Name: Jonathan (“Jon”) Nauert
Age: 27
Title: Managing Director/Founder of Pioneer Capital Holdings, LLC
Married/Single: Not married; in a relationship
Kids: No, but someday
City you live in: Scottsdale
A typical day in my life includes…
up at 5:30am, read through two newspapers (Wall St. Journal and Financial Times) and focus my morning and afternoon looking at prospective investments, and existing ones. Followed by a 5:30pm work out, dinner, and then back to the grind until 11:00pm.
I was born…
in Rockford, IL.
My favorite thing about Arizona…
tranquility of the weather (9 months out of the year) coupled with the entrepreneurial spirit. I firmly believe that Phoenix is the next Austin, TX in terms of the uptick in recent cultural events, commerce, and education.
I’m listening to…
country.
My family…
other than my faith, family is the most important aspect of my life. They have sacrificed so much for me and continue to provide me with wisdom and strength each day.
If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be…
President George H.W. Bush; Warren Buffett; and Peyton Manning.
One thing I cannot live without…
artisan coffee. I love coffee particularly from unique Artisan roasters across the country who have interesting stories and source their beans from diverse places across the globe.
When I was younger, I wanted to be…
an NBA basketball player as I grew up in the Chicago suburbs watching Michael Jordan play firsthand. Although I fell short…both literally and figuratively.
I’m inspired by…
my younger brother Joe. He is at the U.S. Naval Academy and will serve our country indefinitely upon graduation. He and others alike put our country first by making countless sacrifices with neither complaints nor excuses. With this, learning from him has taught me to push forward with extreme focus, discipline and ownership.
The one person who motivates me is…
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush (son of Governor Jeb Bush, nephew of President George W. Bush, and grandson of President George H.W. Bush). I became acquainted with George P. this past year. I am motivated by his work ethic, entrepreneurial spirit and call to service. He has been a Teacher, Attorney, Entrepreneur/Investor, Naval Reserves Officer, and recently Land Commissioner. Most importantly, he is a loving father and husband. His example shows me that you can do it all with the right focus, vigor, values and discipline.
If I could change anything in the world, it would be…
how U.S. Veterans are treated. These men and women sacrifice their lives for our freedoms, yet I do not believe they receive the treatment and resources they deserve. Statistics show that an average of 22 veterans are killed by suicide each day. To combat this, I recently formed a non-profit called Millennials for Mental Health Awareness to bring forth attention to the subject.
The perfect day would be…
a great cup of coffee, an intense hike, reading an inspiring autobiography, followed by dinner with great friends and family. Dinner would be comprised of deep conversation and laughter.
My first job was…
an energy investment banker in Houston, TX,
My favorite escape…
love being in the mountains. Such as Aspen, Colorado, or Park City, Utah.
My life…
is all about learning. I firmly believe that one needs to be committed to lifelong learning both personally and professionally. Your body of work is never finished.
I’m currently working on…
building my track record in the investment realm. Also, working on building Millennials for Mental Health Awareness so that it can serve as a national platform.
Always…
challenge the status quo.
Never…
lose sight of your end-goals both personally and professionally. In the end, it is worth fighting for.
Favorite Quote…
“Genius is perseverance in disguise.”
Biggest Dream…
raise tremendous children who have an inherent drive to make a difference in their community and the world at large.
My Pet Peeve(s)…
when people to do not say “please” or “thank you.”
More about Jon…
Jon is an entrepreneur and private investor. He currently serves as the Managing Director/Founder of Pioneer Capital Holdings, LLC, an investment holding company focused on making private equity and venture capital investments. Within the portfolio, Jon led Business Development & Finance Initiatives for Local Roots Farms, the indoor farming technology company. Previously, he was the Lead Associate/Founding Member of B2 Partners, a private investment firm that focuses on private equity investments in the Oilfield Services and Upstream Oil & Gas verticals. Prior to B2 Partners, Jon served as an Oil & Gas Investment Banker at HSBC where he and his team primarily advised on assets & divestitures across the globe. Prior to HSBC, he held private equity internships at Pegasus Capital Advisors and Goldman, Sachs, & Co, respectively. Jon began his focus on entrepreneurship and investing while studying at Barrett, The Honors College at ASU, where he double majored in Finance and Marketing and at The London School of Economics. He is the Founder, Executive Director & Chairman of the Board of Millennials for Mental Health Awareness, a non-profit that provides resources and support in partnership with other organizations. Jon also serves as a Board Member at Phoenix Children’s Hospital (Emerging Leaders) and as an Ambassador for TGen. He is an active member with other organizations such as the Concordia Summit and ASU’s President Club. Jon has lectured at Harvard College, where he discussed the topics of lower middle-market private equity and early-stage investing. He has also participated at the Concordia Americas Summit in Bogota, Colombia, where he addressed food sustainability.
