Team

We are a team of seasoned CEOs who have successfully led innovative companies in a variety of industries including Biotech, Fintech, Manufacturing and Online / Digital Technologies and Aerospace.

Our Team

Our team of multifaceted partners, staff and advisors brings deep operational experience and leverages our robust network in the global tech community to position our portfolio companies for accelerated growth.

Nathaniel Harding

Managing Partner

A born and bred Oklahoman, Nathaniel is an innovator and market maker who has founded, scaled and sold companies. He is a successful investor in energy, biotech and ag tech. Nathaniel was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and a Most Admired CEO in Oklahoma by the Journal Record.

David Woods

General Partner

David is a natural leader, having held CEO positions at Ditch Witch and EXIM Group. He currently is the CEO of Magellan Executive Partners, is passionate about helping CEOs and owners grow their organizations, their leaders, and their teams. David is a frequent keynote speaker on growth strategy.

Mike Moradi

General Partner

Mike is an entrepreneur having founded, led, and grown several biopharma and nanotech startups. He has been a managing, general or venture partner for several local, coastal and international venture capital funds. Mike was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and is a TED member.

Susan Moring

Principal

A startup enthusiast, Susan has spent the bulk of her career supporting entrepreneurs and contributing to the growth of Oklahoma’s startup ecosystem. Susan launched a social entrepreneurship fellowship program in Oklahoma City and grew the state’s first coding bootcamp. Susan is a steering committee member for Creative Oklahoma’s Entrepreneur Mentor Program (IKEMP), and she works nationally with Techstars.

Simone Sparks

Director of Marketing

Simone Sparks is an Oklahoma City native. She brings over 12 years of leadership experience in directing multifaceted teams, implementing systems, and producing cultural change in both non-profit and for-profit spectrums. She is a resourceful problem solver and creative visionary with innate ability to implement new strategies and systems.

Hailey Moxley

Accounting Manager

A lifelong Oklahoma resident, Hailey joined the Cortado team in 2022 with a broad-based accounting experience in Business Administration, Financial Planning, and Real Estate. She is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma.

Matt Waraich

Associate

Originally from Canada, Matt is a former software engineer, primarily rooted in the west coast startup ecosystem. His journey encompasses roles as a founder and a mentor, deeply engaged with SaaS-based and deep technology ventures. His focus remains on imparting his wealth of knowledge and experience to foster growth and innovation not only with Cortado, but also apply this expertise in steering entrepreneurs in Oklahoma towards success.

Mansi Patel

Analyst

Mansi was raised by entrepreneurs in the hospitality and real estate industries. She has expanded on the learned knowledge of her upbringing and focuses her expertise on fintech, hospitality and healthcare. She is a native Oklahoman and University of Oklahoma MBA graduate.

Karsyn Redinger

Marketing & Events Coordinator

Karsyn graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2022 with a degree in Entrepreneurship and Venture Management, along with a minor in Non-Profit Organizations. As a student founder, she led a startup through incubator and accelerator programs, gaining hands-on experience in pitch competitions and securing funding support. This firsthand exposure sparked her passion for telling founders’ stories, which she developed further as the lead marketing intern for a R2D boba startup in college.

Advisors

Sean Kouplen

Board Advisor

Melissa Bergkamp

Agtech Advisor

Vahid Farzaneh

Board Advisor

Blake Bixler

Energy Advisor

Blake is the CEO of Senslytics. Originally from Oklahoma, Blake is an entrepreneur with experience in agriculture, energy and venture capital. Blake’s expertise spans a company’s complete life cycle, from building the initial operations, leading teams, and driving growth, through navigating the acquisition process.