The team behind
the work.

Denis Ackah-Yensu is a Co-founder and Managing Partner of Axum Capital Partners. He has been involved in all aspects of Axum’s development since its inception, including leadership roles in the oversight of the firm’s investments and as a member of the Board of Directors of Axum’s portfolio companies. Denis’ experience includes middle-market private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance. Prior to co-founding Axum in 2010, he worked at McColl Partners, a middle-market investment bank founded by the former Chairman and CEO of Bank of America, Hugh McColl Jr., where he focused on executing mergers and acquisitions transactions and principal investing in family- and founder-led businesses.

Previously, Denis executed middle-market private equity investments for Kamylon Capital and Summer Street Capital Partners. He began his career in investment banking at Citigroup Inc., where he worked with large-capitalization companies to execute mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance transactions, including some of the most notable transactions in US history. Denis received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance with honors from Pace University. He has participated in numerous private equity transactions across a broad range of industries.

Muhsin Muhammad II is a Co-founder and Managing Partner of Axum Capital Partners. His responsibilities include deal sourcing, investment selection, and portfolio management. Prior to co-founding the firm, Mr. Muhammad had a 14-year career in the National Football League (“NFL”) with the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears. His contributions include serving as team captain for both teams, where he led each team to Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XLI, respectively. Mr. Muhammad still holds the NFL's record for the longest touchdown reception in Super Bowl history and is one of only three players to have scored touchdowns for two different teams in the Super Bowl. 

He also served on the Executive Business Committee of the NFL. Mr. Muhammad received a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University. During his NFL Career, Mr. Muhammad furthered his education by attending Wharton’s Executive Business Management & Entrepreneurship Program and successfully co-founded and invested in several operating companies, as well as multiple real estate projects across the country. Mr. Muhammad’s real estate projects have featured brands including LongHorn Steak House, Olive Garden, Dominos, Wing Stop, Jimmy John’s and Hilton Hotels. 

Mr. Muhammad co-leads Axum’s partnerships in the business professional communities that include athletes, entertainers, CEOs, and business owners, utilizing his “Access and Influence” to create intrinsic value for Axum to enhance its overall platform. Mr. Muhammad has direct personal experience utilizing his own “Influence” to market and drive awareness for leading Food and Beverage brands, including Pepsi, Coca Cola, Frito Lay, Chick-fil-A, and Gatorade, giving him a deep understanding of how branding and marketing programs work. His extensive relationships within the Athletic and Business Professional communities offer Axum a unique asset.

Ray Groth is a Co-founder and Managing Partner of Axum Capital Partners with over 40 years of experience in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and principal investing. Ray has played a leadership role in establishing Axum’s strategy and the firm’s overall platform since inception. His role at Axum includes leadership role on the firm’s Investment Committee, working with the investment team to identify, evaluate, and structure potential transactions. Ray was an adjunct professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and has served on a number of corporate boards. Previously, he served as Head of the Mergers and Acquisitions Group at First Union Securities (now Wells Fargo).

Prior to that, he was with the Mergers and Acquisitions Group at the First Boston Corporation (now part of UBS), where he led numerous acquisitions. Mr. Groth joined First Boston after practicing law with Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York. Mr. Groth received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

Ezra Field is an Advisor of Axum Capital Partners. Ezra is Managing Partner of Harborfield Management Co., a private investment holding company, and Chairman of Reservoir Media. He is also a Director with Business Executives for National Security (BENS), and, in connection with Harborfield’s investing activities, works with various other private corporations. From 2007 to 2021, Ezra served as a Senior Advisor, Managing Director, Senior Managing Director, Co-CIO, and CIO of Atlanta-based Roark Capital.

Prior to joining Roark, Mr. Field was a Managing Director at New York-based ACI Capital, a family private investment firm. He served as a law clerk to the Honorable Ralph K. Winter, Chief Judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, from 1998 to 1999. Mr. Field received a BA from Wesleyan University, an MBA from Columbia Business School, and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Lance Johnson is a Partner at Axum Capital Partners. In addition to his role as a member of the firm’s investment team, Lance co-leads Axum’s business development and origination efforts. Prior to joining Axum in 2025, he was Managing Director and Head of Middle Market Sponsor Coverage at Wells Fargo Securities, where he oversaw the firm's investment banking, mergers and acquisitions, and financing efforts with leading middle-market private equity firms. Previously, Mr. Johnson spent 11+ years leading the small- and mid-cap sponsor coverage efforts as a Managing Director at Truist Securities.

