Andy Katz | Founding Partner
Andy Katz is the Founding Partner of Katz & KO and General Partner at BrknPar Venture Fund. A
connector of strategy, people, and capital, Katz is a trusted ally to founders, investors, and talent across the global venture ecosystem.
Andy has founded, scaled, and invested in multiple sports technology and media ventures - the majority of which attracted follow-on capital from top-tier venture or PE funds. Prior to his entrepreneurial career, Katz was a senior executive and top producer at ReachLocal (NASDAQ: RLOC), a Google premier partner. During his tenure, he ranked among the top 1% of all Google Advertising sellers worldwide (2006–2008) and was part of the Senior Leadership Team that helped drive ReachLocal to the #1 spot on Deloitte’s Fast 500 and the #39 ranking on the Inc. 5000, achieving 146,050% growth.
Rooted in the values of work ethic and grit, Andy credits his drive to his father - a first-generation American who built manufacturing plants and distribution centers in the textile industry from the ground up. Today, Katz brings that same relentless focus to helping founders build enduring companies and investors access exceptional opportunities.
Tom Mann | Operating Partner
Tom Mann is the Operating Partner at Katz & KO. With nearly five decades of experience across senior strategic and operational leadership roles, Mann brings a rare blend of expertise from both large global financial institutions and entrepreneurial environments. He offers unique insight from both the sell-side and buy-side, with deep knowledge across traditional fundamental strategies, quantitative approaches, and uncorrelated alternative investments.
Mann holds the CFA charter and earned his MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business and his JD from Fordham Law School, where he continues to serve on the Dean’s Strategic Planning Committee.
Throughout his career, Mann has served as a director and trusted advisor to a wide range of asset managers and financial institutions, leveraging his experience to drive growth, governance, and long-term value creation.Featured KO'ers
Adam Breneman
Adam is a sports media entrepreneur, investor, and media personality. He is the Co-Founder of College Sports Co., where he is building athlete-driven content networks that generate NIL revenue for universities and empower the next generation of sports creators.
Adam’s media career includes prominent roles with CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports, where he has established himself as a trusted voice in college football. He hosts Next Up with Adam Breneman, a podcast featuring candid conversations with some of the biggest names in sports. Across social media platforms, Adam has built a community of over 500,000 followers and averages 14 million monthly video views, sharing insights on football, NIL, entrepreneurship, and investing.
Before his media and business career, Adam was a three-time All-American tight end at Penn State and UMass. After his playing career, he became the youngest coach in the country at Arizona State University, where he developed a deep understanding of leadership, team building, and the power of authentic storytelling.
Bahns Stanley
Bahns is a seasoned senior executive, board member, and investor with decades of proven success across a range of industries.
In the early 1980s, Stanley helped develop and launch The Weather Channel with Landmark Communications, where he led sales through the venture’s critical early stages until it reached profitability. He was also a founding board member of the Food Network, further demonstrating his track record of building enduring media brands from inception.
Over the course of his career, Stanley has invested in numerous early stage companies and currently manages the family office for his extended family, overseeing a diversified portfolio across venture capital, private equity, and real estate assets.
Stanley earned a B.A. in Political Science, with minors in English and Economics, from Duke University, and an MBA from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business.
Merek Shoob
Merek is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Prager Group, Managing Partner of affiliated investment funds, and President of Prager Property Management. Under his leadership, Prager has deployed nearly $1 billion across the single-family rental (SFR) asset class, with over $500 million in actively managed SFR properties nationwide.
Merek brings over 20 years of experience in structured finance, real estate investment, residential development, and corporate finance. In addition to his leadership at Prager, he is also a principal in a private lending platform based in Atlanta, which has deployed over $200 million in senior debt financings, primarily secured by residential and select commercial assets across the Southeast.
Merek holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Miami, a JD from Mercer University, and a B.S. in Economics from Georgia Tech. His broad investment expertise, combined with hands-on operational leadership, makes him a trusted partner across the real estate and private credit sectors.
Eli Bronfman
Eli is a mission-driven entrepreneur, art collector, and investor. He is a co-founder and partner at Lincoln Avenue Communities, one of the nation's largest mission-driven affordable housing firms with operations in 26 states. Additionally, he is on the board of NH&RA, a national trade association of affordable housing development and finance professionals that furthers the cause of affordable housing policy in the United States.
Eli is also an advisory board member and member of the Investment Committee of the Treetops Foundation, a family foundation created by Matthew Bronfman. Eli previously worked at IceFarm Capital, a global Macro hedge fund affiliated with Soros Fund Management.
Eli began his career at Goldman Sachs & Co. in New York. He holds a B.A. from Williams College.
George Lott
George is a sophisticated technology executive with decades of experience leading Fortune 100 companies and scaling innovative technology platforms across multiple industries, including media, hospitality, and financial services.
George served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of The Weather Channel, where he oversaw large-scale technology transformations, data operations, and broadcast systems that helped position the network as a leader in real-time weather intelligence and consumer engagement. He previously held senior leadership roles at Equifax, where he helped design and optimize global technology platforms supporting critical consumer and commercial information services.
George has provided due diligence and risk management for more than 30 M&A transactions and regularly advises venture capital and private equity-backed companies on scaling technology infrastructure, risk mitigation, and innovation strategy.
Al Weiss
Al is a distinguished business executive best known for his nearly four decade career at The Walt Disney Company, where he served in critical leadership roles shaping the company's global growth and operational excellence.
Weiss joined Disney in 1972 and rose through the ranks to become President of Worldwide Operations for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. In this role, he oversaw the global operations of Disney’s theme parks, cruise line, resort properties, and vacation club businesses - leading a workforce of more than 100,000 employees and managing multi-billion-dollar operations across North America, Europe, and Asia. Prior to that, he served as President of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, where he was responsible for Disney’s largest single-site operation.
Following his retirement from Disney, Weiss transitioned into private investment and advisory work. He now serves on multiple corporate boards, invests in high growth companies, and advises entrepreneurs across blockchain, technology, and entertainment sectors. His deep operational expertise, global business acumen, and commitment to brand excellence make him a sought after strategic advisor and investor.
