He has a Ph.D. in business administration from Kenan-Flagler Business School, a master’s degree in economic development from the University of Virginia, a master’s degree in public administration from Syracuse University and a dual bachelor’s degree from the College of William & Mary.

His research focuses on the role and structure of entrepreneurial networks and the interrelationships with investor syndicates. He has posited a “dealmakers’ algorithm” to identify the most important actors in entrepreneurial ecosystems. He is an adviser to the Blackstone Charitable Foundation and works with them to scale the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network, an entrepreneurship networking project based on his research.