Johnita Walker Mizelle

ONYX Capital Advisors

Johnita serves as the managing partner of ONYX Capital Advisors. She started the consulting firm with a
mission to support the growth of diverse investment managers and operating companies with strategic
fundraising and operating expertise. Johnita started the firm in 2023, after a 25+ year career in financial
services.
Previously, Johnita has held senior-level positions at Sagard, an alternatives platform based in Montreal,
Quebec, and Anthemis, a fintech VC based in London, United Kingdom. In both cases, her primary role
was to build high-quality relationships with US-based institutional investors and to design and execute
strategic capital formation. Those efforts included direct sales to foundations, endowments, public and
private pensions, consultants, and family offices. It was during these experiences Johnita was able to
refine her business development acumen in the private markets and welcome the unique qualities that
venture and other alternative investments offer: innovation, investments, and DEI.
Prior to joining Anthemis and Sagard, Johnita was Head of Business Development for LM Capital Group,
based in San Diego, CA. In that capacity, she is responsible for the firm's strategic asset growth across
the firm's active credit strategies across all client channels (and consultants). She also served on the
firm’s executive committee. 
Prior to joining LM Capital, Ms. Mizelle served as director of North American business development for
Lyxor Asset Management. There she was responsible for the sales and marketing of Lyxor’s hedge fund
strategies, including its fund-of-funds business and managed account platform. Her primary focus is the
institutional investor universe comprised of public and corporate pensions, foundations, and endowments.
Prior to joining Lyxor, Johnita served as Head of Corporate, Endowment, and Foundation Sales at
Progress Investment Management Company, a manager of emerging managers. Her strategic and
tactical sales efforts combined with investor education initiatives have helped to transform the industry.
Johnita was responsible for obtaining the first major private foundation client for the firm in 2009, and, in
2012, acquired the firm’s first global client.
 
Before joining Progress, Johnita was a principal at The Williams Capital Group, a boutique investment
banking firm, where she was responsible for corporate finance advisory, brokerage operations, and all
aspects of business development in the Midwest and Western United States. In 2002, she opened and
managed the firm’s first regional office in Chicago, IL.
 
Johnita began her career at Goldman Sachs in the equities division. As an analyst, she was a member of
an inaugural team responsible for the sales and marketing of all equity offerings, which included the
Ralph Lauren IPO and the privatization of Deutsche Telekom.
 
Johnita previously served on the board of The Council of Urban Professionals, and led the organization
during the Global Pandemic. Prior to that, she served as the Founding Chair of its Leadership Board.
During her tenure, the Leadership Board raised over $200k toward the organization’s mission – civic
leadership, professional development, and not-for-profit board diversity. Johnita previously served as a
board member and advisory board member of Perspectives Charter School in Chicago, IL. She is a
member of the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP) and, for over five years, served
as the Executive Director of the NY-NASP FAST Track Program, which is a high school financial literacy
program for minority, female, and first-generation American students.
 
Johnita’s interest in financial literacy and international business has taken her to assignments across the
globe, including the Republic of South Africa, Syria and Western Europe. She received a Bachelor of
Science degree from Spelman College as a NASA Scholar and received her Master of Business
Administration from Harvard Business School.  There she received the Morgan Stanley Fellowship and
Dean’s Award.