May 6, 2026 - Volition Capital Isabelle Tashima and Greatest Hits Restaurant Star Steve de Haan

Isabelle Tashima – Growth Equity Investor at Volition Capital The companies that are winning the attention and getting rounds done quickly are the ones where AI is meaningfully changing unit economics or the delivery model or the margin profile of the business. Isabelle Tashima is a Senior Associate at Volition Capital, a Boston based growth equity firm that partners with founder owned, capital efficient technology companies. At the firm, she focuses on sourcing, evaluating, and executing investments in high growth businesses, typically working with companies generating between $5 million and $50 million in revenue that are positioned to become category leaders. Since its founding in 2010, Volition has managed approximately $2 billion in assets and built a reputation for backing disciplined, high performing entrepreneurs. Prior to joining Volition in 2024, Isabelle worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs in New York as part of the Cross Markets Group, where she focused on middle market mergers and acquisitions. She further expanded her investing experience during her MBA through time at KKR, gaining exposure to large scale private equity investing and strategic growth initiatives. Isabelle earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Psychology from Harvard University, where she was a member of the Varsity Women’s Volleyball team. She later received her MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management as an early admit, further strengthening her expertise in finance, strategy, and innovation. Originally from the Chicago area, she maintains an active lifestyle outside of work, with interests that include skiing, scuba diving, travel, and exploring new food destinations. Steve de Haan – Former President and Founder of Andrews Entertainment District It really was a conscious decision on who I wanted to be, what I wanted to accomplish. Steve de Haan worked at a Little Caesar’s Pizza in high school, and by graduation, he had advanced to being assistant manager. He became bar manager of a TGI Fridays before he could legally drink. His regional manager told him he “had learned as much as you’re going to learn here,” so the following weekend, he drove to Atlanta and walked into The Tavern at Phipps, which had just been on the cover of the Hudspeth Report. He put on a whole Tom Cruise “Cocktail” show for them. Within one year, the bar had doubled their revenue. Soon, Steve was recognized in the premiere issue of Jezebel Magazine as one of the top bartenders in Atlanta. He was invited to attend the Skyy Vodka Quest World Bartending Competition at Disney World. Steve placed seventh in the world as a “flair” bartender and won the state of Georgia title three times. When Steve was 29 years old, he was approached about becoming the beverage partner for a new property to open in Atlanta. Completely under-funded and totally naive, he said, “Okay, let’s do this.” He emptied his bank account to fund the initial deposit on the lease and later secured the funding through a friend of a friend, and soon became President. The company has been a debt-free company and growing organically for 12 years, including 8 bars and restaurant and has won national awards like the USA Today Top Ten Bar in the US.