SWEETWATER PRIVATE EQUITY HIRES SENIOR PROFESSIONALS FROM K1 INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND BLACKSTONE

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES, October 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Sweetwater Investment Management (“Sweetwater” or “Sweetwater Private Equity”), an investment firm specializing in private equity secondaries, announced the appointment of Kellen Haines as Managing Director and Kassy Haleen as Director, Capital Formation.

Mr. Haines joins Sweetwater after having spent over 13 years at K1 Investment Management. As a Principal, he served on several boards of growth-stage software businesses and held responsibilities across sourcing, deal execution, and capital formation. Prior to that, Mr. Haines began his career at Utility Consulting Group. He holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a BS in Business Administration from the USC Marshall School of Business.

 In his new role, Mr. Haines will help lead Sweetwater’s investment team through sourcing, executing, and structuring tailored liquidity solutions for founders, employees, GPs, and co-investors while seeking to broaden the firm’s investment capabilities.

“Having spent over 13 years at K1 investing in lower-middle-market companies, I saw firsthand how much value can be created in businesses of that size,” Mr. Haines said. “The lower middle market remains one of the most compelling and underserved segments of private equity, and I’m excited to bring that experience to Sweetwater’s investment team. I look forward to helping the Firm identify and pursue opportunities across the space.”

Mrs. Haleen joins Sweetwater’s capital formation team bringing over 11 years of investment and capital formation experience from her time at Blackstone, where she grew from Analyst to Principal across the firm’s New York and Los Angeles offices. At Blackstone, she began her career on the investment team before focusing on capital raising and investor relations, where she built and managed relationships with institutional investors and consultants across the firm’s private equity strategies. She holds a BA in Economics and a Secondary in Psychology from Harvard University.

“I began my career in Blackstone’s secondary private equity group in 2013, when secondaries were still a niche market. Having watched the market mature and grow more competitive since then, I was drawn to Sweetwater’s differentiated single-asset secondary focus. I’m excited to help bring that perspective and strategy to existing and prospective investors,” said Mrs. Haleen.

“We are excited to welcome Kellen and Kassy to Sweetwater,” said James Gamett, Founder and Managing Partner. “Kellen’s primary investment experience at K1 conforms well with our specialized focus on small-cap, tech-enabled growth companies. Kassy’s institutional breadth developed from her time at Blackstone will greatly enhance our mission-driven message to our partners.”

These appointments come as Sweetwater continues to deploy capital in direct secondary transactions across the small-cap segment of the private market.

About Sweetwater Private Equity
Sweetwater Private Equity (www.sweetwaterpe.com) is an investment manager that acquires interests in small-cap companies through growth equity financings and direct secondary transactions. Established in 2016, Sweetwater manages over $1.6b of RAUM with investments in over 80 tech-enabled services companies within the technology, healthcare, and industrial sectors.

James Gamett

Sweetwater Private Equity
james@sweetwaterpe.com

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