We've built companies. We've backed them.
Now we partner to scale and operate through inflection points.
About
Vinegar Hill is a collective of operators and investors who work with founders and leadership teams across stages and sectors, on the highest-stakes work of scaling a company across growth, product, finance, and capital.
One of us leads each engagement, drawing on the collective when the work calls for it.
Why Us
Product, go-to-market, capital, and team start shaping one another early in a company's growth, and the intersection of those decisions is what determines the path forward. We work where they meet, and we go deep, whether that means embedding in the team, advising leadership, or somewhere in between. The three of us have come to this work from different angles:
Finance & Operations
Anika Patel
Fordham MBA. Ex-Deloitte Consulting. Former Venture Studio Head of Finance, and VP of Finance and Operations at a Ford Foundation backed impact startup. For 15+ years, Anika has built the finance, operating, and people infrastructure that lets venture-backed companies scale, leading fundraising and running strategic finance that turns founder instinct into decisions that hold up. Known for operating under investor scrutiny, board pressure, and the messiness of early-stage growth.
Product & Build
Ben Burley
MIT System Design & Management. Former venture-backed founder, COO, and Venture Studio Director. For 20+ years, Ben has built and shipped products from concept to commercial launch across health tech, aerospace, and renewables - leading product strategy, building technical teams, and translating complex engineering work into clear commercial decisions, from the earliest prototypes through scaling. Known for building products that hold up under engineering pressure, regulatory scrutiny, and commercial reality.
Growth & Capital
Ashwin Advani
NYU Stern MBA. Former Venture Studio Director and healthcare investment banker at Guggenheim. 15+ years operating across capital markets, growth strategy, and complex systems. Ex-Clinton Fellow with experience across public health, emerging markets, and social impact, and additional background in seed-stage e-commerce and consulting.
What We Do
The work starts with a shared look at the business: what's working, what's straining, what's at stake, and then building it into a high-performing system that unlocks and grows revenue.
Decision infrastructure. We design the internal processes that translate external inflection points (market shifts, new funding, competitive pressure) into clear internal priorities and better decision-making for leaders.
Scaling the functions that drive growth. We put structure, cadence, and capability in place across product, finance, and operations, so the business can grow without breaking.
Board and investor alignment. We bring inside knowledge of what boards and investors need, and help leadership communicate with clarity and confidence at every stage.
Fractional execution. For any of the above, we embed directly into the team and operate, not just advise.
How To Work With Us
Let's start with a conversation about the company, the moment you're in, and where we can help.