Team

Marnie Sudnow has served as the Senior Vice President of Client Success at Stylitics, where she oversees the company’s delivery of world-class merchandising technology providing personalized data-driven omnichannel solutions for leading retailers. Prior to Stylitics, she held several leadership positions at Mediaocean and worked in Private Banking for JP Morgan managing client relationships. Ms. Sudnow holds a BS in Finance and Marketing from the University of Delaware. She is passionate about Women in Tech and is involved with organizations such as: The Female Quotient, and Chief. She is the founder of the HMC club, which has participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for The Cure for many years

At the age of 27, Len embarked on his entrepreneurial journey by establishing Fifth Street Capital from a humble two-room office in White Plains, NY. Under his leadership, Fifth Street Capital evolved into a nationwide alternative credit asset manager with offices across Palo Alto, Chicago, and Greenwich. Managing $5 billion in assets across multiple private investment vehicles and publicly traded companies, Fifth Street played a pivotal role in providing flexible capital solutions to emerging middle-market businesses. Following the sale to Oaktree Capital Management in 2017, Len founded his family office, overseeing capital allocation across diverse strategies.

Amidst the pandemic, Len founded AFC Gamma, Inc. (NASDAQ: AFCG), a publicly traded REIT specializing in institutional lending secured by commercial real estate. AFC Gamma also focuses on providing financing to state-licensed cannabis operators.

Raised on Long Island by a Cuban exile mother and a father who served as the managing partner of a law firm, Len’s upbringing instilled in him a strong drive for success. A graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, he holds a B.S. in Economics and an MBA in Finance as part of the sub-matriculation program. Additionally, he is a Chartered Financial Analyst. In 2013, Len was honored with the M&A Advisor Lifetime Achievement and Leadership Award and inducted into the M&A Advisor Hall of Fame.

As a proud Cuban American, Len actively contributes to various initiatives, including serving as a member of the US Senate Republican Task Force on Hispanic Affairs Under Senator Orrin Hatch, and participating in the pro-business Cuban Chamber of Commerce.

Len is affiliated with esteemed organizations such as The Wharton Graduate Executive Board, Young Presidents Organization, Family Office Principals Group, and Menorah Partners. A dedicated philanthropist, he is particularly passionate about wildlife preservation, children’s welfare, and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.

His philanthropic efforts extend to supporting organizations such as The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Yo Soy Ella, P.A. CASA (Pennsylvania Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children), Corners Outreach, Chess in the Schools, and The Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society.

Mr. Frank has more than 30 years’ experience in financial and operational infrastructure. He was previously at Fifth Street Asset Management, where he joined in 2011 and during his tenure through 2017, he held various positions and was responsible for the operations of the Company during his tenure from 2011 to 2017. He was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Fifth Street Asset Management from the time of its IPO in 2014 to its sale to Oaktree in 2017. He served formerly as CFO of Fifth Street Asset Management, Managing Director and CFO at Chilton Investment Company and Global Head of Institutional Operations and in other capacities for 22 years at Morgan Stanley. From September 2008 to March 2011, he served as a managing director and Chief Financial officer of Chilton Investment Company LLC, a global investment management firm. Prior to that, Mr. Frank spent over 22 years at Morgan Stanley, having served as global head of institutional operations, global corporate controller and chief financial officer of U.S. broker/dealer operations and global treasurer. In his roles, he oversaw various securities infrastructure services, creating efficiencies throughout the organization, and managed all aspects of the internal and external financial control and reporting functions. Mr. Frank began his career in audit and tax accounting at Arthur Andersen LLP before joining Morgan Stanley in 1985. He received an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from Dartmouth College.

Mr. Levy has served as our independent director since December 2020. Currently, Mr. Levy works as a Managing Member at LBX Acquisitions, a position he has held since January 2018. Prior to launching LBX Investments, Mr. Levy co-founded Big V Capital (“BVC”) in March of 2016, where he oversaw and underwrote the partnership’s 11 Southeastern U.S. shopping center acquisitions and managed all capital raising (both debt and equity) and asset management efforts. Prior to BVC, Mr. Levy was the Chief Operating Officer of the Real Estate Group at Benefit Street Partners, a multi-strategy credit manager with over $11.0 billion in assets under management from May 2015 to June 2016. Prior to Benefit Street, Mr. Levy held various leadership positions at Centerline Capital Group, including Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Office, Chief Financial Officer, and Member of the Board of Trustees. Centerline was a multifamily finance and investment management company with over $13 billion in debt and equity under management. Mr. Levy received his M.B.A. from the Leonard M. Stern School of Business at New York University and his B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University. Mr. Levy brings to our Board a critical management experience in capital raising within the finance industry.

