Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition Corp. I Announces its Leadership Team and Board of Directors

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Nov 22, 2021, 11:52 ET

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands, Nov. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition Corp. I today announced its leadership team and board. The SPAC is led by a seasoned team which combines decades of relevant experience.

CEO Lou Kerner said, "We believe that the experience and capabilities of our management team and our affiliation with Blockchain Coinvestors give us a deep understanding and unique perspective on the blockchain industry in the financial services and technology sectors, will make us an attractive partner to potential target businesses, assist us to source proprietary opportunities, increase our ability to complete a successful initial business combination and enhance the value of the business post-business combination."

The executive team includes Managing Directors Alison Davis, Lou Kerner (CEO) and Matthew C. Le Merle (Chairman) and Mitch Mechigian who is serving as interim CFO:

Alison Davis has served as a Manager of the General Partner of Blockchain Coinvestors since its founding. Ms. Davis has served as a director of Collibra since October 2019, Fiserv since November 2014, Janus Henderson Group since February 2021 and SVB Financial Group (parent of Silicon Valley Bank) since May 2020. She is the Chair of the Advisory Board for Blockchain Capital LLC, and an advisor to Bitwise Asset Management Inc. Previously, Ms. Davis served as a director of City National Bank, Diamond Foods, First Data Corporation, Ooma Inc., Royal Bank of Scotland (now NatWest Group), Unisys Corporation, and Xoom Corporation and was the Chair of LECG Corporation. She has also been a director of multiple private companies. Ms. Davis was previously the Managing Partner of Belvedere Capital Partners LLC, a regulated bank holding company and private equity firm focused on investing in U.S. banks and financial services firms where she worked closely with the Federal Reserve, the OCC, the FDIC and various state banking regulators. Earlier in her career, Ms. Davis served as the Chief Financial Officer of Barclays Global Investors Corp. (now BlackRock Inc.).
Lou Kerner is a Managing Director, and serves as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors. He began focusing full-time on investing in crypto in 2017 as a Founding Partner at CryptoOracle. Mr. Kerner has been an advisor to Blockchain Coinvestors since 2019, and has served as Manager of the Blockchain Coinvestor syndicate on AngelList since 2020. Mr. Kerner launched The Social Internet (VC) Fund in 2012, where he invested in the private rounds of future public companies including Palantir, LiveRamp and FireEye. Mr. Kerner also has significant public company experience as an equity analyst, beginning his career at Merrill Lynch (1994-1996), before spending four years (1996-2000) at Goldman Sachs following cable and satellite companies.
Matthew Le Merle is a Managing Director and serves as Chair of the board of directors. He and Ms. Davis founded and have managed Blockchain Coinvestors since inception and have participated in, advised and sourced opportunities in internet, fintech and blockchain for over 20 years. Mr. Le Merle has also served as Managing Partner of Fifth Era, LLC since 2014 and Keiretsu Capital Blockchain Fund Manager, LLC since January 2018, two of the most active early-stage venture managers backing over 300 companies. Mr. Le Merle is Chair of Concept Art House, Securitize (Europe), Universal Protocol Alliance and Vice Chair of SFOX.
Mitch Mechigian is Chief of Staff of Blockchain Coinvestors and is serving as interim CFO of Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition Corp. I.

"Our unique and superior ability to source and attract business combination targets comes from our position as a SPAC singularly focused on blockchain as well as the experience and expertise of our leadership team and board," said Matthew Le Merle, Chairman.

Mr. Kerner and Mr. Le Merle will join the board in addition to independent board directors Gary Cookhorn, Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann and Colin Wiel:

Gary Cookhorn is an experienced finance and investment industry professional. His career has spanned finance, strategy, and operations in both the private and public sector. Mr. Cookhorn is currently a member of Health2047 Capital Partners, a venture capital firm focused on investing in U.S.-based, healthcare startups, including those with promising artificial intelligence, data connectivity and other technology-related solutions. Before joining Health2047 Inc., Mr. Cookhorn was a managing director at Fortress Investment Group. At Fortress, Mr. Cookhorn was involved in client-relationship management and several special projects, including helping to establish Pantera Capital, a blockchain-related investment firm. Earlier in his career, Mr. Cookhorn worked as Finance chief at the New York headquarters of UNFPA, a division of the United Nations Development Programme and later headed the World Bank's Loan Services Group in Washington, D.C
Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann is a seasoned CEO with broad leadership experience in sales, marketing, risk management, and international business operations. She is the founding member of the RMK Group, LLC, an advisory and consulting service focused on fintech, digital currency and payment systems, which was formed in June 2020. Previously, she served in various senior leadership roles at Citibank from 2008 until June 2020 and at Wells Fargo from 1996 until 2008. Ms. Macieira-Kaufmann has served as non-executive director of Revolut USA, a global financial technology company, since October 2020, and previously served as a chair of the board of Banamex USA/Servicing Inc. from April 2016 to March 2020 and as a director since 2013.
Colin Wiel is an engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur. He is currently Co-Founder and Chairman at Mynd Management, a technology focused real estate management company serving the small residential rental sector. He served as Chief Technology Officer from May 2016 until November 2020. Prior to founding Mynd Management, Mr. Wiel was a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Waypoint Homes, Inc., a pioneer in scaling single family rentals that went public on NYSE as Starwood Waypoint Residential Trust (NYSE: SWAY). Mr. Wiel oversaw acquisitions, technology and fundraising for the company. He currently serves as a director for Wildlife Works Carbon and is also the Chairman of Rainforest Capital Management. Mr. Wiel was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of ecoReserve, and previously served on their board of directors. Mr. Wiel was named one of Goldman Sachs' Top 100 Most Innovative Entrepreneurs and was awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

"The founders and management team of our sponsor have led, managed or supported investments in more than 300 blockchain companies and opportunities and are uniquely positioned to leverage their network of blockchain founders, technologists and investors to secure access to attractive opportunities," said Alison Davis, Managing Director.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition Corp. I
Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition Corp. I is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. While the Company may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business, industry, sector or geographical location, it intends to focus its search on the companies in the financial services, technology and other sectors of the economy that are being enabled by emerging applications of blockchain. Visit us at www.blockchaincac1.com

About Blockchain Coinvestors
Launched in 2014, our goal is to provide broad coverage of the emerging unicorns and fastest growth blockchain companies and crypto projects. The strategy is now in its 8th year and has to date invested in more than 25 pure play blockchain venture funds in the Americas, Asia and Europe; and in a combined portfolio of 300+ blockchain and crypto projects including 30+ blockchain unicorns. Our funds rank in the top decile amongst all funds in their respective categories on both Pitchbook and Preqin. Headquartered in San Francisco with a presence in Grand Cayman, London, New York, Zug and Zurich, the alternative investment management firm, was co-founded by Alison Davis and Matthew Le Merle. Visit us at www.blockchaincoinvestors.com