About
I am an operator-led COO, CEO and board adviser with more than two decades of experience…
Activity
5K followers
-
Issac Vaughn shared thisThis is a great recap of a recent Aureum Leaders Circle event that captures the essence of our purpose and intent. A lots more to come in the days and months ahead.Aureum Brings Together Visionaries During NBA All-Star Weekend for an Exclusive Gathering Focused on Meaningful Connection and Long-Term ImpactAureum Brings Together Visionaries During NBA All-Star Weekend for an Exclusive Gathering Focused on Meaningful Connection and Long-Term Impact
-
Issac Vaughn shared thisI attended my first Alpha Partners dinner this past week at the invitation of my friend and fellow SVCF board member Shannon Nash. It was a collection of really thoughtful and insightful leaders. It gives me comfort that people like these are serving on boards and having the right conversations. Leadership begins at the top and cascades down throughout the organization. Thank you Alpha Partners for including me and others in the gathering.Issac Vaughn shared thisTeam Alpha is on the move! 🚀 Our Alpha Table in Palo Alto was absolutely electric. There is a unique kind of magic that happens when you strip away the slides and keynotes to make room for raw, candid, and off-the-record conversations about AI governance. A huge thank you to the incredible board directors, C-suite executives, and tech leaders who joined us. There is so much power in collective wisdom as we build these responsible AI frameworks together. 🤝 This is just the beginning. We have many more of these curated convenings planned for 2026…hopefully coming to a city near you soon! 🌍 Steven Wolfe Pereira ⚡️ Joe Hurd Sonita Lontoh Taylor Margis-Noguera #AIGovernance #BoardLeadership #TeamAlpha #AlphaTable #PaloAlto #Innovation
-
Issac Vaughn shared thisI’m on Team Julie!Issac Vaughn shared thisThis one will taste different. Neurological diseases do not discriminate. They can affect anyone, at any age, often without warning. They usually start quietly. A little less focus. A word that does not come. A movement that feels different. And over time, daily life, independence, and identity begin to shift. Things we rarely think about, like holding a conversation, driving, cooking, or asking for help, can become exhausting or impossible. Not only for those affected, but also for the families who adjust alongside them. Today, over 3.4 billion people worldwide live with at least one nervous system disorder or neurological condition. Behind that number are parents, children, friends, colleagues. People who were once healthy, active, and fully independent, just like us. This reality is closer than we think. And this is why supporting research, education, and care truly matters. On March 8, I will be running the LA Charity Half Marathon with Team TMF, supporting The McCourt Foundation and its mission to cure neurological diseases while empowering communities to build a healthier world. I’m taking this initiative to honor the strength of those affected, and to push, in my own way, beyond the limits life has placed before them. And because progress only happens when effort becomes collective, I’m also committed to fundraising a minimum of $2,500 on behalf of the foundation. If this mission resonates with you and you feel like giving back and working toward a shared goal, I would be honored to have you be part of it. Whether through a donation, if that is possible for you, or simply by sharing this post. https://lnkd.in/eKcXcDYk To everyone who has already contributed, shared, encouraged, or supported this initiative, my thoughts will be with you on race day, and throughout every training leading up to it and beyond, alongside all the incredible humans advancing this cause, and most importantly with the individuals and families carrying the weight of neurological diseases every day.
