Nestpoint Team

Meet Our Team

Our partners boast a track record of collaboration and a deep understanding of business fundamentals. We go beyond traditional investment models, offering hands-on operational guidance, tailored strategies, and a robust network of governmental affairs experience to solve complex problems. Our diverse experience translates into solutions that drive your company's success.

John Thomas

Co-Founder and Managing Director

John Thomas is the co-founder and managing director of Nestpoint Associates and formerly the award-winning Thomas Partners Strategies, known for his expertise in media, strategy, and crisis communications for political campaigns and various organizations. He’s recognized as an entrepreneur, healthcare visionary, leading strategist, and media commentator, holding degrees from Southern Methodist University and Pepperdine School of Public Policy.

HENRY HUANG

CO-FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR

Henry Huang is the co-founder and managing director of Nestpoint Associates and the CEO of Hakim Unique Group, a privately held investment conglomerate focused on healthcare, technology, energy, and media. Henry founded two startups in technology and healthcare with successful exits through acquisitions and partnerships with global Fortune 500 organizations. Henry has over a decade of experience in operations, finance, and investments

Paul Fickas

PARTNER

Paul Fickas is a partner at Nestpoint Associates and a founder at the California Alliance Group with extensive experience in political consulting and campaign management across California, known for innovative voter guides and successful campaigns for significant political figures.

Alex Olson

PARTNER

Alex Olson, a partner at Nestpoint Associates and former CEO of Thomas Partners Strategies, is distinguished for his contributions to expanding the company's influence in the political consulting landscape. His experience spans general consulting, senior government staffing, and non-profit activism. Olson holds a Master of Professional Studies degree from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Boise State University

ADRIAN SAKASHITA

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, PARTNER

Adrian Sakashita, Chief Operating Officer and partner at Nestpoint Associates, has amassed over thirty years of executive leadership ranging from start-ups through partners in tier-one management consulting, with a focus on large-cap tech. He is presently the managing partner of Questra Advisors LLC, which provides cross-border strategic channel development and M&A advisory consultation services. He was recently recognized as one of the world’s “Top 25” private club presidents, captains, and chairs in 2019 by BoardRoom Magazine.

Lauren Webb

Chief People Officer, Partner

Lauren Webb, Chief People Officer and partner at Nestpoint Associates, has over sixteen years of executive HR leadership, specializing in compensation design, workforce restructuring, employee relations, and ensuring business compliance and cultural congruency. She has guided executive groups through complex organizational changes, aligning HR practices with business goals and fostering a cohesive company culture. Her expertise includes developing compensation structures, driving HR initiatives in startups, and managing large-scale workforce transformations. Lauren holds an MPA from California State University, Fullerton, and an MBA from UCLA, with specializations in industrial psychology and compensation design.

Valencia de la Vega

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, PARTNER

Valencia de la Vega, Chief Technology Officer and partner at Nestpoint Associates, has several years of successful manufacturing leadership as both an R&D test engineer manager and a Lean Six Sigma expert. Valencia led the initial build of several manufacturing test labs throughout Asia and the United States to meet specific customer demands. By implementing lean Six Sigma initiatives in a high-volume manufacturing environment, Valencia increased profitability by reducing operational costs and meeting and exceeding quality standards for well-known brands like Intel, Apple, and Dell.

Steve Matthews

Chief Revenue Officer, Partner

Steve Matthews, Chief Revenue Officer and partner at Nestpoint Associates, is a visionary sales strategist with 30 years of experience driving profitable growth and shareholder value. He has led global teams through diverse market cycles, securing over $2 billion in Total Contract Value. As an executive at CrowdStrike and former Global VP at Symantec, he helped scale Altiris into a high-growth technology leader, culminating in its acquisition by Symantec. He currently advises a leading California Credit Union and a fast-growing health and wellness company, is a PAX Momentum Investor, and lectures at Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Business. Matthews holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Redlands.

ANDREW HERZFELD

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, PARTNER

Andrew Herzfeld, Chief Financial Officer and partner at Nestpoint Associates, brings to the Solid Energies team nearly a decade of executive experience in finance and strategy roles. His experience is international, spanning three continents: Asia, Europe, and North America. Andrew is well-versed in scaling companies, having founded and led multiple impact-driven technology startups.

Marc Burgat

Strategic Advisor

Marc Burgat, a strategic advisor at Nestpoint Associates, has over 30 years of experience in politics, policy, government relations, and public relations, with a notable career including leadership roles at the California Chamber of Commerce and the City of Los Angeles.

