Santiago Montoya

Overview

Santiago Montoya is an American entrepreneur and investor based in Austin, Texas. He is the founder and CEO of Vasu Ferry (established June 2023), an investment company built around the "Builder Helpers" philosophy - partnering with exceptional builders over decades rather than short-term financial speculation. Montoya brings over a decade of experience in business leadership, investing, and philanthropy.

Professional Background

• Founder & CEO, Vasu Ferry (June 2023 - Present): Investment company focused on being "Builder Helpers" to exceptional builders, with a long-term investment horizon measured in decades
• Board Member, A Glimmer of Hope (March 2015 - Present): Charitable organization focused on improving lives in Ethiopia through water, education, health care, and microcredit programs
• Previous Experience: Started investing career at University of Notre Dame Endowment, learning about various investment approaches across the global landscape

Education

• University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business (2009): Degree in Business and Finance

Investment Philosophy & Company

Vasu Ferry operates on the principle of being "Builder Helpers" - wise, trustworthy, long-term partners who serve exceptional builders. Key beliefs:

• 99%+ of the financial investment world is "gambling" with short-term horizons
• True value creation comes from partnering with builders over decades, not timing markets
• Time is the friend of builders and builder helpers, where value, trust, and knowledge compound
• Inspired by Vasudeva the ferryman from Hermann Hesse's "Siddhartha" - wise, humble, serving others in an egoless state

Current Portfolio (through Vasu Ferry):

• Camelot: Primary investment with Will Barker, includes ecommerce retailers, home builders, carpet companies, manufacturing conglomerates
• Arcadea: Vertical market software holding company with 10 VMS companies
• Burford: Public litigation finance company
• Rebuild Manufacturing: Company focused on bringing manufacturing back to America, acquired 20-30 plants, described as "Avengers of lead manufacturing" with MIT program connections, launched Slate.auto ($20-25K electric vehicle)

Key Information (from 2025-05-22 transcript with Gary Sheng)

• Lives 7 minutes west of some hills in Austin.
• Has three young children (ages 4, 3, and 1).
• Expressed interest in understanding the limits of Gauntlet graduates' capabilities, asking how big or complex a project would be "too hairy."
• Described a problem he faces involving a multi-element process: taking a database, mapping it (creating a network where connections also have networks), validating it against truth (as LLM output is generative/synthetic), and capturing it in a graph database, ultimately to lead to treatment for something (implying a medical/scientific application).

  Santiago Montoya: "My problem is, I have a problem where it takes me a hundred hours of science, manually, to do the steps that It's essentially take a database Are you mapping science, basically? You have a network now. And every piece of the connection has a network... you have to then go back and say, hey, this is actually true. And then you have to then capture a graph database that is always true."

• Gary Sheng suggested his problem relates to creating a knowledge network and mentioned the difficulty of such tasks without deep domain expertise or exceptionally gifted architects.
• Santiago inquired about the Gauntlet curriculum and what might be missing to tackle very complex software architecture, product architecture, and security challenges.
• Discussed the nature of AI assistance, recognizing that for well-defined tasks or common problems (like static websites), AI is very effective, but complex, novel architectures are harder.
• Mentioned a past experience with a water company, achieving high sales and commission.

Technical Interests & Builder Mindset

Santiago's discussion with Gary Sheng reveals his hands-on approach to complex technical challenges, which aligns with his "Builder Helper" investment philosophy:

• Working on a complex scientific data mapping project involving networks within networks, truth validation against LLM outputs, and graph database capture for treatment discovery
• Seeks to understand the limits of technical talent and complex software architecture capabilities
• Interested in AI's role in solving well-defined vs. novel architectural problems
• Questions what curriculum elements might be missing for tackling very complex software architecture, product architecture, and security challenges

Network & Influence

• Over 500+ professional connections indicating established network in business and philanthropic community
• Nationally significant network despite being Texas-based
• Experience mentored by "incredible humans in the world of investing" over decade and a half
• Claims to have picked up "earned secrets" in the investment world

Key Connections

• Gary Sheng (AI engineer, strategic advisor, potential manufacturing collaborator)
• Blas Moros (Close friend, entrepreneur, former Peter Coffman chief of staff, potential Austin relocator)
• Will Barker (Camelot investment partner)
• Peter Coffman (Via Blas connection, legendary operator per Charlie Munger)
• Mike Ajouz (Managing Member of Spar Holdings LLC, former New Mountain Capital founder, fellow Christian investor introduced to Gary August 2025)

Interactions

• 2025-05-22: Met with Gary Sheng and others (including Jefferson Lambert). Discussed the capabilities and limitations of AI and Gauntlet graduates for tackling complex software projects, particularly Santiago's project involving scientific data mapping and validation for treatment discovery. Gary shared his perspectives on talent, organizational bottlenecks, and his own app ideas like Hyperagent. They also touched upon faith, influential figures, and experiences at Alpha School and Google.