-
Issac Vaughn reposted thisIssac Vaughn reposted this2026 has just started and we already have some awesome news to share! We’re honored to welcome Issac Vaughn to the leadership team of the Aureum Leaders Circle as Senior Advisor, Strategy & Growth. Issac has been one of our earliest members—long before titles, partners, or even the scale we’ve been experiencing over the past several months. From day one, he’s brought a rare passion and generosity to the room, delivering inspiring messages and instantly elevating the overall energy with his entrepreneurial vitality and optimism. With over 20 years experience in high-growth tech, Issac most recently served as COO at Zenefits (acquired by TriNet, 2022) and previously held leadership roles at Ooyala (acquired by Telstra, 2014), was a founding partner of Bennu Venture Group, and a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Equally important, Issac is deeply committed to giving back, serving on several nonprofit and for-profit boards, including the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, All Stars Helping Kids, and RocketLawyer. This role formalizes what has long been true: Issac is a builder, a trusted voice, and a force for thoughtful growth within our community. We’re grateful to build this next chapter with you, Issac. The Aureum Circle Team Mohammad Hasham, CPA, CA, CMA, Michael J. Blankenship & Julie Amelie REAL
-
Issac Vaughn reposted thisIssac Vaughn reposted thisThe Power of Leadership My friend Issac Vaughn is a true force—his leadership presence is undeniable. From the moment I met him, I knew he would become an exceptional member and leader within the Aureum Leaders Circle. He’s the kind of leader who can ignite a room, inspire action, and elevate everyone around him. And trust me, we have some exciting announcements on the horizon. John Maxwell once said, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” Issac embodies that fully. If you’re ready to grow, lead, and connect at a higher level, join the Aureum Leaders Circle today. Sign up here → www.aureum-circle.co #Leadership #Vision #Letsgo Julie Amelie REAL Katerina Abdrashitova Imad Ansari
-
Issac Vaughn shared thisI’m really glad I associated with the Aureum Leaders Circle. Definitely one of the highlights for me in 2025. Looking forward to the year ahead with this great group of people who make up an incredible community poised to do many great things in the days and years ahead.Issac Vaughn shared thisA week has already passed, and we’re still reflecting on the extraordinary night we shared together. Last Thursday, December 4th, the Crown Room at the Fairmont San Francisco was filled with an energy we don’t encounter often. More than 200 founders, C-suite executives, and investors came together — some flying in from across the U.S., the Middle East, and Europe — not only to celebrate leadership, but to share passion, inspire one another to aim higher, and ignite a sense of purpose that will carry forward for months to come. What happened in that room was more than a dinner. It was a moment defined by abundance, a strong spirit of engagement, and a remarkable blend of cultures, backgrounds, and expertise that truly make the difference. The conversations were meaningful, the room was alive, and the sense of community was unmistakably genuine. Over the past few days, we’ve received countless messages of appreciation, reflection, and renewed motivation, and we couldn’t be more grateful. To everyone who joined us — founders, investors, executives, partners, and sponsors — thank you for being part of this unforgettable chapter. To our dedicated team and vendors — your work behind the scenes brought this vision to life with precision, care, and heart. This was only our second FounderFuel Dinner, and witnessing how far this community has come in just five months — and how many talented, generous, and forward-thinking leaders have joined this circle — is truly humbling. We’re excited to see where we go together. Stay close — we have much more coming in 2026. The Aureum Circle Team Mohammad Hasham, CPA, CA, CMA, Michael J. Blankenship & Julie Amelie REAL 📸 Ken Hamel Photo (Explore the full photo gallery: https://lnkd.in/eBTmiQN8)
-
Issac Vaughn reposted thisIssac Vaughn reposted thisThrowback to an insightful evening exploring the full arc of the founder’s journey, from the startup spark to the strategic exit, and what it truly takes to lead successfully in today’s fast-evolving ecosystem. Congratulations to our dear founder Mohammad Hasham, CPA, CA, CMA and our partner CohnReznick for bringing together such brilliant minds on an incredible stage. Grateful to the exceptional panelists — Bill Tai, Issac Vaughn, and Joy Mbanugo, J.D., MAcc. — for sharing real-world insights on the grit, growth, and grind of building a startup from inception to late-stage maturity; and to Chithra Rajagopalan, Preet Gill, and Dan Angius for guiding us through the decision-making behind IPOs and M&As, and revealing what life looks like after the spotlight fades. We’re thrilled and thankful to have most of you as part of our community. A special thanks to our co-founder, Michael J. Blankenship, and Swami Venkat for their seamless, thoughtful moderation! And last but not least, thank you to all the Aureum Members who came out to support our partner CohnReznick. Let us know if you’d like the Aureum Leaders Circle to host more gatherings in this format, we’d love to make it happen! In a world moving a million miles an hour and marked by ever-growing uncertainty, the need for leaders driven by purpose, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and both strategic and operational excellence has never been greater. If you stand with us in embodying these principles, join the circle at https://lnkd.in/evQhbPhy.