Before he moved over to investment banking, Lance spent seven years as a corporate attorney, providing corporate finance, public and private capital raising, and mergers and acquisitions advice to leading companies and institutional capital providers. The bulk of Mr. Johnson’s time as an attorney was spent at DLA Piper in the Baltimore and Washington, DC metro areas. He is an executive board member for a successful family business enterprise in the personal care sector, CARA B Naturally. Mr. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Derrick Brown joined Axum Capital Partners as a Partner in 2025. In addition to his involvement in Axum’s investment activities, Derrick co-leads the firm’s investment origination efforts focused on building industry relationships and establishing strategic partnerships. Mr. Brown is a successful food-and-beverage and health-and-wellness investor. He co-founded Free Fenix, where he and his team acquired ownership interests in fast-growing companies, including Clean Juice, Salata Salad Kitchen, and Hustle House Fitness. His latest venture is as Founder and President of FreeSpade, which is building an ecosystem for industry leaders to connect, grow, and thrive.

Prior to his business career, Derrick Brown was a professional basketball player and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft. This set off an 11-year career spanning tenures in both the NBA and the Euroleague, where he also served as Vice President of the Euroleague Players’ Association. Derrick’s focus since his days as a professional athlete has been centered on continuing to build and establish his expertise as a successful investor and operator, leading him to numerous profitable ventures including privately held, pre-IPO investments in Facebook, Uber, and Beyond Meat. Mr. Brown graduated with a dual degree in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Studies from Xavier University, and he has an MBA from Wake Forest University.

Lynne Girts is Chief Financial Officer at Axum Capital Partners. She has over 20 years of experience in private equity, with extensive experience in fund management, financial and audit oversight, internal process optimization, and back-office operations. Lynne currently serves on the board of the Cheslie C. Kryst Foundation. Previously, Lynne served as Managing Partner at OneSeven Partners, a boutique consulting firm specializing in fractional CFO and COO services for private equity firms including Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) and FINRA-member placement agents, where she provided strategic financial leadership and operational guidance.

Prior to this, Lynne was CAO and CFO at Broadtree Partners, a $3 billion asset management firm focused on debt and equity investments in lower-middle-market companies, where she led initiatives in financial governance, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency. Lynne holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Accounting, from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Josh Burris is an Operating Partner at Axum Capital Partners. With over 20 years of experience leading high-growth organizations, and known for his energetic leadership, Josh excels in strategy, integrative problem-solving, and fostering a strong organizational culture. Josh is an Advisory Board Member for The Vitamin Shoppe, a wellness lifestyle company. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Merging Vets & Players, an organization that supports combat veterans and former professional athletes in their transition to civilian life. Josh’s recent roles include CEO of rue21 and CEO of GNC, where he also served as President.

He has extensive experience in retail, having led the AM Retail Group and having spent 16 years at Abercrombie & Fitch in key leadership positions. Josh holds a Bachelor of Business Management from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and certifications in communication, conflict management, and leadership from the State of Ohio Leadership Institute.

Mr. Floyd is an Operating Partner at Axum Capital Partners. Since joining Axum in 2023, James has worked directly with the leadership teams across the Axum portfolio to help drive strategic growth initiatives aligned with the firm’s objectives. James has 30 years of operating experience, and he leads Axum’s efforts to collaborate directly with Axum’s portfolio companies to accelerate targeted results.

Previously, he served as an Operating Partner for Cleveland Avenue, a privately held venture and investment firm based in Chicago. Mr. Floyd is the former Vice President of US Operations, Strategy, and Execution for McDonald’s Corporation; there he enjoyed a career of more than 20 years, where he gained executive management experience in strategy, operational excellence, real estate, technology, brand growth, and supply chain management. In this role, he was responsible for executing standards and systems across more than 14,000 restaurants in the US, with over $28 billion in sales. Mr. Floyd holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Illinois, and an Executive MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Brittany Pilz is an accomplished operations leader with extensive experience designing and scaling systems that fuel organizational growth. As Vice President of Administration for Free Fenix, FreeSpade, and FreeGame, she was instrumental in building the infrastructure behind each brand—introducing CRMs, developing project management frameworks, and streamlining communication tools to improve efficiency across teams. Her work has enabled these organizations to expand their reach while delivering meaningful value to their members and clients.

Before her current leadership roles, Brittany helped launch CoWork by Camden, a pioneering coworking concept where she exceeded financial and operational benchmarks and navigated the challenges of scaling during the pandemic. She also played a foundational role at The Mill Coworking Space, where she built systems that elevated member experience and supported long-term growth. Known for her ability to translate big-picture vision into actionable systems, Brittany brings a strategic yet hands-on approach to every venture. She is passionate about empowering teams, creating sustainable processes, and ensuring that operational excellence becomes a cornerstone of organizational success.