Catalyst by Camber Creek

What if private market reporting could be faster, smarter, and more transparent? John Melas-Kyriazi, Co-Founder and CEO of Standard Metrics, shares how his company is transforming the way venture capital and private equity firms collect, analyze, and manage portfolio data.Drawing on his experience as both an investor and entrepreneur, John discusses the challenges of traditional investor reporting, the importance of building trust through transparency, and how Standard Metrics is helping firms and their portfolio companies streamline workflows and make more informed decisions. He also shares lessons from building a platform that connects thousands of private companies with their investors.The conversation explores how AI is reshaping portfolio management, the evolving relationship between founders and investors, and what greater access to data could mean for the future of private markets.

What does it take to build a category-defining company in one of the world's largest and most traditional industries? Mike DeGiorgio, Co-Founder and CEO of Crexi, and Gavin Myers, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Prudence, share their perspectives on how Crexi is transforming commercial real estate.Since its founding in 2015, Crexi has evolved from a free property listings marketplace into a comprehensive platform serving millions of users. Mike shares the company's journey of challenging an entrenched industry model, building trust with brokers, and leveraging data and technology to drive innovation. Gavin offers the investor's perspective, reflecting on Crexi's early potential, the power of network effects, and the lessons learned from backing a category leader.Together, they discuss how AI is reshaping commercial real estate, the importance of strong founder-investor relationships, and Crexi's ambitious vision for the future of the industry.

Most people know Kelvin Beachum as an NFL offensive lineman who has spent nearly 15 years competing at the highest level of professional football. But that's only part of his story. For more than a decade, Kelvin has also been quietly building an entirely different career by learning the craft of investing, working alongside some of the best firms in venture capital and private equity, deploying his own capital, and ultimately building an investment firm with fellow NFL great and NFL Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald.What makes Kelvin's story so interesting isn't simply that he's an athlete who became an investor - it's that he deliberately built the skills to become one. He approached investing the same way he did playing football: by having discipline, curiosity, and a genuine willingness to embrace years of delayed gratification.Along the way, he worked with firms like Kleiner Perkins, Silver Lake, Thrive, and Sequoia, and developed a conviction that athletes shouldn't just lend their names or their influence to businesses. They should have the opportunity to become serious, active participants in the investment ecosystem. We talk about the unique perspective athletes can bring to venture capital, why it takes more than just access to make you a successful investor, how Kelvin and Larry are building an institutional investment platform designed to last for decades, and why Kelvin says that whenever his NFL career ends, investing won't be his second act - it will be the only act he plans to pursue.2:00 Kelvin shares his journey from growing up in a small town in Texas to spending nearly 15 years as an NFL offensive lineman - and the curiosity that eventually led him to investing.4:26 How growing up around his father’s automotive shop shaped the way he thinks about startups, problem-solving, and entrepreneurship.7:39 How he evolved from a football player interested in angel investing into “an investor who happens to play football.”9:46 How experiences with Kleiner Perkins, Silver Lake, Thrive, and Sequoia helped him build his investing skills and institutional mindset.12:45 Why he believes more professional athletes should become active participants in the investment ecosystem - and why access and celebrity status aren’t enough without doing the work.23:00 How Kelvin and Larry Fitzgerald connected, discovered a shared passion for investing, and began evaluating deals and conducting diligence together.26:17 How they found time to build relationships and source deals while playing in the NFL - and why the discipline of professional sports translates to investing.30:02 Why they are choosing to do something difficult all over again, and what Mike Tomlin’s “volunteers, not hostages” philosophy means to Kelvin.33:37 How they are building an institutional investment platform focused on critical tech, enterprise software, fintech infrastructure, and select sports investments.38:28 Why investing isn’t a “second act” for Kelvin - it’s the only act he plans to pursue when his NFL career eventually comes to an end.

Why David Potts Is Betting on the Pipes Behind AI Every company you've ever worked for is secretly held together by duct tape – software systems that don't talk to each other, and expensive engineers paid to force them to. David Potts built a business fixing that problem for himself, and then realized the fix was worth more than the company it came from. He spent decades shipping products at Texas Instruments and SafeNet, founded SalesWarp, and now leads Camber Creek portfolio company CloudQix. In this episode, David sat down with Camber Creek General Partner Jeffrey Berman to discuss how an integration platform originally built to solve complex problems for retailers evolved into CloudQix – and why the rise of AI has made connecting disparate systems securely more important than ever. They explore CloudQix’s focus on wealth management and RIAs, where firms are eager to embrace AI but face fragmented data, legacy systems, privacy concerns, and strict compliance requirements. David also shares his perspective on what enterprise AI adoption looks like beyond the hype: how companies can use AI while maintaining security, governance, and audit trails; why businesses shouldn’t necessarily tie themselves to a single foundational model; and where human expertise still matters as more work becomes automated. 1:36 David shares his 30-year career in technology and how he founded SalesWarp to solve complex retail operations challenges. 3:01 How SalesWarp’s integration technology became the foundation for CloudQix. 6:43 Why David spun out CloudQix to pursue the growing intersection of enterprise integration and AI. 8:23 Why CloudQix is initially focused on wealth management, family offices, and RIAs. 10:11 The hidden compliance risk of employees using AI without formal oversight or governance. 13:30 How CloudQix brings together data, AI, and existing systems to streamline workflows like client onboarding. 18:01 The “bring your own model” approach and why businesses shouldn’t have to commit to a single AI provider. 20:51 Protecting proprietary information when using AI through data controls, security, and auditability. 24:32 Why traditional integration platforms were built for a pre-AI world—and how AI agents are changing the equation. 30:25 Measuring the ROI of AI and how CloudQix aims to give significant time back to financial advisors. 34:04 Building an AI-native company while still relying on human expertise to understand clients and industries. 40:54 Scaling CloudQix, staying focused amid growing demand, and David’s vision for building a durable, independent company.

Felix Sabates could be the most interesting man in the world. He was an early distributor for one of the first commercially successful video games, Atari's Pong. He did a lot to introduce Nintendo to America from its home in Japan. And he was a founding co-owner of the Charlotte Hornets, an NBA franchise.He also loves cars. He used to own his own NASCAR team.Sabates did all of this after fleeing Cuba as a teenager. He sat down with Camber Creek General Partner Jeffrey Berman to talk about his remarkable life and career.00:15 Felix opens with a story about buying—and selling—a rare Bugatti within hours for a substantial profit.06:56 Growing up in Cuba, opposing Fidel Castro's revolution as a teenager, and joining the resistance.10:05 Escaping an armed mission that ended with nearly everyone else in his group being killed13:54 Felix explains how his father rushed him onto a flight to the United States with just $25 and two boxes of cigars.15:09 On arriving in the American South and the shocking encounter that forced his family to flee Ku Klux Klan intimidation.22:07 He recalls being dismissed at a Rolls-Royce dealership until one phone call instantly changed the salesman's attitude.25:09 How an overnight demonstration of Pong led him to become an early distributor for Atari's groundbreaking video games.29:42 After Atari moved on, Felix helped convince Nintendo to enter the US market and then helped make it a phenomenon.31:26 He describes turning relationships into another breakthrough by helping launch Compaq's retail computer business.37:17 Felix tells the story of helping Charlotte secure an NBA franchise by guaranteeing the sale of 10,000 season tickets.39:09 The conversation turns to the Charlotte Hornets' decision to trade Kobe Bryant on draft night and why Felix believes it ultimately benefited Bryant.40:32 The memoir Felix plans to publish one day and the many stories still left untold