Harrison is an independent director of AFC, and the lead director. Mr. Harrison is currently a Senior Operating Partner at Merida Capital Partners, a private equity firm investing across the cannabis ecosystem. In addition, Mr. Harrison brings 30 years of experience in marketing, communications and brand positioning. He formerly founded Harrison & Star, a healthcare marketing agency that was sold to Omnicom. He is Chairman Emeritus of Diversified Agency Services (DAS), a division of Omnicom and the world’s largest group of marketing services companies. He is currently a board member for MainStem, the leading purchasing platform in the state-regulated cannabis industry. Mr. Harrison is on the Board and acts as lead director for Fifth Street Street Asset Management. In addition, he was previously the Chairman of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee for Zynerba Pharma, a leader in pharmaceutically-produced cannabinoid therapies.

Mr. Valencia brings 8 years of experience spanning M&A, capital markets, finance and strategy. John most recently served as the head of commercial strategy at Ascend Wellness Holdings, where he led strategic planning, commercialization, and commercial partnerships for AWH’s wholesale business. Previously, he worked in corporate development at AWH where he focused on M&A and capital markets. Prior to AWH, Mr. Valencia worked in the CPG industry at Sovos Brands. John began his career at Green Circle Capital as an analyst.
Mr. Valencia received his B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina.

 Mr. Suozzi has over 8 years’ experience focusing on middle market and leverage loan transactions, including originations, structuring, underwriting, and performing due diligence. Mr. Suozzi most recently served as an underwriter at XS Financial, a specialty finance company serving the cannabis industry, where he sourced, structured, and closed equipment finance transactions. Mr. Suozzi began his career at Capital One as a credit analyst in the New York City middle market commercial and industrial group, and covered Technology, Media, and Telecom leveraged finance as an underwriter and portfolio manager. Mr. Suozzi graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics from University of Virginia.

William has 6 years of experience in financial reporting, corporate finance, and middle office operations. Mr. Cannon most recently served as an Analyst in Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division, where he managed the financial reporting and investor relations functions for a series of Mezzanine Funds. He formerly worked as an Associate at Morgan Stanley supporting their Private Credit and Equity Division. William graduated with a B.S. in Finance from Fordham University.

 Ms. Ping has 11 years of international experience capital raising and developing strategy for effective investor communication. She began her career at UBS Investment Bank in London and Hong Kong on the Capital Introduction team. Prior to joining AFCG, Ms. Ping held senior investor relations positions in the utilities and renewable energy sector at Drax Group and Algonquin Power.

Ms. Ping earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Cornell University. She holds both the Certified Management Accountant and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations.

Ms. Hooker has 8 years of experience in structured investing, data governance, investment reporting, and middle office operations. She previously served as a Senior Associate at Eldridge Industries and as a Manager in the middle office At Security Benefit Life Insurance Company. Carly graduated with a B.S. in Biology and Natural Sciences from Washburn University.

Mr. Velgot has over 30 years experience with strategic brand development, content marketing and creative services. In 2018, Mr. Velgot created the VELGOT group specializing in helping companies develop and grow both their brand and revenue. Mr. Velgot formerly worked as the Chief Marketing Officer for Fifth Street Asset Management, rebranding the firm in the private equity space, while also creating a content marketing and creative services platform. Prior to joining Fifth Street, Mr. Velgot spent over 20 years at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. and Alliance Bernstein, where he rebranded the company in 26 countries around the world and created one of the most respected internal communication agencies on Wall Street, ranging the full spectrum from strategy and concept to delivery of all integrated communications print, presentations, digital assets both internal and external websites and social media, event branding, interactive video and full motion graphics. Before joining Sanford Bernstein, Mr. Velgot worked with Kidder Peabody and Coopers & Lybrand. He is a graduate of Pratt Institute with a BFA in Communications Design.

Mr. Hetzel joined the Company’s external manager in September of 2020 as Controller and has been its Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since March 2023. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Hetzel served as VP of Finance for a real estate development and asset management company and spent seven years with PricewaterhouseCoopers where he was a manager in the REIT audit practice. Mr. Hetzel has over fourteen years of real estate and financial management experience focused on real estate and REITs, including multi-family properties, hotels, office buildings, malls, strip centers and condominium development. Mr. Hetzel received a Master of Business Administration, Accounting BSBA and Finance BSBA from the University of Central Florida and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.