Stuart Jolly

Strategic Advisor

Stuart Jolly, a strategic advisor at Nestpoint Associates, served as President of Sonoran Policy Group and a partner at Grieboski Jolly Caraway Corp. He was the National Field Director for a presidential campaign, securing 22 primary wins, and later joined Great America PAC as National Political Director. Stuart led the Education Freedom Alliance for four years and taught at East Carolina University and University of Central Oklahoma. As an operative, he represented countries like Somalia, Qatar, and New Zealand.

Josh Whitehouse

Strategic Advisor

Joshua Whitehouse, a strategic advisor at Nestpoint Associates, brings extensive political and governmental experience. As a former New Hampshire State Representative, he served in the Trump administration as White House Liaison to the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense, and as Coalitions Director. In 2014, he was the top vote-getter in his district and has led several major campaigns, including Andrew Hemingway’s bid for Governor. Joshua also spearheaded tort reform in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

STEVEN THOMAS

STRATEGIC ADVISOR

Steven Thomas, a strategic advisor at Nestpoint Associates, is a veteran nonprofit executive and political consultant who has guided six organizations as CEO and an additional three as Chairman. He has raised over $30 million for a variety of liberty-minded candidates and causes, and is a former candidate for House of Delegates in Virginia. He has a Master of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University

BOBBY KOURETCHIAN

STRATEGIC CONSULTANT

Bobby Kouretchian, a strategic consultant with Nestpoint Associates, and principal and managing attorney at KOZA LAW GROUP APC, possesses extensive experience in business law and estate planning. His expertise encompasses litigation, intellectual property, corporate formation, governance, and complex transactions. Mr. Kouretchian's background includes serving as in-house counsel for private businesses and consulting for DLA Piper. He holds degrees from the University of Southern California and Pepperdine University School of Law

Justin Wallin

Strategic Advisor

Justin Wallin, a strategic advisor at Nestpoint Associates based in Washington DC, is the founder of J Wallin Opinion Research. Wallin is a “marketing concept” strategist, with over two decades of experience helping to develop communications strategy through opinion research working for high-profile clients across the nation from Fortune 500 companies, and government agencies to rough-and-tumble political campaigns

HILLARY SHEPHEARD

Vice President of Campaigns

Hillary Shepheard, our Vice President of Campaigns, has led a career in advertising and public relations in the non-profit sector that inspired her to pursue opportunities in international development. After her time spent abroad, she came back to the U.S. to begin her work in the world of politics, in the form of campaign management on the federal, state, and local levels. She recently finished her tenure managing Congresswoman Kay Granger’s campaign.

ERICA KNIGHT

STRATEGIC ADVISOR

Erica Knight is a strategic advisor at Nestpoint Associates and the founder of Knox Strategies, renowned for her extensive expertise in public relations. With a history of working on both national and international projects, including political campaigns, corporate mergers, and IPOs, Knight has a proven track record of securing significant media coverage across major outlets. Her early career involved managing media relations for high-profile NFL athletes and collaborating with some of the world’s largest brands. Erica is also dedicated to mentoring emerging PR professionals, known for her swift action in plan execution and crisis management.

LA Harris

Strategic Advisor

LA Harris is a strategic advisor at Nestpoint who has set himself apart from most political consultants in the nation through his experience in working every aspect of a campaign operation during his more than 30-year career. A seasoned professional with hundreds of political campaigns, LA Harris was on his first campaign payroll while still in college at the University of Kentucky where he earned his B.A. in political science. From coast to coast, LA Harris has been an integral part of America’s foremost campaigns. Time and time again, LA Harris has successfully implemented fundraising operations to help candidates and political committees fulfill their budgets across the country.

Milan Dalal

Strategic Advisor

Milan Dalal is a strategic advisor at Nestpoint who has held a series of senior positions in government. In the U.S. Senate, Milan served as staff director of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment, which oversees the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the accounting and insurance industries. During his tenure, Milan organized and led nearly a dozen hearings into complex topics, including equity market structure, high-frequency trading, fixed income market structure, and the Financial Stability Oversight Council and designation of Systemically Important Financial Institutions, among other key financial policy issues.

Greg Washburn

SR. PRODUCTION MANAGER

Greg Washburn is the senior production manager at Nestpoint Associates, an award-winning director with a rich background in entertainment and marketing, known for his creative leadership and strategic insight in producing compelling narratives for global brands.

ADRIANA GONZALEZ

WESTERN REGION VICE PRESIDENT

Adriana Gonzalez is the Western Regional Vice President of Nestpoint Associates and has a decade of experience in media relations and business development, significantly contributing to the expansion of the California Alliance Group. She has been actively involved in issue advocacy work across California

CHARLES CORTEZ

SR. GRAPHICS DESIGNER

Charles Cortez is the senior graphics designer at Nestpoint Associates, with over 15 years of experience in crafting compelling visuals for diverse advertising and design projects, transforming concepts into visually impactful campaigns across print and digital platforms.

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