Nels Paine – Managing Director
Nels founded Paine Pacific in 1998 to apply his personal experience in operations, management, fundraising, and M&A transactions to the underserved emerging growth and middle market companies. Nels has a strong family background in investment banking and venture capital - his great grandfather started a brokerage/investment banking business in 1880 (Paine Webber) and his father was one of the first venture capitalists (Oscco Ventures) to break ground in Northern California (Sand Hill Road) in 1962. Growing up around the venture capital business laid the groundwork for his interest and subsequent career in small to mid-size businesses. He has proven success in building, managing and achieving product, marketing and financial goals of small businesses, start ups, and turnarounds with twelve years experience in the technology and high technology industries for medical and computer products.

Nels spent the first part of his career in the computer technology and software businesses at the Bank of Boston and at Software Developers Company in Boston, MA. Following the decline in the market in Boston, he relocated with his family to Oregon, joining a turn-around team for a software development company in 1991. After rebuilding and selling this business, he co-founded a spin-off software publishing business that he sold two years later. In 1994, Nels co-founded a medical device company, which he sold in 1997. Taking this broad experience, Nels founded Paine Pacific in 1998 to provide M&A services to a broad range of companies within the technology and services markets. Today this has evolved to a broad suite of strategic services around company growth objectives. Nels graduated from SMU in 1988 and is an avid outdoorsman and cyclist living in Portland with his wife and children.

Board of Advisors

James C. Towne - President & COO Microsoft Corporation
Jim was the first President of Microsoft Corporation in 1982.  His career has included roles as VP, President, CEO or Chairman of Greenfield Holdings, Tektronix, Osteo Sciences Corp., Metheus, Photon Kinetics, and MCV.  He holds an MBA from Stanford.

F. Ward Paine - Founder, Oscco Ventures
Ward was one of the first venture capitalists to open offices at 3000 Sand Hill Road in the late 1960’s.  Since that time, Oscco Ventures raised 3 funds through five partnerships and invested in over 50 deals prior to retiring in 2000. Ward is the father of PPC’s principal partner, Nels Paine

Brent Keeton - Managing Partner, Grange Capital, LLC
Brent Keeton is co-founder, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer at Grange Capital. He is responsible for oversight of portfolio management for all client accounts.  Prior to co-founding the firm, Brent spent 16 years with Merrill Lynch and 3 years with UBS/PaineWebber as Senior Vice President, managing portfolios for high net worth individuals, retirement plans, and institutions.