Mr. Neville served as AWH’s Chief Financial Officer from August 2020 through November 2023 and previously served as the SVP Finance. In these roles, he was responsible for the Company’s accounting, finance, M&A, IT and procurement functions. Prior to AWH, Mr. Neville worked at SLS Capital, a special situations hedge fund based in New York. He served as a Managing Director from January 2015 to March 2019 and as an Analyst from April 2010 to January 2015. Previously, he worked as an investment banker at Credit Suisse in the Technology Group, where he worked on mergers & acquisitions and IPO transactions. Mr. Neville earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from Duke University.

 Robyn Tannenbaum began her career in the investment banking healthcare division at CIT Group in honor of her late father, a cardiologist, and her mother, a nurse, with the goal of helping others live longer, healthier lives. She held many positions at CIT Group, primarily focusing on mergers & acquisitions and leveraged finance transactions for middle market healthcare companies. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Lehigh University with a B.S. in Finance, concentration in Marketing and Public Relations. Mrs. Tannenbaum successfully managed three publicly traded entities while serving Fifth Street Asset Management as the Executive Director and Head of Investor Relations. Robyn was featured in NASDAQ’s Intro to an IRO (Investor Relations Officer) series. She was named IR Executive of the Year, IR Champion of the Year and Emerging Leader for Marketing, Communication and Business Development by the PR awards.

During the pandemic she partnered with Len Tannenbaum to create the REIT, AFC Gamma, Inc. (NASDAQ: AFCG) a publicly traded, institutional lender that originates, structures, and underwrites loans secured by commercial real estate. In addition, it also specializes in loans to state-licensed cannabis operators. Robyn’s originations expertise brought in over 700 million in deals to AFC Gamma.

She spearheaded the launch of the AFC Foundation, a non-profit that supports local charities recommended to the Foundation in the borrower’s home state. Robyn believes that cannabis is a regional business where operators become rooted in their local communities. Under Robyn’s leadership, AFC Foundation collected over $100,000 from their borrowers and matched donations.

To date the AFC Foundation has donated to the following charities: Pennsylvania Court Appointed Special Advocates Association (“PA CASA”), Yo Soy Ella, The Weldon Project, Corners Outreach and Chess in the Schools. Robyn is passionate about conservation and is event chair for the Palm Beach Zoo. She is an advocate for women in business and donates to Lehigh University College of Business.  Mrs. Tannenbaum is happily married and the proud mother to her daughters Gemma & Ember.

Leonard M. Tannenbaum, CFA, is the Founder and Executive Chairman of TCG/Tannenbaum Capital Group, an alternative investment firm specializing in private credit, real estate, and strategic general partnerships. With a central focus on credit for over three decades, Len has accumulated vast experience, having underwritten billions in loans, and led numerous companies to public offerings. His expertise extends to permanent capital vehicles and various special purpose vehicles (SPVs) such as BDCs, Hedge Funds, and CLOs.

At the age of 27, Len embarked on his entrepreneurial journey by establishing Fifth Street Capital from a humble two-room office in White Plains, NY. Under his leadership, Fifth Street Capital evolved into a nationwide alternative credit asset manager with offices across Palo Alto, Chicago, and Greenwich. Managing $5 billion in assets across multiple private investment vehicles and publicly traded companies, Fifth Street played a pivotal role in providing flexible capital solutions to emerging middle-market businesses. Following the sale to Oaktree Capital Management in 2017, Len founded his family office, overseeing capital allocation across diverse strategies.

Amidst the pandemic, Len founded AFC Gamma, Inc. (NASDAQ: AFCG), a publicly traded REIT specializing in institutional lending secured by commercial real estate. AFC Gamma also focuses on providing financing to state-licensed cannabis operators.

Raised on Long Island by a Cuban exile mother and a father who served as the managing partner of a law firm, Len’s upbringing instilled in him a strong drive for success. A graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, he holds a B.S. in Economics and an MBA in Finance as part of the sub-matriculation program. Additionally, he is a Chartered Financial Analyst. In 2013, Len was honored with the M&A Advisor Lifetime Achievement and Leadership Award and inducted into the M&A Advisor Hall of Fame.

As a proud Cuban American, Len actively contributes to various initiatives, including serving as a member of the US Senate Republican Task Force on Hispanic Affairs Under Senator Orrin Hatch, and participating in the pro-business Cuban Chamber of Commerce.

Len is affiliated with esteemed organizations such as The Wharton Graduate Executive Board, Young Presidents Organization, Family Office Principals Group, and Menorah Partners. A dedicated philanthropist, he is particularly passionate about wildlife preservation, children’s welfare, and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.

His philanthropic efforts extend to supporting organizations such as The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Yo Soy Ella, P.A. CASA (Pennsylvania Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children), Corners Outreach, Chess in the Schools, and The Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society.