2026 Dealmakers of the Year Honorees

Chris Cochran             
Co-Founder & CEO   
FreightWise    

A two-time technology founder, Chris has led FreightWise through sustained, profitable growth while executing complex private equity investments, recapitalizations, and M&A transactions. His first company was successfully exited to a strategic acquirer in the logistics technology space, setting the foundation for a career focused on long-term value creation through disciplined growth and thoughtful dealmaking.

Under Chris’s leadership, FreightWise has been recognized as a six-time Inc. 5000 honoree, peaking at #2 overall, named the #2 fastest-growing company in the Americas by the Financial Times, and honored multiple times by the Nashville Business Journal for growth and leadership, and was named a Power 100 Executive.

Most recently, FreightWise completed the acquisition of Kuebix, a transportation management system (TMS) platform carved out from Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB), which originally acquired Kuebix for $220 million. This transaction, alongside FreightWise’s strategic private equity partnerships and recapitalizations with Unigestion, and The Riverside Companies reflects Chris’s ability to navigate complex sponsor-backed transactions while maintaining operational momentum.

The Kuebix acquisition positions FreightWise as the only provider in the SMB market to own and operate two of the most widely adopted TMS platforms managing over $1b in spend, enabling the company to deliver both industry-leading technology and high-value managed transportation services. FreightWise remains committed to continued investment in the Kuebix platform, providing stability for customers while expanding its ability to deliver customized, end-to-end supply chain solutions. 

Chris’s dealmaking philosophy emphasizes strategic fit, customer continuity, and durable platform building—principles that have guided FreightWise through multiple private equity partnerships, recapitalizations, and transformative acquisitions.

Chris serves on multiple company and non-profit boards. He is a graduate of Tn Tech University (BS Acct) and Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Business (MBA). He lives in Brentwood, TN and WaterSound Beach, FL with his wife and three children.

Landon Gibbs              
Managing Partner       
Altitude Ventures        

Landon Gibbs of Altitude Ventures secured The Boring Company's tunnel project to Nashville. Landon pitched the idea to The Boring Company and has served as the facilitator and participant on the deal. The State of Tennessee and The Boring Company announced their intent to partner on a transformative new private transportation project that will bring The Boring Company’s innovative Loop system to Nashville, marking a bold step forward in advancing mobility, economic growth, and infrastructure modernization across the region. Loop is an all-electric, zero-emissions, high-speed underground transit system owned and operated by the Boring Company in which passengers are transported directly to their destination. The project is privately funded (zero Taxpayer Dollars).

Ryan Grant     
Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer       
Vori Health      

Vori Health, the nation’s pioneering physician-led musculoskeletal care platform, continues to make waves with the announcement of a $53 million oversubscribed Series B funding round led by NEA, with continued support from AlleyCorp, Intermountain Ventures, Echo Health Ventures, and Max Ventures. In just 18 months, the company has achieved remarkable clinical outcomes, significant cost savings, and an 800% revenue increase. Founded to address a fragmented U.S. musculoskeletal care system, Vori Health’s comprehensive model has delivered measurable impact, including clinically significant pain improvement for 91.6% of patients, a 78–90% reduction in elective surgeries, a 42% decrease in opioid use, and up to a 68% reduction in depression and anxiety.

Evan Holladay            
Founder and CEO      
Holladay Ventures     

Evan Holladay is the founder and CEO of Holladay Ventures,  a Nashville-based workforce, mixed-income, and affordable housing development company. His company recently announced the construction start of The Opaline at Artist Hill a 251-unit mixed-use, multifamily apartment community that serves the artists who make Nashville special. Developed in partnership with The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, The Opaline aims to be a model community for housing that address multiple needs by delivering affordable housing, space for artists to work on their craft, a 4,000 square foot childcare facility, and a new WeGo Transit Center all on one campus.

Jared Reynolds           
Founder & CEO            
Zenagen           

Zenagen, founded in 2008 by Jared Reynolds, is a manufacturer and distributor of plant-based hair loss and repair products. The company was acquired by Auréa Group through a $30M growth equity investment on December 31, 2024. Prior to its acquisition, Zenagen raised venture funding on December 30, 2024. The company employs 30 people and offers science-backed formulas with natural ingredients suitable for all hair types. In May of 2025, its flagship, Revolve Shampoo for Women, was named the No. 1 best-selling shampoo for women's hair loss by Kline & Company, a leading global research firm in the beauty and personal care sector.

Ryan Soskin  
Co-Founder, CEO      
GoodShip

GoodShip, the all-in-one platform for freight orchestration and procurement, completed a $25 million Series B financing round in June of 2025. The round was led by Greenfield Partners with continued participation from all major previous investors, including Bessemer Venture Partners, Ironspring Ventures, Chicago Ventures, and FUSE VC. This marked the fourth institutional round for GoodShip and brought total capital raised to more than $40 million since the company was founded in 2022. GoodShip now serves dozens of the largest enterprise customers across North America, including WK Kellogg, Tropicana, Koch Industries, and many others. The new capital will accelerate GoodShip’s mission to power a world of self-optimizing freight networks.

Social Impact Investing

Maura Cunningham 
Founder            
Rock the Street Wall Street

Rock The Street, Wall Street brings the "M" in STEM to life by equipping high school and university students with financial and investment fundamentals. Through programs led by industry professionals, the organization provides students and alumni with the knowledge, networks, and mentorship needed to launch careers in finance and investment. By connecting classroom learning to real-world opportunity, Rock The Street, Wall Street expands access to the capital markets and opens doors for the next generation of finance professionals.