Yellow Wood Partners Expands Investment and Operating Teams with Five New Additions
BOSTON, June 13, 2026 — Yellow Wood Partners (“Yellow Wood” or the “Firm”), a Boston-based private equity firm focused on investing in consumer brands and companies, today announced the additions of Russ Dancho as an Operating Partner, Alex Jenkins as a Senior Associate, Sophia Knopp and Jay Patel as Associates, and Jaden Chen as an Analyst.
The additions further strengthen Yellow Wood’s investment team and deepen the Firm’s functional operating resources as it continues to partner with leading consumer brands across the middle market.
“We are excited to welcome Russ, Alex, Sophia, Jay and Jaden to the team,” said Tad Yanagi, Partner at Yellow Wood. “Each of them adds meaningful capabilities across our investment and operating functions, from deep supply chain and operating expertise to strong analytical and transaction experience. Their collective backgrounds reflect the differentiated skill sets that define our team, and we look forward to working closely with them to drive value for our investors and portfolio companies.”
Russ Dancho joins Yellow Wood Partners as an Operating Partner, bringing more than 40 years of experience in manufacturing and consumer products and a reputation for identifying and unlocking hidden value in organizations undergoing transformation. Russ joins the Firm from his most recent role as President of Innovation Labs, where he led the company’s expansion from a startup operation into a multi-site manufacturing platform. Previously, he held senior executive leadership positions with RoC Skincare, Revlon, Elizabeth Arden, OSG/Kolmar, LEGO, Conair, PepsiCo, and Nestlé. Throughout his career, Russ has specialized in situations requiring operational turnaround, organizational redesign, commercialization, post-acquisition integration, carve-out execution, crisis recovery, and accelerated growth. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering, and an M.B.A.
Alex Jenkins joins as a Senior Associate, bringing five years of experience in private equity. Prior to joining Yellow Wood, Alex was a Senior Associate at Advent International in the Healthcare group. Previously, he held investing roles at Avista Healthcare Partners and Aquiline Capital Partners. Alex graduated with distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Business Administration and a minor in Public Policy.
Sophia Knopp joins Yellow Wood Partners as an Associate, bringing one year of experience in private equity and three years of experience in equity research. Prior to joining Yellow Wood, Sophia was an Associate at MPE Partners, where she focused on investments in the Industrials sector. Previously, she worked as an Equity Research Associate at Evercore, covering Medical Supplies & Devices and Life Science Tools & Diagnostics. Sophia received a B.S. in Finance from Babson College.
Jay Patel joins Yellow Wood Partners as an Associate, bringing three years of experience in investment banking. Prior to joining Yellow Wood, Jay was an Associate in the Financial Services group at Raymond James in Boston, where he worked on various M&A and capital raising transactions. Jay received a B.S. in Finance from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College.
Jaden Chen joined Yellow Wood Partners in 2025 as a summer intern and began his career at the Firm in 2026 as an Analyst. He received a B.S. in Business Administration, magna cum laude, from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University.
About Yellow Wood
Yellow Wood Partners is a leading consumer focused private equity firm, which invests in both founder-owned consumer brands as well as legacy consumer brands. Based in Boston, Yellow Wood works with over 40 household global brands including Chapstick, Suave, Q-tips, Caress, Pond’s and Dr. Scholl's. The firm uses its differentiated Consumer Operating DNA® investment and operating strategy to partner with founders and CPG companies to unlock brand value, scale and grow their businesses. For more information, please visit www.yellowwoodpartners.com