Team
Building a legacy
from the ground up.
Pardon is composed of spirited entrepreneurs and cutting-edge creatives who bring their unique experiences, perspectives, and strengths to our work. The range of ventures in our portfolio reflects the varied interests and capabilities of Pardon’s diverse team, which includes former founders, artists, media professionals, strategists, and industry experts.
Nicholas Pardon
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Founder & CEO
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Nicholas Pardon
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Founder & CEO
As Pardon’s Founder and CEO, Nicholas brings his experience as an entrepreneur, curator, and investor to lead Pardon and its portfolio of companies. An avid art collector and supporter of cultural institutions, Nicholas’ passion for creation and connection lies at the heart of all of Pardon’s ventures. At the young age of 14, he launched his first profitable business, an online community for teens built in the early days of the dot-com boom. Since then, he has founded dozens of successful ventures. While he resides in Los Angeles, he can often be found in Palm Springs, Denver, and New York City.
Nathaniel Koloc
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Managing Director
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Nat Koloc
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Managing Director
An entrepreneur, strategist, and adventurer at heart, Nathaniel serves as Pardon’s Managing Director. Having built two recruiting companies and run people operations in multiple contexts — including for a presidential campaign — Nathaniel joined Pardon to establish the family office. He brings a rich background in executive search, organizational design, and management consulting. His focus on clarity and integrity underpins the choreography required to manage the Venture Studio’s diverse portfolio of brands and businesses. Originally from Pittsburgh, he now lives in the Hudson Valley.
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Nathaniel Koloc
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Managing Director
As Pardon’s Managing Director, Nathaniel brings with him a rich background in executive search, organizational design, and management consulting. Having built two recruiting companies and run people operations in multiple contexts — including for a presidential campaign — Nathaniel joined Pardon to establish the family office. His focus on clarity and integrity underpins the choreography required to manage Pardon’s diverse portfolio of brands and businesses. Originally from Pittsburgh, he now lives in the Hudson Valley.
Liz Barhydt
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Head of Finance
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Liz Barhydt
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Head of Finance
As Pardon’s Head of Finance, Liz brings multifaceted professional experience and an entrepreneurial spirit, all of which make her uniquely suited to help steer Pardon’s collection of portfolio companies through their stages of growth. Over the course of her career, she has worked in public accounting at EY, led teams at high-growth startups, and even built her own cookie company. As a passionate storyteller, Liz merges metrics with engaging narratives to help teams understand their financials and drive better business performance. She holds a master’s degree in Accounting and a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Wake Forest University, as well as her CPA and CMA. She resides in Denver.
Gloria Okino
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Sr. Director
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Gloria Okino
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Sr. Director
As Pardon’s Senior Director of Development, Gloria cultivates strategic relationships and opportunities for Pardon. She has maintained investor relations for luxury real estate funds, handled mergers and acquisitions, produced once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences, and helped organizations expand into new markets. Gloria’s passion for exploration and discovery keeps her on the move, and her ability to identify quality partnerships enriches Pardon’s global presence.
Charlo Walterbach
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Principal Designer
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Charlo Walterbach
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Principal Designer
As Pardon’s Principal Designer, Charlo brings his experience as an artist, visual designer, and muralist to the team. Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, he immigrated to the United States in 2013 to work as an editorial designer of an art collection. As an artist, his unique artistic style combines symbols, letters, and abstract linear movement to create one-dimensional worlds full of hidden themes and messages. Charlo resides in Denver.
Lewis Caldwell
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Executive Assistant
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Lewis Caldwell
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Executive Assistant
As Executive Assistant to Nicholas Pardon, Lewis provides critical support across the team. He also produces Collé, a publication exploring the world of contemporary collage. A multi-hyphenate creative, Lewis has worked previously as a project manager, photographer, and stylist and has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. He is based in Los Angeles, California. 
Amber Cobb
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Associate Director
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Amber Cobb
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Associate Director
As Pardon’s Associate Director of Arts, Amber leverages her experience as an artist, educator, and curator in Pardon’s work designing exhibitions, doing artist projects, and building the collection. Through her studio practice, Amber explores the body’s physical and psychological responses to life’s complex interactions and intimate experiences. Her works have exhibited nationally and internationally at Untitled Art Fair, Galeria Hilario Galgura in Mexico City, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver and featured in publications including Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Frieze, and Sculpture Magazine. She is based in Denver.
