real Estate, Fund, and SALT tax compliance. Sheena holds a Master’s in Accounting from California State University, Long Beach.

Gabrielle DeGravina
Investor Relations Associate
Gabrielle is an Investor Relations Associate at Leonid. Previously, she was Director of Investor Relations at MC Companies, supporting capital raising and investor engagement. She also served as Senior Manager of Investor Relations at CG Capital, managing communications for publicly traded companies, and gained experience as a financial analyst for a Real Estate Investment Trust. Gabrielle holds a B.S. in Finance from Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, and is an alumna of ASU’s Investment Banking Industry Scholars program.
Board of Advisors

General Michael Barbero
United States Army (Ret)

General Robin Rand
United States Air Force (Ret)

General Melvin Spiese
United States Marine Corps (Ret)

General James Young
United States Army (Ret)

Vice Admiral Mat Winter
President of Winter Strategic Solutions

James “Hondo” Geurts
Former Undersecretary of the Navy

Brian Hibbeln
Former Assistant Deputy Undersecretary of Defense

Daniel Elkins
Green Beret/ CEO of Special Operations Assocation of America

Ken Campbell
C-Level Business Leader

Michael Halas
Special Forces Officer/ Account Executive Director/ Goldman Sachs

Matthew Hayden
Founder Sea Purity Investment
We are on a mission
We are a team of engineers, scientists, veterans, and finance professionals. Having worked extensively on technical solutions and government-funded projects, we identified a need for a more efficient and straightforward method for innovative companies and founders to obtain the necessary capital to grow their businesses. At Leonid, we provide support to companies at all stages of growth. We work across multiple sectors, including defense, aerospace, health, energy, cybersecurity, and more.

Giving back
Beyond our daily mission, we are committed to supporting organizations that matter most to us, our partners, and their community. We donate 50% of our profits to organizations that support military families and veterans.

Warrior Canine Connection
Warrior Canine Connection trains service dogs to help veterans and military families heal from the invisible wounds of war.

Bret Bigelow Foundation
This charity provides specially designed pajamas for children with terminal and chronic illnesses to offer them comfort and dignity during their hospital stays, inspired by a mother’s experience caring for her severely disabled son, Bret, who faced numerous health challenges before passing away.

Elyssa’s Mission
Elyssa’s Mission focuses on suicide prevention by providing education and resources to schools and communities to identify and support at-risk individuals.

Emily Barbero Memorial Veterans Scholarship
The Emily Barbero Memorial Veterans Scholarship supports full-time Xavier University veterans or military-affiliated students in the Honors Data Science or Philosophy, Politics, and the Public programs.

Dunlop BioSci Ambassadors
Dunlop BioSci Ambassadors program encourages and supports young scientists in their pursuit of careers in biological sciences through mentorship and resources.

American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke through research, education, and advocacy.

Paws of War
Paws of War provides service dogs to veterans and first responders dealing with trauma, as well as rescuing animals in conflict zones.

Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation
Children of Fallen Patriots offers college scholarships and educational counseling to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty.

Semper Fi Fund
The Semper Fi Fund provides financial assistance and support to wounded, critically ill, and injured members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.

Special Operations Association of America
Working hard to protect the benefits of Special Operators and their families.

Veterans Education Project
Addressing the current issues facing all student veterans and creating better educational opportunities.

CNLM at UC Irvine
First research institute dedicated to multidisciplinary study of learning and memory mechanisms in the brain.
Gary Sinise Foundation
The Gary Sinise Foundation honors and supports veterans, first responders, and their families through programs that provide healing, resilience, and empowerment.

Ambassadors of Compassion
Ambassadors of Compassion is an innovative program dedicated to building emotional resilience in youth by helping them navigate real-life challenges and equipping them with critical life skills for success.

Tunnel 2 Towers
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation honors the legacy of 9/11 hero Stephen Siller by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star families, fallen first responders, and catastrophically injured veterans while combating veteran homelessness.

Longevity Science Foundation
The Longevity Science Foundation is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to funding early-stage aging research, aiming to accelerate the development of accessible longevity treatments for all.

American Victory Ship
The American Victory Ship & Museum in Tampa, Florida, is a fully operational World War II cargo ship offering educational tours, exhibits, and special events to honor maritime heritage and military history.

Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting veterans and active duty service members through programs focused on mental wellness, career counseling, and long-term rehabilitative care.