-
Issac Vaughn reposted thisIssac Vaughn reposted thisBeyond the Finish Line: The Founder’s Journey We hosted an epic event on November 6th at the SVB Experience center, which drew audience from all over the Bay Area. We had two amazing panels, where our panelist shared their journey on the Founder Journey, obstacles faced, and what leads to ideally a great public company. Bill Tai, a Legendary investor, who have invested in Seed round of Zoom and Canva talked about what leads to a valuable exit, and how you see through the lens to find good founders. Issac Vaughn and Joy Mbanugo, J.D., MAcc. talked about the importance of having a good culture at the company, and it’s important to have a clean cap table! Chithra Rajagopalan, Dan Angius and @Preet Gill shared their thoughts on the importance of a company being ready for an exit. Swami Venkat and Michael J. Blankenship moderated each of the panel! George Pai was our gracious host at the SVB! Curious about going public? Please reach out to me. Thank you Ken Hamel Photo and team for brilliant photography as always for our events! #IPO #Founder #Journey Brian J. Baumann Katerina Abdrashitova Marisa Garcia Shant Fakhoorian, CPA Sajjad R.Shant Fakhoorian, CPA Chloe Schoolcraft, CPA Eric Bernbach Farrukh Ashfaq Walter O'Haire Julie Amelie REAL CohnReznick Winston & Strawn LLP NYSE Nasdaq SVB Lockton
-
Issac Vaughn shared thisHere are more details on the event.Issac Vaughn shared thisMark your calendar for November 6th at 5:30 PM and join us at the stunning SVB Experience Center for an unforgettable evening. Meet the legendary Bill Tai at our event! We have amazing panelists --> Bill Tai, Joy Mbanugo, J.D., MAcc., Issac Vaughn, Brian J. Baumann, Michael J. Blankenship, Preet Gill, Chithra Rajagopalan and Swami Venkat! Thank you George Pai for hosting at the SVB! Don’t miss a beat, and register here —> https://lnkd.in/ghK-U8hF Reach out to me if you have any questions! #CapitalMarkets #Startups #leadership CohnReznick Winston & Strawn LLP NYSE SVB Lockton Nasdaq Katerina Abdrashitova Marisa Garcia Eric Wade, CPA, MBA Eric Bernbach Shant Fakhoorian, CPA Sajjad R. Chloe Schoolcraft, CPA Emma Cook
Issac Vaughn commented on a post
3w
Congratulations young man! You will do great things.
-
Issac Vaughn liked thisIssac Vaughn liked thisIn the past when I viewed these videos I was mainly in awe of the senior professors that Wharton Dean, my friend, Erika H. James interviewed. When I was asked I was both flattered and age jilted when I thought about being in this small group of interviewees. Dean James was especially good at dragging out my origin story (think my parents,the Crenshaw District, Susan Miller Dorsey High School, Stanford University football, Columbia Law School and the 1984 Olympics). My advisory work today SeventySix Capital, Board roles, writing and thinking don't escape her scrutiny either. Please do watch the video and reach back, especially if we have not been in touch in a while. A special shout out to the decades of students she mentions. Thank you The Wharton School
-
Issac Vaughn liked thisIssac Vaughn liked thisRest in heaven Nellie 🙏🏾 You called me up from the D-League and gave me my first real shot in the NBA. Not many people take that chance on a guy nobody drafted, but you did. I remember the first conversation like it was yesterday. You told me straight up: “We like you, or we wouldn’t have called you up. I’m going to throw you in the fire, and see what you got.” And that’s exactly what you did. You instilled the confidence in me to just be myself in your system. No overthinking, no hesitation just play! That honesty, that upfront approach, is all a player could ever ask for from a coach. Your offensive style was the birth of this run-and-gun era the league still runs on. Small ball started with you. Some of my best games came under your tutelage because you let guys play free. Thank you for believing in me when you didn’t have to. Your imprint on this game, and on my career will never fade. Rest in heaven, Nellie. 🕊️ #Smallball4Eva #NellieBall #RunNGun National Basketball Association (NBA)
-
Issac Vaughn liked thisIssac Vaughn liked this🏟️ Sports teams aren’t being treated like franchises anymore. They’re becoming an asset class. 📈 Arctos built a portfolio spanning more than 35 teams across the NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, MLS, and European football. Then KKR acquired the firm for $1.4 billion in initial consideration. 💰 That tells you where institutional money believes sports is heading. The appeal is pretty clear: 🎟️ The supply of elite teams is fixed 🌍 Fan bases are increasingly global 📺 Media rights keep attracting serious capital📱 Revenue now extends into betting, data, ticketing, and digital experiences My take: buying a minority stake in a team is the entry point. The bigger opportunity may be everything surrounding the fan. But I keep coming back to one question: As more private capital enters professional sports, will fans get a better product? Or will they get higher ticket prices, more subscriptions and decisions driven by spreadsheets? 🤔 Is private equity good for sports? I’d genuinely like to hear both sides. 👇 #PrivateEquity #SportsBusiness #PrivateMarkets #MergersAndAcquisitions #VentureCapital
-
Issac Vaughn liked thisIssac Vaughn liked thisI earned a two-year NBA extension after coming back from surgery. A new GM erased it overnight. I was leading the NBA in 3 point shooting when an elbow surgery sidelined me for 3 months mid-season. When I came back, I was getting fewer minutes than before. So I did the only thing I could do, which was keep shooting well every time the ball found me. That two-year deal was non-guaranteed, but it was proof the shots kept falling when I needed them to. Then the GM who signed me left, a new one came in, and he waived the contract before I ever set foot on the floor for him. My honest first thought was that I had just earned this, they had put me on a team-friendly deal. It took me a while to accept that I never controlled the minutes or which GM was sitting in that office. I only ever controlled my preparation and my belief that the next shot goes in. That is the exact mindset I carried into building Willow Lake and other ventures. Markets move and deals fall through, and plenty of it sits outside my hands. But I still show up every morning, put in the work, and trust the next opportunity comes through.
