Our Team

Mr. Stephen has led, originated, and managed more than $2.5B in private financing transactions since 2009. Prior to co-founding Pine Valley Capital Partners, he served as Chief Financial Officer of Trinity Environmental Services, an oilfield waste management company operating across Texas and New Mexico. Earlier in his career, he originated, structured, and managed private credit investments in the energy sector with Guggenheim Partners in Houston. Mr. Stephen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Abilene Christian University and has extensive experience structuring complex transactions across multiple industries.

Mr. Vinson has over 15 years of experience structuring and managing more than $1.0B in specialty finance and private credit transactions. Before co-founding Pine Valley Capital Partners, he served as President of Pine Street Capital, where he built, scaled, and exited multiple specialty finance platforms. His earlier experience includes serving as CEO of Digital Impact Outdoor, a regional digital advertising company. Mr. Vinson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master of Accounting from Abilene Christian University and has deep expertise in capital deployment, platform growth, and strategic investment execution.

Ms. Bilafer oversees strategic operations, marketing coordination, and executive support at Pine Valley Capital Partners. She holds a Master’s in Management from Southern Methodist University and has a background in business administration, brand strategy, and cross-functional project execution. Her prior experience includes marketing and operations roles in both early-stage and growth-stage organizations. A former Division I rowing team captain, she brings strong leadership, organizational, and team-building skills to her role.

Mr. David is responsible for deal origination, underwriting, and investment management at Pine Valley Capital Partners. His prior roles include Business Strategy and Analytics with the Houston Astros, focusing on revenue growth and operational efficiency, and investment management at SVB Capital, where he provided capital solutions to high-growth companies. Mr. David holds a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics and Computational Finance from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Seattle University.

Mr. Gillin manages financial operations, fund accounting, and forecasting for Pine Valley Capital Partners. He previously served as Finance Manager at Pinegrove Venture Partners and SVB Capital, where he oversaw financial reporting, tax strategy, and operational budgeting. He holds a Master of Science in Taxation from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business and has extensive experience delivering financial insights to guide strategic decision-making.

Mr. Grace is responsible for deal origination and investment management at Pine Valley Capital Partners. His background includes investment roles in long/short public equity at Balyasny Asset Management, private equity at Elliott Management, and management consulting at Bain & Company. Mr. Grace holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical and Computational Science from Stanford University.

Mr. Kocurek is responsible for deal origination, underwriting, and investment management at Pine Valley Capital Partners. He joins the firm from Petros PACE Finance, a part of Apollo Global Management's Credit Group, where he focused on real estate credit investments. Earlier in his career, Mr. Kocurek completed Dell Technologies' Finance Development Program, where he spent time in Dell Financial Services and Investor Relations. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Texas A&M University and is currently pursuing his MBA at The University of Texas.

Mr. Nolan brings more than a decade of sales, marketing, and product development experience to Pine Valley Capital Partners. Previously, he served as Senior Product Manager at Federated Hermes, where he led the growth of the firm’s most profitable equity strategies. Earlier, as Vice President at PNC, he developed a new product line for the Institutional Asset Management Group and managed business development for institutional and high-net-worth clients. Mr. Nolan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Xavier University and is an active member of the CFA Society of Pittsburgh.

Ms. Ralston oversees team operations, compliance, and organizational effectiveness at Pine Valley Capital Partners. Before joining the firm, she managed institutional client relations for 401(k) and pension plans at Dimensional Fund Advisors. Her earlier experience includes serving as business manager to a company founder in Seattle and beginning her career in Private Wealth Management at Goldman Sachs. Ms. Ralston graduated magna cum laude from Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business with a degree in Finance.

Mr. Schultz has over a decade of experience identifying, originating, and underwriting litigation finance opportunities. Prior to joining Pine Valley Capital Partners, he served as Vice President of Business Development at Woodsford, where he originated funding for high-value cases across mass tort, commercial litigation, class action, and intellectual property. A former practicing attorney, Mr. Schultz spent more than 15 years at Robins Kaplan LLP, where he was a Partner in the Minneapolis office. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Cincinnati and has significant expertise in legal funding strategies.

Ms. Verina serves as Controller for Pine Valley Capital Partners, overseeing finance, fund accounting, and regulatory compliance. She previously held senior finance roles at Altegris, Potomac River Capital, Kensico Capital, and Pequot Capital, and began her career in Cash and Trade Services at Citibank. Her experience spans private equity, hedge funds, and alternative investment management. Ms. Verina holds a Master of Science in Professional Accounting from Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island.