Keystone National Group

Keystone National Group is a yield-driven private markets investment firm, founded in 2006, that focuses on solutions across private credit, real estate lending, and real estate private equity.

A differentiated approach to private credit

Keystone National Group calls upon decades of experience and hundreds of successful transactions in its approach to asset-centric private credit. The firm has a history of producing robust, consistent cash flow streams without using excessive leverage. Keystone’s differentiated offerings in diversified, senior secured, asset-based finance can be used to reduce overall portfolio risk and volatility.

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Investment Professionals

John Earl

Co-Founder, Managing Partner
Industry Start Date: 1996

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John Earl is a co-founder and managing partner of Keystone National Group. Mr. Earl leads the non-real estate investment efforts of Keystone, including equipment finance, power and infrastructure, consumer finance, NAV lending, and asset-focused corporate lending across a variety of industries. Mr. Earl is active in investment selection, due diligence, and the general management of the firm, and is also a member of Keystone’s private credit and real estate private equity investment committees.

Mr. Earl was previously a senior investment banker with Lehman Brothers. Prior to joining Lehman Brothers, he held investment banking and structured finance positions at Dillon, Read & Co., and Credit Suisse.

Mr. Earl holds an M.B.A. from the Marriott School of Management, and a J.D. from the J. Reuben Clark School of Law, both at Brigham Young University. He began working in the investment industry in 1996.

Brandon Nielson

Co-Founder, Managing Partner
Industry Start Date: 1997

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Brandon Nielson is a co-founder and managing partner of Keystone National Group. Mr. Nielson leads Keystone’s real estate investment efforts, including real estate lending, acquisitions, and ground-up development across a wide variety of asset classes. He is active in investment selection, due diligence, and the general management of the firm, and is a member of Keystone’s Private Credit, Bridge Lending, and Real Estate Private Equity investment committees.

Prior to joining Keystone, Mr. Nielson served as a managing director of Regional Investment Partners, a Dallas-based private equity research firm. Previously, he served as a vice president of Partners Group, a global alternatives investment manager focused on private equity, private debt, and other alternative investment programs. Prior to Partners Group, Mr. Nielson worked for the accounting firm KPMG, and earned his Certified Public Accountant license.

Mr. Nielson earned a B.S. in accounting, as well as an M.B.A. from the Marriott School of Management, both from Brigham Young University. He began working in the investment industry in 1997.

Brad Allen

Managing Partner
Industry Start Date: 2002

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Brad Allen is a managing partner at Keystone National Group. Mr. Allen is responsible for Keystone’s accounting, investor reporting, operations, and legal affairs. He also oversees the firm’s financial reporting, capital markets, and legal initiatives.

Prior to joining Keystone, Mr. Allen was a corporate securities attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, California. There, he represented public and private companies on corporate governance initiatives, and in a broad range of corporate transactions, including venture capital, private equity investments, secured lending, mergers, acquisitions, and public offerings. Mr. Allen previously managed the financial reporting and accounting affairs of an elite language, technology, and localization service provider.

Mr. Allen earned a B.S. in accounting from the Marriott School of Management, and a J.D. from the J. Reuben Clark School of Law, both at Brigham Young University. He is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in California, and is a member of the State Bar of California and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Allen began his career in the investment industry in 2002.

Taylor Jackson

Managing Partner
Industry Start Date: 1996

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Taylor Jackson is a Managing Partner at Keystone National Group. He is focused on creating value for investors within Keystone’s real-estate-focused funds. Mr. Jackson serves as a portfolio manager and is a member of Keystone's Private Credit and Real Estate Private Equity investment committees.

Prior to joining Keystone, Mr. Jackson worked for Nearon, a real-estate focused family office located in the San Francisco Bay Area. There, he was responsible for all aspects of real estate investment, including acquisitions, debt sourcing, investment due diligence, leasing, asset management, and asset disposition.

Mr. Jackson earned a B.S. in accounting at Brigham Young University and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. He began working in the investment industry in 1996.

Grant Calder

Partner
Industry Start Date: 2006

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Grant Calder is a partner at Keystone and is the firm’s head of origination and business development. He is active in the origination, structuring, and execution of direct credit investments and asset acquisitions. Mr. Calder is a member of Keystone’s private credit and real estate private equity investment committees.

Prior to joining Keystone, Mr. Calder led various strategic and business development initiatives for consumer products and technology businesses. Mr. Calder was previously an investment professional at a growth-focused private equity firm and an investment banker with Deutsche Bank.

Mr. Calder earned a B.A. degree magna cum laude in economics from the University of Utah and an M.B.A. from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Mr. Calder began working in the investment industry in 2006.