Joe Kaiser is a Managing Director at Mercato Partners, where he has been a growth-stage investor for over 7 years. As a former operator and director at Vivint Solar—which IPO'd in 2014 for $1.6 billion—and as a former professional with Blackstone, Joe is keenly focused on leveraging his two plus decades of operating and investing experience to advise and support entrepreneurs that have built unique growth engines and are ready to scale. Originally from a small Midwestern town, Joe is a staunch advocate of investing in regions traditionally overlooked and under-appreciated by VCs.