Team

Matt is the founder of Heartland Healthcare Capital, bringing two decades of experience and insight from investment banking, capital markets and management consulting. Prior to starting Heartland Healthcare, Matt was a managing director in the investment banking division at Piper Sandler. Matt was involved in dozens of healthcare transactions, from M&A to IPOs and alternative financings, and spanning medical devices, biopharma and healthcare services and technology. His deep client relationships and the breadth of his connectivity across healthcare were most evident in his creation of the Heartland Summit – one of the most influential annual conferences of healthcare CEOs and investors in the industry.

Prior to joining Piper Sandler, Matt was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, and he began his career as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs.

Matt holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University, a Master of Science degree from the University of Oxford, Magdalen College, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford University.

Matt previously served as a Trustee of Breck School, and is a former board member of the Guthrie Theater, the Stanford Business School Fund and the Greater Twin Cities United Way. As a passionate golfer, Matt is also the co-founder and CEO of Evans Golf Company.

Prior to the launch of Heartland Healthcare Capital, Ahmad joined Piper Sandler to help establish the fund. During the fund’s formation, he was also a member of Piper’s healthcare investment banking group.

Prior to Piper Sandler, Ahmad served as a director at Viscogliosi Bros. (VB), a company creation venture capital and private equity firm specializing in the medical device subsector. At VB, he oversaw direct deal execution, capital raising, and the business development and strategic functions of VB’s portfolio companies. His experience encompasses company building, public and private equity financings, strategic M&A, and the commercialization of healthcare innovation.

Ahmad is also a former active-duty U.S. Navy officer.

Ahmad holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a pre-med concentration from Duke University, a Master of Business Administration degree with distinction from the University of Oxford, and a Master of Science degree in Biotechnology with an immunology concentration from Johns Hopkins University.

Prior to joining Heartland Healthcare Capital, Trent worked for Piper Sandler in the healthcare investment banking group, where he covered biopharmaceutical companies and advised on a wide range of transactions, including public and private equity financings, strategic partnerships, and mergers and acquisitions.

Trent graduated with honors from the University of Colorado Denver with a bachelor’s degree in finance, and holds a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology in conjunction with a Master’s Certificate in Research Management and Compliance from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

In addition to his academic training, Trent has also completed a research rotation in the Surgical Oncology Division at Anschutz, where he studied G protein-coupled receptors and their roles in both antitumor immunity and metabolic regulation, with a focus on chemokine scavenging and lipid transport pathways.

John joined Heartland Healthcare Capital in 2021. His experience includes supporting the team’s diligence efforts and aiding in the financial analysis of all investment opportunities.

John graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Colgate University, where he also played on the varsity men’s hockey team. During his collegiate career he was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic team three times. John is also a current member of the U.S. National bandy team.

Gary is an experienced fund finance professional who has supported the Heartland Healthcare Capital team since inception under Piper Sandler Companies. Gary holds a small business accounting certification (NHCC). Prior to joining Piper, Gary worked at CBRE as a fund controller. He also spent time at SS&C Technologies and Wells Fargo Securities as a senior fund accountant and fund accountant, respectively. He graduated with an A.S. in Accounting from North Hennepin Community College.

Shannon is the Director of Executive Operations at Heartland Healthcare Capital, bringing over a decade of administrative and operational expertise to the team. Her partnership with Heartland Healthcare began in 2020 during their shared tenure at Piper Sandler, where she also provided executive administrative support across the healthcare investment banking, merchant banking and financial sponsors groups.

Earlier in her career, Shannon provided comprehensive administrative support to the North American Sales team at Starkey Hearing Technologies. She holds a B.S. in Community Psychology from St. Cloud State University. Outside the office, Shannon is an avid hiker who loves exploring new trails and spending time with her rescue dog.