Team Member Category: Executive

Katie Katz

Partner & Chief People Officer

Katie Katz

Chief People Officer

Katie is responsible for the Aduro employee experience, including recruiting and people operations. Katie designs programs that help our team thrive and it’s her mission to support Aduro as it grows. Katie has expanded the Aduro team sevenfold, scaling Aduro from 40 to 275 team members.

“People are at the core of what we do at Aduro and I’m proud of the company and culture we have created here. Not only are we adding members to the team, but we are consistently investing in the current team’s growth and development.”

– Katie Katz, Chief People Officer

Prior to joining Aduro Advisors

Prior to Aduro, Katie has dedicated her career to supporting small to medium-sized start-ups in high growth mode. She spent five years in People Operations at CreativeLive, a VC-backed online creative education company. While there, the company doubled in size and she was responsible for supporting both the people and business operations functions. Her earlier roles include office management at a non-profit, Samasource, and opening and operating group fitness training studios.

Katie has completed coursework in Psychology and Business Administration at San Francisco State University. Outside the office, you can find Katie in constant motion with her husband, two kids and two dogs. Beyond family time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, reading, gardening, and exercise.

Jess Brooking

Partner & Chief Operating Officer

Jess Brooking

Partner & Chief Operating Officer

Jess is responsible for the Aduro client experience and ensuring high-touch, thoughtful service as Aduro grows. With over 15 years of industry experience, Jess balances a technical approach with practical solutions to ensure Aduro clients achieve great outcomes. Since becoming COO in 2017, Jess has led the expansion of the client service team to its current scale.

“As we’ve grown, Aduro continues to put people and relationships first. We understand the needs of our clients and team and endeavor to take a human approach to providing solutions.”

– Jess Brooking, Partner & Chief Operating Officer

Prior to joining Aduro Advisors

Jess began her career as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers San Jose where she focused on top-tier, domestic and international venture capital funds. She transitioned into the industry as a Senior Accountant and Accounting Manager at Legacy Venture, a philanthropic fund-of-funds where she gained the unique perspective of a Limited Partner. 

Jess earned a B.A. in Economics with a focus in Accounting from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) in California. In her spare time she enjoys cooking and spending time with her husband and two dogs.

Braughm Ricke

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Braughm Ricke

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Braughm founded Aduro in 2012 and is responsible for providing strategic, financial and operational guidance to the company. Under his leadership, Aduro has become the premier fund administrator for venture capital firms in North America.

“In founding Aduro, I wanted to create a firm dedicated to supporting the emerging managers within the investment community. I wanted to support them in a new way—not just a traditional fund administrator, but becoming much more of a partner.”

– Braughm Ricke, Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Prior to founding Aduro Advisors

Prior to founding Aduro Advisors, Braughm was a founding member and CFO of True Ventures. He was the Controller at 5AM Ventures, and served as an Interim Chief Financial Officer to several True Ventures portfolio companies including about.me and GigaOM. He began his career in venture capital in 1999 and was the Controller at Sofinnova Ventures. Before working in the venture industry, he was an Accounting Analyst at Fidelity Investments.

Braughm earned a B.S. degree in Accounting from Plymouth State University. Outside the office, Braughm enjoys spending time with his family and taking advantage of the Colorado landscape by mountain biking and skiing.

Yana Agababian

Chief Financial Officer

Yana Agababian

Chief Financial Officer

As CFO, Yana oversees Aduro’s financial operations, strategy, and reporting, partnering with the executive team and Board to support the company’s long-term growth. She brings extensive experience leading finance organizations in high-growth companies, focusing on driving operational efficiency, enabling strategic decision-making, and supporting M&A initiatives.

“Finance isn’t just about managing dollars, it’s about empowering people. My goal is to align Aduro’s financial strategy with our human-first values, ensuring we deliver sustainable results for our clients and our team.”

– Yana Agababian, CFO

Prior to joining Aduro Advisors

Prior to Aduro, Yana served as SVP of Finance and Interim CFO at Nitro Software, where she scaled global finance operations and managed Board and investor reporting. She has held leadership roles across corporate finance, FP&A, and accounting, building a track record of guiding companies through growth and transformation.

Yana is a Certified Public Accountant in California and holds a B.A. in Business Management Economics with an emphasis in Finance and Accounting from University of California, Santa Cruz.

Outside of work, Yana balances a dynamic career with a full family life alongside her husband and their four children. She is a dedicated parent and youth soccer enthusiast, and in her spare time enjoys family time and exploring the outdoors.