Justin Sanders
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Associate Director
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Justin Sanders
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Associate Director
As Pardon’s Associate Director of Development, Justin brings a deep passion for operations and project management to his work. Currently, Justin is utilizing these skills to promote the career of a talented artist on staff. His meticulous approach and attention to detail make him a trusted partner in the artist's journey to success. Prior to joining Pardon, he worked in the commercial real estate industry for 6+ years. As a former real estate executive, he excels in coordinating and executing complex tasks with efficiency and precision. An Orange County native, he holds a Bachelor of Science in English from the University of California, Irvine, and currently resides in Irvine.
Mario Zoots
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Curatorial Manager
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Mario Zoots
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Curatorial Manager
As Pardon’s Curatorial Manager, Mario is deeply involved in all activities related to collage, including Collé and growing the Collage Collection. As a lens-based artist, he employs modes of appropriation and collage, altering mass-produced images, found photographs, and pop culture icons to reimagine and question the belief systems that shape our world. He received his MFA from the University of Denver in 2014 and lives and works in Denver, Colorado.
Madelaine Jo
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Art Collection Manager
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Madelaine Jo
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Art Collection Manager
As Pardon’s Art Collection Manager, Madelaine leverages her multifaceted background to oversee the acquisition, preservation, and exhibition of the artworks within the Pardon Collection. As a sculptor and maker, her own practice is rooted in the inquiry of tactility, absurdity, and materiality. She holds a BFA from the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design and resides in Denver. 
Digital Abundance Engine by Max-o-matic
Joseph Weissgold
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Sr. Creative Director
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Joseph Weissgold
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Sr. Creative Director
As Pardon’s Senior Creative Director, Joseph helps to bring clarity to Pardon’s vision, story and operating structures. Joseph is a designer, storyteller, educator, and coach, and is technically proficient in design, holding a Masters in Design from the School of Visual Arts. He founded two social enterprises, was a founding member of a social impact startup studio, and has consulted for dozens of companies across a wide range of industries. After 10+ years in New York, he returned to his hometown of Toronto, where he currently lives with his wife, one-year-old son, and two dogs.
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Caroline Crawford
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Associate Director
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Caroline Crawford
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Associate Director
As Pardon’s Associate Director of People, Caroline brings a unique blend of educational insight and strategic thinking to the team. With a background in education and people development, Caroline exemplifies a passion for cultivating talent and fostering a harmonious workplace. Prior to Pardon, she worked at Avenues: the World School, a startup education organization in New York City. She graduated from Miami University and earned her Master’s degree in Human Development. Caroline is based in Denver.
Digital Abundance Engine by Max-o-matic
Tatiana Ayazo
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Designer
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Tatiana Ayazo
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Designer
As Pardon’s Creative Designer, Tatiana brings boundless passion for exploring the limitless horizons of creative expression to her work and the team. With an insatiable curiosity, she fearlessly dives into rabbit holes and unveils endless extraordinary design possibilities. With experience at Google, Reader's Digest, Reddit, Allstate, and various startups, her expertise spans diverse landscapes. Originally hailing from Colombia, Tatiana has lived in Brooklyn, New York for the past seven years and harnesses the city's artistic energy to infuse her work with a touch of cultural diversity, imagination, and enchantment. 
Digital Abundance Engine by Max-o-matic
Tyler Cash
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Creative Assistant
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Tyler Cash
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Creative Assistant
As Pardon’s Creative Assistant, Tyler brings his expertise in art, entrepreneurship, design, and hospitality to a wide range of projects. He has a broad background as a multidisciplinary designer, collaborating with numerous small businesses and agencies within the creative industry. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from Biola University and is based in Orange County, California. 
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Katie Stjernholm
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Producer
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Katie Stjernholm
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Producer
As Pardon’s Creative Producer, Katie transforms ideas into tangible impact and leverages authentic storytelling to bolster brand growth. She specializes in crafting and amplifying narratives that inspire change. Katie has had the privilege of working with clients such as The Smithsonian, Samsung, the Hillary for America presidential campaign, Upworthy, Lonely Planet, the Discovery Channel and National Geographic. She holds a B.A. from Pepperdine University and a M.A. from the University of Melbourne in Australia  – and resides in the mountains outside of Boulder, Colorado. 

We’re always looking to expand our team of collaborators.

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