Steve Payne

Steve Payne is a co-founder and partner at Architect Partners LLC, a boutique tech mergers and acquisition and investment advisory firm focused on the crypto and fintech sectors. With extensive experience as an investor, advisor, and board member for numerous global technology companies, Steve has conducted transactions with major corporations including Cisco and Qualcomm. Current roles include partner at Pegasus Tech Ventures and global mentor at KIC Silicon Valley, where advisory work focuses on venture financing for Korean AI and blockchain enterprises. Previous positions consist of managing partner at Ignite Ventures, board advisor at NTT/Verio, and executive leadership roles in product development and marketing at SegaSoft and Sega of America. Steve holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.