Joshua Lawson
Founder & C.I.O
Mr. Lawson is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Mu Hat Capital Management. He is responsible for the firm’s investment research, portfolio construction, and risk management.
Before founding Mu Hat, Mr. Lawson served as Director of Quantitative Investments for a registered investment adviser, where he developed and managed systematic equity strategies for private clients. His work combines the insights of fundamental investing with the discipline of empirical asset pricing, emphasizing economically grounded signals, robust estimation, and careful implementation.
Mr. Lawson is a Ph.D. candidate in Finance at the University of Tennessee and holds master’s degrees in Mathematics and Quantitative Finance from SUNY – Buffalo. His academic research focuses on empirical asset pricing, the relationship between investor demand and security prices, and market microstructure. He has also taught university courses in investments, portfolio management, and derivative securities.
At Mu Hat, Mr. Lawson leads a research-driven investment process built around a simple principle: fundamental investing should be systematically applied.
Casey Szatkowski
Co-Founder & C.F.O
Mr. Szatkowski serves as Chief Financial Officer and Co-Founder of Mu Hat Capital Management, where he oversees the firm’s financial strategy, financial management, and strategic initiatives.
As a Co-Founder, Mr. Szatkowski also supports the firm’s operational infrastructure and capital formation efforts, helping position Mu Hat for long-term growth and institutional scalability. He brings a background spanning institutional alternatives investing, private credit, and financial leadership within growing private companies, giving him a perspective that balances large-scale portfolio discipline with the practical demands of building an emerging firm.
Before co-founding Mu Hat, Mr. Szatkowski worked at Unum Group, where he helped manage the firm’s $15 billion alternatives portfolio with a focus on the private credit markets. In that role, he developed deep experience in underwriting, portfolio management, and the analytical discipline required to steward institutional capital across complex private investments.
Mr. Szatkowski later transitioned into finance roles with early-stage private companies, where he helped build financial infrastructure, guide strategic planning, and support growth initiatives. This work sharpened his ability to establish scalable systems, translate strategy into execution, and support organizations through periods of expansion. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
At Mu Hat, Mr. Szatkowski focuses on building a financially sound, investor-centered business that can support sophisticated investment research over the long term. He is committed to disciplined financial management, thoughtful risk oversight, clear communication, and long-term alignment between the firm and its investors.
Brad Pierce
Partner & C.O.O
Mr. Pierce is Chief Operating Officer of Mu Hat Capital Management, where he leads operational strategy, investor relations, business development, and institutional infrastructure.
Mr. Pierce brings more than 25 years of experience in finance, accounting, operations, strategic planning, capital formation, and organizational leadership. He has helped companies solve complex financial and operational problems, build scalable systems, manage risk, raise capital, and carry out major growth initiatives.
Before joining Mu Hat, Mr. Pierce served as Chief Operating Officer of Scenic Land Company, overseeing finance, real estate development, technology, operations, and strategic initiatives at McLemore Resort. He played a central role in financing and opening Cloudland at McLemore Resort, a Hilton Curio Collection hotel and conference center, and The Keep, an 18-hole championship golf course. He also led major infrastructure and residential projects and helped raise more than $250 million through real estate financing strategies.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Pierce held leadership positions in finance, accounting, risk management, project management, engineering, technology, and customer service with Sulzer Pumps, MetalTek International, and Johnston Southern Company, a Chattanooga family office. He earned an MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His professional development includes training in project management and advanced negotiation, as well as participation in Leadership Chattanooga.
At Mu Hat, Mr. Pierce focuses on translating sophisticated investment research into a durable, investor-centered business. He is committed to disciplined processes, thoughtful risk management, clear communication, and long-term alignment between the firm and its investors.
Shawn Summey
Partner & Investor Relations
At Mu Hat Capital Management, Mr. Summey is a partner leading the firm’s efforts on capital formation and investor relations. He is a real estate, sales, and capital raising professional with experience in private markets and real estate development.
From November 2021 to June 2026, Mr. Summey served as Vice President of Capital Formation and Director of Investor Relations for Scenic Land Company, LLC (d/b/a McLemore), a Tennessee and Georgia based real estate development company. In this role, he was responsible for capital raising strategy, investor relations, and supporting fund structuring and investor communications for affiliated real estate investment vehicles.
Mr. Summey has been active in real estate, sales, and capital raising roles for more than 20 years. He holds an affiliate broker real estate license in the states of Tennessee and Georgia.
