Team
Built for execution.
Proving Ground Capital (PGC) is designed to mature with fund milestones — building institutional readiness while staying close to founders and outcomes.
Jeron Peoples
President & Chief Executive Officer
Led corporate development for Rolls-Royce Defense across hypersonics, novel nuclear, and electric propulsion, and carried commercial responsibility for over $1B in LibertyWorks revenue and pipeline. Sat on an investment committee overseeing $100M+ in annual allocations across an estimated $1B portfolio. At ARI, built the strategic link between capital markets and national security innovators — helping founders in critical technology sectors navigate both dilutive and non-dilutive capital. Architect of Proving Ground Capital (PGC)’s platform and investment strategy. IBJ 40 Under 40 (2025).
Stu Dillon
Head of Portfolio & Counsel
Leads legal structuring, governance, and partnership architecture, managing deal flow and portfolio process end to end. J.D., IU McKinney; prior service at the IEDC, Dentons Bingham Greenebaum, and the U.S. District Court (S.D. Ind.).
Advisors
Depth behind the deal team.
Dr. Matthew Seaford
Venture Partner
Government, capital markets, and deal flow. Former intelligence technical director and CHIPS National Security Advisor, U.S. Department of Commerce. Ph.D., Cornell.
Dr. Benjamin Griffin
Senior Advisor, Technology
Dr. Ben Griffin brings more than 15 years of R&D leadership in national security and advanced technology, including leadership roles at DARPA and Sandia National Laboratories. His technical depth spans MEMS sensors, piezoelectric devices, and advanced microelectronics, and he is both a published author and an inventor. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. Having managed interdisciplinary teams across academia, government, and industry, Ben brings the analytical rigor Proving Ground Capital (PGC) applies to evaluating emerging technologies and the markets they unlock.
