John Sarson, CEO and CIO of Sarson Funds, is an industry-leading expert on cryptocurrency and digital asset regulation. John leads the firm using 15 years of Wall Street experience to navigate the evolving digital asset industry.
After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, John began his career on Wall Street, scaling registered investment advisors, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and institutional investment products. His Wall Street career included successful tenures at firms such as Lord Abbett & Co., Bank of New York, and Guggenheim.
Following his Wall Street tenure, John relocated to the Midwest and founded a Registered Investment Advisory firm. It was through that firm’s quantitative investment focus that John first discovered Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, which ultimately led to the founding of Sarson Funds as a comprehensive digital asset manager offering investment solutions, advisory services, and Web3 product development.
In 2022, John co-authored “Deep Crypto”, a book exploring the origins and uses of digital currencies and blockchain technology, further cementing his role as a thought leader in the industry.
An established cryptocurrency investment management and regulatory leader, John is routinely sought out by Wall Street executives, premier cryptocurrency projects, and media outlets such as Fortune, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Jahon Jamali is a leading expert on emerging technologies, global risk management and international relations. After receiving his BA & MA from Johns Hopkins University, he began his career as a U.S. Intelligence Officer with the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency. He has served worldwide as a trained human intelligence officer and former interrogator and is a recipient of the DIA Award for Excellence.
Jahon relocated from his hometown in Boston, Massachusetts to Silicon Valley, into the land of entrepreneurs. He utilized his technological and intelligence background and his love of entrepreneurship to help develop educational communities around high technology solutions. With over 10 years of marketing leadership experience in venture funded start-ups such as Kapow and The Appraisal Lane, he then moved back to his hometown of Massachusetts and helped cofound Sarson Funds, serving as Chief Marketing Officer, and overseeing all marketing operations, including partnerships and cryptocurrency educational content.
As a renown digital assets and crypto educator and community influencer explaining the intersection of cryptocurrency blockchain technology and security, he is routinely sought by media and is featured on Cheddar News, Real America’s Voice News, Forbes, and NTD News.
Sheena brings nearly a decade of digital asset compliance and operational leadership to Sarson Funds. Before joining the firm, she served as a Token Listing Manager at LBank, where she supported global projects through exchange listings and collaborated with VC firms, auditors, tokenomics teams, and market makers to guide successful market entry.
A Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, Sheena has extensive experience in payments, regulatory oversight, and compliance operations, including work with one of the first crypto firms to secure a money transmitter license in Washington. Her background spans risk management, operational strategy, and core relationship management across the digital asset industry.
As Chief Operations Officer, Sheena focuses on strengthening internal operations, enhancing compliance systems, and supporting the continued growth of Sarson Funds’ investment platform.
Derek Haviland is an experienced marketing and communications leader, serving as Chief Marketing Officer at Sarson Funds. In this role, he oversees marketing strategy, public relations, digital advertising and brand communications, while also managing web development, server administration, and investor-facing initiatives.
Derek brings over 15 years of experience in marketing, communications, and digital strategy across industries, including financial services, political campaigns, music, and nonprofit sectors. He has developed and managed websites for national clients, produced integrated digital campaigns, and led outreach efforts to build brand awareness and drive engagement.
Before joining Sarson Funds, Derek worked with a range of organizations on marketing, design, and PR projects, drawing on a background that spans web development, content creation, and event production. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology from Champlain College, with a focus on organizational development and communications.
Zachary is a Senior Portfolio Manager at Sarson Funds, where he has managed crypto hedge funds and venture capital investments since early 2021. An experienced cryptocurrency trader since 2016, Zachary contributes to Blockchain Insiders and has published extensively on Forbes Digital Assets and Digital Wealth News.
With a background in Cyber Security and Data Analytics from Indiana University, he brings expertise in web3 and blockchain utility, decentralized networks like Helium, and decentralized AI systems. His proficiency in digital asset finance, smart contract risk assessment, and market analysis supports informed decision-making and strategic trading across all managed portfolios.
Brooks brings over 25 years of Wall Street experience across the spectrum of large and small investment management firms. He is known for introducing world class investment strategies to global investors and has been responsible for many successful strategy and firm launches.
Brooks currently is working closely with the investment and marketing team to help build strategic partnerships at Sarson Funds. Education is critical to understanding crypto which is at Sarson’s foundation. In 2025, every well-diversified portfolio should include crypto. Brooks looks forward to helping investors diversify their portfolios with a sensible digital asset allocation
In his most recent roles Brooks served on the IR team at PPR ($1 billion private credit manager) and Managing Director at $4 billion hedge fund manager Prelude Capital. Previous roles included: Head of North American Distribution at National Australia Bank-MLC; Senior Vice President at Cohen & Steers, Vice President at AIG Global Investment Group. Brooks began his career at Fidelity Investments. Brooks has an MBA from Boston University and a BA from Lake Forest College.
Reed Baum is a seasoned researcher and strategist with extensive expertise in digital assets, blockchain technology, and innovative financial systems. Early in his career, Reed was an early employee at AdColony, where he contributed to the company’s rapid growth and success. His efforts played a role in AdColony’s eventual acquisition by Opera Software for $350 million, marking one of the largest tech acquisitions of 2014, second only to Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp.
Building on this foundation in fast-scaling startups, Reed transitioned into the blockchain ecosystem, becoming an early contributor to Yearn Finance, one of the pioneering projects in decentralized finance (DeFi). At Yearn, he gained invaluable experience analyzing market dynamics and exploring the emerging infrastructure of decentralized systems.
As a Director of Research, Reed specializes in delivering actionable market insights, analyzing complex macroeconomic trends, and exploring the intersection of traditional finance and decentralized technologies. His work bridges legacy financial systems and Web3, offering forward-thinking solutions that drive adoption and innovation in the digital asset space.
Reed holds a Dual Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises from Syracuse University, where he honed his skills in identifying market opportunities, assessing risk-reward dynamics, and building scalable business strategies.
With a unique blend of startup experience, technical expertise, and a passion for innovation, Reed remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of blockchain technology and supporting initiatives that redefine how value is created, transferred, and monetized in a digital-first world.
Evan is an expert focused on the fields of NFTs, small cap coins, and blockchain gaming. As co-portfolio manager of the Small Coin Strategy Portfolio, and the Crypto and Income Strategy, he identifies and capitalizes on lesser-known cryptocurrencies with strong growth potential and he aims to enhance returns through innovative income-generating crypto investments as they emerge.
In his work, Evan pays special attention to Solana-based applications and airdrop opportunities, leveraging emerging blockchain solutions to bolster portfolio performance.