Our Home-Grown Alumni Team.

We bring decades of expertise in industry, entrepreneurship, and institutional/university venture capital investment.

Michael Connallon headshot
Managing Partner

Michael Connallon

Mike brings 24 years of global financial services experience to his role as Managing Partner of Garden State Venture Partners. For 14 years, he served as Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase in New York and Hong Kong, advising sophisticated institutional investors — including mutual funds, pension funds, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds — on capital deployment, risk management, and liquidity strategies.

Before JPMorgan, he held leadership positions at Goldman Sachs in New York and later co-headed the firm's Treasury and Financing business in London. He supported alternative asset managers through one of the most tumultuous periods in modern financial history, helping clients manage risk, optimize liquidity, and innovate their businesses. He began his career at Deutsche Bank, where he developed, implemented, and administered core operational and risk frameworks supporting institutional trading businesses.

Beyond his capital markets expertise, Mike has led strategic initiatives at J.P. Morgan aimed at talent and workforce development, community revitalization, and inclusive economic growth. He earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Rowan University, studied international finance at Coventry University in the UK, and completed entrepreneurship training at Cornell University.

A proud New Jersey native, Michael is deeply committed to advancing the region's innovation economy. As the former Vice-Chair and Treasurer of the Rowan University Foundation Board and Chair of the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund, he is dedicated to enhancing opportunities for innovators, entrepreneurs and investors.

  • Rowan University, B.S. Finance '00
Ernie Holtzheimer headshot
Managing Partner

Ernie Holtzheimer

Ernie is a distinguished corporate and securities attorney as well as a partner at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC, a leading AM Law 200 firm in Philadelphia. Since 2020, he has served as Managing Director of the Rowan Innovation Venture Fund, where he has guided early-stage investments and fostered growth for emerging companies. He was also a key contributor to the Fund's Screening and Advisory Committees from its inception in 2014.

As a trusted advisor with a strong background in venture capital, Ernie offers outside general counsel services to a range of growing businesses, venture capital firms, and angel investors. His expertise spans entity formation, capital raises, deal structures, corporate restructurings, and mergers & acquisitions, including transactions valued over $2.5 billion.

A proud Rowan University alumnus, where he earned an MBA and Bachelor's Degree, Ernie is invested in fostering local talent through his roles as an adjunct professor and member of the Rowan University Rohrer College of Business' Entrepreneurship Advisory Council. He is an active member of the venture capital and angel investing communities in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, working closely with local entrepreneurs to drive innovation and growth in shaping the entrepreneurial ecosystem in both states.

  • Rowan University, MBA Finance '13
  • Rowan University B.S. Management, Entrepreneurship '12
Shawn Hill headshot
Managing Partner

Shawn Hill

Shawn is a seasoned investor, operator, and advisor with over two decades of experience at the intersection of venture capital, innovation, and entrepreneurship. A proud Rowan University alumnus ('98), Shawn brings a deep understanding of the university's mission and a strong commitment to driving regional impact through entrepreneurship.

Prior to co-founding GSVP, Shawn served as a Partner at Moderne Ventures, a strategic venture capital and growth equity firm with more than $600M in assets under management. There, he helped invest in and manage a venture portfolio of over 100 companies, spanning from early-stage to IPO.

Shawn was also the Co-founder and Managing Partner of August Hill, a global advisory firm supporting venture funds and their high-growth startups with capital strategy, talent acquisition, strategic partnerships, and go-to-market execution.

Earlier in his career, Shawn built a strong operational foundation at high-growth firms including DocuSign and Constellation Software, where he led teams in business development and corporate strategy.

At GSVP, Shawn combines institutional experience, global perspective, and deep local roots to help transform Rowan into a national leader in research commercialization and economic development. His work is guided by a belief that regional innovation, when fueled by intentional capital and mission-aligned leadership, can create enduring value for communities, founders, and investors alike.

  • Rowan University, B.S. Management '98

Our Values

Honesty

Building trust is key to our success. We choose to be transparent and trustworthy in all business interactions and only seek partners who share this value.

Pride

As proud New Jerseyans, we are committed to positioning the state as a global technology hub — empowering local talent with the access and capital needed to scale groundbreaking technologies right at home.

Access

Historically, New Jersey has enjoyed less access to innovation capital than many other states. GSVP is committed to changing that by leveraging its global network to expand access across the ecosystem.

Collaboration

Success is a team effort. No matter where you're from — North, South, the Shore, or anywhere in between — you have a place in building New Jersey's future with us.

Community-driven

At our core, we're about more than profits. We want to drive enduring impact, empowering companies to shape a better future for our communities.

Growing the Garden State,
one breakthrough
at a time.

Driven by a passion to cultivate the future we envision.

Every investment we make is rooted in a belief that New Jersey’s innovators will shape the next generation of technology — and that our role is to give them the capital, guidance, and community to thrive.

Garden State Venture Partners managing partners

Want to work with our team?

Contact GSVP