Team
Petra Stuhmeier Griffith
Managing Director
Petra Griffith launched Wedbush Ventures to foster the next generation of technology companies solving big market problems. Having helped build many firsts - the first online printing software, first fitness wearable, first native ads, first global original content - and ushered a bank into the age of technology, Petra understands the strategic and creative mindset necessary to narrow in on a product’s core features for successful market fit. Her past leadership to product, strategy, marketing, and operations teams at established and startup organizations like Netflix, Yahoo!, and 24 Hour Fitness makes Petra a coveted product strategy ally to entrepreneurs ready to scale innovation.
Because Petra lived in Los Angeles while working for Bay Area-based companies for the past 20 years, she is committed to a thriving tech ecosystem in Southern California. In her free time, you can find Petra on the slopes, pearling on waves, or enjoying dinners on the deck with her husband, three kids, dog, and two cats.
Ashley Aviram
Senior Associate
Ashley supports all aspects of scaling and growing Wedbush Ventures: dealflow, diligence, portfolio management and platform.
Ashley has a background in Product Management and a wealth of experience across various industries and company stages. She was most recently building AI products at Attentive, and previously worked on building innovative products at Tapcart, Procore (through the acquisition of Honest Buildings), and American Express. Ashley’s depth of expertise in scaling products, understanding market trends, and driving impactful growth is a great help for our portfolio companies and also gives her a keen eye for finding great founding teams.
Ashley is a Los Angeles native and has observed the growing tech ecosystem over the past decades. In her free time, Ashley loves spending time with family, being outdoors, and trying new local restaurants.
Melissa Burghardt
Venture Partner
Melissa Burghardt is our Venture Partner assisting with deal flow, diligence, and helping portfolio companies grow.
Melissa has worked across technology and food to develop teams and platforms that optimized digital marketplaces globally, helped small businesses grow, and increased access to healthy food. She has been in both start-up environments as the COO of Miso Robotics and helped take a company public in her role as VP of Ops Innovation and Ops Services at Sweetgreen. At Yahoo and YP.com, she scaled revenue and global operations. Melissa is an expert in product strategy and innovation, leadership and team development, and scaling business execution.
