We are well positioned to source and diligence assets that are not well known
By being early to non-institutional assets and themes, Cordillera seeks to extract compelling returns before capital significantly competes those returns down.
Our Story
Investment Strategy
By being early to non-institutional assets and themes, Cordillera seeks to extract compelling returns before capital significantly competes those returns down.
By finding investments whose risks are non-correlated with traditional markets, we seek to create a portfolio that provides investors with significant diversification.
Beyond the investments that we make, we provide a “team extension” to our investors, sharing insights, co-investments and ideas in the niche, non-correlated arena.
Our Team
Co-Founder & Co-Managing Partner
Agustin “Gus” Araya is a Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of Cordillera Investment Partners. He is responsible for directing Cordillera’s overarching investment strategy alongside his co-founders. He also serves as a director of Cordillera portfolio companies.
Prior to founding Cordillera, Gus was a Partner at Makena Capital Management where he was a senior member of the firm’s Private Equity and Natural Resources investment teams and a member of the Investment Committee. Prior to that, he was an Associate Director of Private Assets at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and held various finance roles at Intuit, Horsley Bridge Partners and D.A. Campbell Company.
Gus holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Gus is a CFA charter holder.
Read Full Bio
Co-Founder & Co-Managing Partner
Chris Heller is a Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of Cordillera Investment Partners. He is responsible for directing Cordillera’s overarching investment strategy alongside his co-founders. He also serves as a director of Cordillera portfolio companies.
Prior to founding Cordillera, Chris was a Partner at Makena Capital Management where he served as the Portfolio Manager for the Makena Liquid Endowment Funds and was a senior member of the firm’s Absolute Return investment team and Investment Committee. Prior to Makena, Chris worked at the Stanford Management Company in a variety of investment roles. He started his career at Merrill Lynch in debt capital markets and investment banking.
Chris earned a BA in Economics from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Read Full Bio
Co-Founder & Co-Managing Partner
Ashley Marks is a Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of Cordillera Investment Partners. She is responsible for directing Cordillera’s overarching investment strategy alongside her co-founders. She also serves as a director of Cordillera portfolio companies.
Prior to founding Cordillera, Ashley was a Partner at Makena Capital Management where she was a senior member of Makena’s Real Estate investment team and served as the Portfolio Manager responsible for a Makena Real Estate Fund. She was also a member of the firm’s Investment Committee. Before Makena, Ashley was an Associate at MacFarlane Partners, a real estate private equity firm in San Francisco, and held previous positions at MacFarlane Partners and Robertson Stephens in the Technology Investment Banking group.
Ashley earned a BBA in Finance from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Read Full Bio
Partner
Taylor Kauer is a Partner at Cordillera Investment Partners. Prior to joining Cordillera in 2015, Taylor held roles in corporate finance, financial planning and analysis, and accounting at Stryker Corporation. Prior to joining Stryker, Taylor worked for ERCI, an environmental consulting firm focused on managing and remediating environmental liabilities for clients in the energy and automotive industries. Taylor earned a BA in Economics and Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
Read Full BioOur Team
Senior Operations Associate
Tori Hemphill is a Senior Operations Associate at Cordillera Investment Partners. Prior to joining Cordillera, she was a Senior Associate in the Venture Capital Assurance & Advisory practice at Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP. Tori earned her MBA and BS in Business Administration from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and is a CPA.
Read Full Bio
Director and Head of Investor Relations
Rachel Levi is Director and Head of Investor Relations at Cordillera Investment Partners. Prior to Cordillera, Rachel was a Managing Director at Cowen Investment Management (CIM), serving on the CIM Operating Committee. Prior to Cowen, Rachel served as Head of Investor Relations at Hoplite Capital Management, and on the investor relations teams at Marshall Wace and Karsch Capital Management, where she was also a member of the Investment Team. Rachel earned a BA in Psychology from Smith College. She is on the board of Neighbors Together, a non-profit committed to ending hunger and poverty in three of the lowest-income areas in Brooklyn, where she resides.
Read Full Bio
Manager
Mitch Morrey is a Manager at Cordillera Investment Partners. Prior to joining Cordillera in 2025, Mitch was a Senior Financial Analyst at Pinegrove Capital Partners (f/k/a SVB Capital) covering its venture equity business, including fund of funds, employee funds, and separately managed accounts. Prior to Pinegrove, he was a Tax Associate at PwC on the Asset and Wealth Management team and focused on venture capital, private equity, real estate, and fund of fund tax compliance. Mitch earned his Master of Accounting from the University of Utah and his BS in Accounting from Brigham Young University. He is currently pursuing his CPA.
Read Full Bio
Controller
Brandon Presswood is a Controller at Cordillera Investment Partners. Prior to joining Cordillera in 2024, Brandon was a senior manager at KPMG within the Asset Management Audit Practice and focused on venture capital and private equity audit engagements. He earned a Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees in Accounting from University of the Pacific and holds a CPA certification.
Read Full Bio
Investor Relations Associate
Alissa Sangiuolo is an Investor Relations Associate at Cordillera Investment Partners. Prior to Cordillera, Alissa served as a Manager at AlphaSights, where she acted as the primary point of contact and led account strategy to connect clients with expert insights during the diligence phase of potential investments. Alissa earned her BA in Economics at Union College.
Read Full Bio
Investment Associate
Gavin Spellmeyer is an Associate at Cordillera Investment Partners. Prior to joining Cordillera, Gavin was an investment banker at Lincoln International, where he advised companies on mergers and acquisitions and capital raises across the technology, media and telecom industry. Gavin earned a BS in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Accounting from Northeastern University.
Read Full Bio
Chief Financial Officer
Zankhna Vasha is a Chief Financial Officer of Cordillera Investment Partners. Prior to joining Cordillera, Zankhna was the CFO of SVB Capital Management, LLC and had financial oversight for its venture equity business, including direct funds, fund of funds, employee funds and separately managed accounts. Prior to SVB Capital, Zankhna was a Vice President at Oaktree Capital Management, LLC, where she was responsible for the Private Partnerships and Accounting group for their Real Estate Strategy. Zankhna earned her MBA from Loyola Marymount University and her bachelor’s from University of Mumbai, Narsee Monjee College of Commerce.
Read Full Bio
Operations Associate
Judy Wu is an Operations Associate at Cordillera Investment Partners. Prior to Cordillera, Judy was an Assurance Senior at Ernst & Young and worked in their Financial Services – Real Estate practice. Judy earned her BS in Business Administration at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and is a licensed CPA.
Read Full Bio