ABOUT US

Elevate Capital Partners is a commercial aircraft leasing, asset management, and investment firm focused on mid-life aircraft transactions. Elevate was founded by two industry veterans with a shared goal of bringing a modern investment approach to a new era of commercial aviation finance. 

We believe that transparency, creativity, and building mutual trust between our airline clients and investment partners will maximize the value of both parties’ capital and assets. We are based in the San Francisco Bay Area and operate globally.

Eric Adema
Founding Partner

Eric co-founded Elevate with more than 20 years of aircraft investment and finance experience, including transaction origination, financing, analysis, and restructuring. Prior to Elevate, Eric was a Principal and Executive Vice President at Vx Capital Partners, where he led the firm’s efforts to acquire aircraft, restructure leases and make aircraft-related securities investments. Eric has also worked in leveraged finance and corporate banking at Citigroup and Deutsche Bank in London, Oslo, and Paris, and served as Finance Director at Ocean Power in New York.

Eric is an amateur pilot with backcountry training and was taught to fly by his Elevate co-founder, Jared. An enthusiastic outdoorsman and fly fisherman, Eric serves on the board of directors of Western Rivers Conservancy and is an ambassador for Cal Trout. He also co-founded Lost Coast Outfitters in San Francisco. Eric earned a B.A. from St. Lawrence University, has an MBA from Wharton (University of Pennsylvania), and lives with his wife and two daughters in Larkspur, California.

Jared Dowell
Founding Partner

Jared co-founded Elevate with more than 15 years of experience in the aviation industry. Prior to Elevate, Jared was Vice President at Compass Capital Corporation for nearly 12 years where he focused on the acquisition, leasing, and remarketing of commercial aircraft in the Americas, Europe, and Africa.

Jared’s passion for aviation dates back to when he was a kid. Jared earned his pilot’s license in high school, worked as a bush pilot for Wings of Hope in Guyana, flight instructed, and worked as first officer of a Cessna Citation 525A before joining the aircraft finance industry. Jared graduated from Haverford College with a B.A. in History and is still an FAA certified commercial pilot and flight instructor. He lives with his wife and two children in San Rafael, California.

Rogier Van der Velde
Senior Vice President, Technical and Analytics

Rogier van der Velde joined Elevate Capital Partners in November 2019 and is involved in all technical and analytical aspects of the business, including portfolio asset management, technical evaluation, and financial analysis of new transactions. Prior to joining Elevate, Rogier served as Technical Manager for APOC Aviation, Program Manager for SGI Aviation, and Airworthiness Surveyor on behalf of the Guernsey Aircraft Register (“2-REG”). He has worked on more than one hundred transactions, developing deep expertise in aircraft engineering, maintenance procedures, and records requirements.

Rogier earned a BSc in Aeronautical Engineering from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands. Here is a certified pilot, who enjoys the outdoors, and plays soccer and tennis. Rogier lives near Amsterdam with his wife and two daughters.

George Teeuwen
Senior Vice President, Business Development

George joined Elevate in 2023 with a unique blend of aerospace engineering, technical management, and aircraft investment and remarketing experience. As SVP of Business Development, George focuses on origination, transaction management, and remarketing. Prior to Elevate, George served in VP-level roles in both Technical and Marketing at Castlelake, L.P. At Castlelake, George successfully closed more than $3 billion in new transactions and was responsible for the management, placement, sale, or extension of more than 75 aircraft.

George spent 12 years at Delta Air Lines as a propulsion engineer and is regarded as a subject matter expert in propulsion systems and maintenance forecasting. He has an MBA from Emory’s Goizueta Business School and a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Minnesota. George is a mentor for PropelHer and lives with his family in Minneapolis where he dedicates his time to developing youth sports.

Allison Koschnick
Vice President, Commercial & Legal

Allison joined Elevate with more than 10 years of experience managing complex aviation transactions from origination through closing. Prior to Elevate, she served as Director, Commercial Transactions, Legal at Sun Country Airlines, where she negotiated and executed aircraft and engine acquisitions, sales, leases, and financings, advised on regulatory compliance, and oversaw aircraft registration and perfection filings. Prior to Sun Country, Allison spent eight years at Castlelake, L.P., rising to Vice President, Aviation Legal, where she led large-scale sale & leaseback transactions and finance leases, and played a key role navigating material airline defaults, bankruptcies, and restructurings throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

Allison's love of aviation started early: her mother was a Delta flight attendant, and Allison was a frequent flyer before she could walk. She earned her B.S. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, then pursued a paralegal certification, and it was at Castlelake that her passion for aviation and law combined. Allison lives in Minneapolis with her partner, one cat, two dogs, and four chickens.

John Miller
Director, Finance & Analytics

John joined Elevate in 2026 and is responsible for financial modeling, technical analysis, and financial reporting. He underwrites new investment opportunities, tracks transaction cashflows, and analyzes investment performance across the portfolio. Prior to Elevate, John was Senior Financial Planning and Analysis Manager at Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, where he prepared the business cases for fleet investments following the carrier's acquisition by Apollo Global Management. He began his career in aviation at Vx Capital Partners, where over eight years he held roles in budgeting, portfolio analysis, and operations. His contributions there included working on the firm's first all-cargo asset-backed securities offering, a $189 million issuance across multiple debt tranches, and the subsequent $400 million sale of its freighter portfolio. In 2021, John joined the founding team at Vmo Aircraft Leasing, launched by Ares Management and former Vx leadership with approximately $500 million in initial equity capital.

John earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida, where he majored in Finance, Business Management, and Real Estate. A distance runner who has completed the San Francisco and Marine Corps marathons, John is always up for another race on the calendar. When he isn’t trying to lower his handicap or work on his backhand, he spends his free time hiking, traveling, and exploring new places with his wife and their Vizsla, Aspen. John lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Nancy Skewes-Cox
Operations Manager

Nancy joined the Elevate team in early 2024, with an international law firm background and over 15 years of marketing and administrative experience. Prior to Elevate, Nancy was the Marketing & Business Development Specialist for Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe’s Intellectual Property Group in their Menlo Park office. She worked with multiple Silicon Valley high-tech corporations and planned corporate events across the globe.

Nancy received her BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of California at Berkeley, where she worked in the Haas School of Business Marketing & Communications office. She is a native Spanish speaker, has a passion for travel, and hopes to one day make it to all seven continents. Nancy lives in northern Marin (or near Sonoma, as she likes to call it) with her husband and four children.