-
Issac Vaughn liked thisIssac Vaughn liked thisWho will I see at Xerocon this week? Guess what... We are launching Xero Payroll!
-
Issac Vaughn liked thisIssac Vaughn liked thisGrowing up in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷, baseball ⚾️ was everywhere. It was part of the culture, part of the conversation, part of our lives. Our heroes had names like Clemente, Cepeda, Alomar… My childhood home was literally next to a baseball park! But owning a Major League Baseball team? That was beyond anything I could have imagined. Today, MLB’s owners unanimously approved Kwanza Jones and me as the new majority owners of the San Diego Padres. We are deeply grateful to the Seidler family, and especially to Peter, for raising expectations for this franchise. We intend to honor that legacy by continuing to raise them. So the goal is clear: bring a World Series championship to San Diego! To Padres fans: we will show up. We will listen. We will work to earn your trust. From that house next to a baseball park in Puerto Rico to this moment — what a journey. I am grateful, humbled and excited. 🙏🏽🇵🇷 Now the real work begins. Let’s go Friars!!! 💪🏽⚾️ #Padres #SanDiego #MLB #Baseball #Beisbol San Diego Padres
-
Issac Vaughn liked thisIssac Vaughn liked thisBryant Rabbino LLP is pleased to announce that partner B. Seth Bryant has been recognized in the 2026 edition of Chambers USA for Public Finance in New York in Band 2. Seth advises Fortune 100 companies, financial institutions, governmental entities, public benefit corporations, investment funds, start-ups, and entrepreneurs on complex transactional and strategic legal matters. With nearly 30 years of experience, he has assisted clients in connection with securities and finance transactions, including sales of fixed income instruments such as municipal bonds, institutional private placements of debt securities and on bank facilities, and equity securities. On public finance matters, Seth has represented some of the nation’s most active issuers of bonds in complex offerings, including new money offerings of tax-exempt and taxable bonds, green bonds, fixed-rate and variable-rate instruments, refundings, redemptions and defeasances, and P3s among other transactions. Seth also has extensive experience as underwriter’s counsel, disclosure counsel, issuer’s counsel and borrower’s counsel. Seth also represents parties in mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, license agreements, and other strategic transactions. Seth serves as outside general counsel to market-leading ventures, advising clients on a broad range of corporate and commercial matters. The Chambers USA guide, published annually by Chambers and Partners, showcases the top law firms and lawyers in the country by state based on their successful work in key practice areas and a thorough interview process involving peer and client referrals. This recognition underscores Bryant Rabbino’s strong reputation for delivering sophisticated counsel, responsive service, and successful outcomes in complex public finance matters. Congratulations, Seth! Read more: https://lnkd.in/eRCmDF34 #BryantRabbinoLLP #ChambersUSA #PublicFinance
-
Issac Vaughn liked thisIssac Vaughn liked thisNo agent has become more synonymous with today's NBA than Rich Paul. Since founding Klutch Sports in 2012, Paul has built one of the most influential agencies in pro sports, representing many of the game's biggest stars.
Experience & Education
Other similar profiles
Explore more posts
Explore top content on LinkedIn
Find curated posts and insights for relevant topics all in one place.
View top content