Team
Alex Staniloff
Managing Partner
Alex Staniloff is the Managing Partner of Overproof Ventures and leads the firm’s investment strategy, deal sourcing, and portfolio development. He is a beverage investor and operator with deep experience building brands, structuring distribution strategy, and executing strategic partnerships across the industry.
Alex was an early investor in Olé Cocktails, supporting the brand from early validation through its acquisition by Mark Anthony Group, a transaction that generated approximately 15x return in 36 months. That investment followed the same pattern Overproof is designed to replicate: identifying a brand with strong product-market fit before it reaches institutional scale, and helping it get there.
Through his work as Managing Partner of Aguileros Beverage Group and as a Partner and Director at The Beverage Collective, Alex has built extensive relationships across distributors, operators, suppliers, and strategic acquirers across North America. He brings the sourcing advantage that comes from operating inside the beverage ecosystem rather than observing it from the outside.
Alex is based in Calgary, Alberta.
Ha Nguyen
General Partner
Ha Nguyen is a Founding Partner at Overproof Ventures and is responsible for investment underwriting, portfolio management, and fund operations. She brings over a decade of institutional investment experience across venture capital and private equity, having deployed and managed more than US$300 million in capital across funds and portfolio companies.
Ha is currently a Partner at McRock Capital, a $150 million venture fund focused on Industrial IoT and AI, where she has led sourcing, diligence, and execution across more than ten investments. She currently serves as a Board Observer at ThoughtTrace, Praemo, and Miovision, providing governance and strategic support across sectors from enterprise AI to smart mobility. Her earlier career spans investment analysis at IDG Ventures Vietnam, one of the country’s first technology venture funds, and MAJ Invest in Ho Chi Minh City.
Ha brings the financial discipline and governance rigor of institutional investing to a category that has historically lacked it. She co-founded the Alberta Female Founders, Funders, and Fortifiers network and serves as a Board Member of the Venture Capital Association of Alberta. She holds an MSc in Finance and Investment from Aston Business School and a BA in Economics from Foreign Trade University, Vietnam.
Ha is based in Calgary, Alberta.
Paul Geller
General Partner
Paul Geller is a General Partner at Overproof Ventures and brings over 20 years of experience building, scaling, and positioning consumer and beverage brands. He is the Founder and CEO of Holy Seed Beverage Group, the producer of BASBAS, the most awarded hierbas in the world with more than 30 international medals including 12 golds, and distribution across nine countries.
Paul has founded or co-founded multiple companies across consumer, technology, and entertainment, with two strategic exits: a digital performance firm acquired in 2009, and a nightlife and entertainment platform later acquired by Insomniac, a Live Nation subsidiary. His experience building category-creating brands in regulated markets from scratch is central to Overproof’s value creation model.
Earlier in his career, Paul served as Global CMO of Kabbalah Centre International, the digital lead on a notable U.S. presidential campaign. He has also worked extensively in government affairs and regulatory strategy, including as EVP of Government Affairs at Escape Media Group during the formative years of global music streaming, and at Engine Advocacy, where he worked alongside teams from Uber, Google, Airbnb, and Samsung on federal and state technology policy.
Paul is based in Vancouver, BC and New York, NY.
Strategic Advisors
Arnie Fridhandler
Private Equity Partner, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Transaction structuring, legal guidance, and strategic exits including acquisitions and capital events.
Eli Diamond
CEO, The Beverage Collective
Beverage distribution strategy, market expansion, and industry relationships across North America.
Alex Lacroix
CEO, Siempre Spirits
Brand building, consumer positioning, and scaling beverage brands in competitive consumer markets.
Abraham Cortes
CEO, Bad Supper
Brand building, marketing, and consumer engagement for emerging consumer brands.
Hector Banda
CEO, IGL Mexico
International distribution, logistics, and market expansion across Mexico and Latin America.
Backed by operators. Built for founders.
Learn more about how we invest, or submit your brand for consideration.