• 2025-07-30: Video call with Gary Sheng and close friend Blas Moros seeking honest assessment of Alpha Schools/Joe Liemandt before potential involvement. Gary provided comprehensive critique describing Alpha Schools as potentially "the next FTX" due to organizational dysfunction, surveillance culture, and lack of technical leadership. Discussed Gary's transition to manufacturing work with Dr. Lael Alexander in Tulsa. Santiago shared Rebuild Manufacturing portfolio company details and expressed interest in supporting Gary's reindustrialization efforts. Introduced Blas Moros's operational expertise from working with Peter Coffman. Discussion covered manufacturing renaissance opportunities, Austin community advantages, and potential collaborations combining Santiago's capital access, Blas's operational excellence, and Gary's strategic vision.

• 2025-08-19: Facilitated introduction between Gary Sheng and Mike Ajouz at Trianon Coffee in Austin. Santiago described Gary to Mike as "really cool guy who is pretty dogged about some of the ways that the devil can get me," leading to extended 3+ hour conversation about Christian business philosophy, elite corruption, and strategic advice for Gary's transition to independent work. Both Gary and Mike discovered parallel faith journeys (both came to Christ around 2021 after being hardcore atheists), creating foundation for potential ongoing collaboration. Santiago's introduction demonstrated his continued role as strategic network connector, bringing together like-minded Christian entrepreneurs and investors for mutual benefit and kingdom advancement.

• 2025-09-09: DEEP THEOLOGICAL & STRATEGIC PHILOSOPHY DISCUSSION - Extended 5+ hour conversation at Trianon Coffee in Bee Cave with Gary and Mike covering profound theological questions, Christian warfare strategy, and practical ministry applications. Santiago participated as thoughtful observer and occasional contributor while Gary shared his transformative experiences in Liberty, Texas with Pastor Marcus Noel, including receiving baptism of the Holy Spirit. Discussion covered advanced topics including Near-Death Experience theology, truth as ultimate value, justice vs. vengeance distinctions, educational philosophy for AI integration, risk theory applied to parenting, cultural warfare analysis, and sophisticated strategic applications. Santiago witnessed Mike's controversial universal salvation theology framework and Gary's calling to document modern miracles. The conversation demonstrated Santiago's role in facilitating deep intellectual and spiritual discourse among Christian entrepreneurs, contributing to theological development while observing strategic frameworks for Christian cultural influence. Santiago's continued presence in these discussions reinforces his position as connector of sophisticated Christian thinkers working at intersection of business strategy and spiritual formation.

• 2025-12-17: VASU FELLOWSHIP FOUNDING & WIFE-FINDING STRATEGY - Extended session at Trianon Coffee and Texas Honey Ham with Gary and Mike Ajouz. Santiago formally proposed Gary as the "original and first founding Vasu Fellow" to be "anointed at the honey hat." Pitched the "Gary's" concept: gathering young, dynamic, leveraged, tech-forward Christians who want to "go to war in a way that is very commercial." Key insight: "There's not a lot of good systems and communities that gather human potential. They're shit. And that's your gift." Provided practical wife-finding strategy: counter-position by joining small Tarrytown Church where families can advocate for Gary rather than competing at Austin Stone. Shared Tarrytown Church origin story (COVID breakaway, $10M property, dynamic leadership including Chief Justice of Texas Supreme Court). Invited Gary to church (Sundays 10am), Bible study (Thursdays 7:30am, Mondays 4pm). Introduced Brian Bigelow as potential micro-school connection. Contributed implementation perspective to Mike's truth platform vision, noting the challenge of prompt-engineering great narrative from prediction market databases. Expressed life goal of having marriages he helped create represented at his funeral.

• 2025-11-13: DOUG WILSON INTERVIEW RECOMMENDATION & THEOLOGICAL CATALYST - Santiago sent Gary the Sam Harris interview with Doug Wilson, noting it as "interesting conversation I thought." Santiago shared that Doug has been reaching out to him from multiple angles, including through his father's book about guerrilla warfare for Christians (which reminded Santiago of Mikey) and Doug's founding of the first "Christian Classical" school in the US. Santiago observed that Doug's growing fame has led to many people forming opinions without actually listening to what he's said, which he finds "quite prolific." This recommendation catalyzed deep theological reflection for Gary about Christian nationalism, theonomy (biblical law as civil law standard), and the tension between biblical truth claims and modern sensibilities. Gary's subsequent reflection wrestled with Doug Wilson's post-millennialist vision (Christians must dominate society before Christ returns), the implications of biblical absolutism on issues like homosexuality and adultery, and concerns about morally compromised Christian leaders like Trump undermining Christian witness. Santiago's recommendation demonstrated his continued role as intellectual catalyst, introducing Gary to challenging theological-political content that forces examination of fundamental beliefs about Christianity's role in society. This interaction reinforced Santiago's position as someone who bridges practical business concerns with deep theological and philosophical questions.

• September 2023: Published comprehensive shareholder letter outlining Vasu Ferry's "Builder Helpers" investment philosophy and current portfolio strategy.

Transcripts

Transcript ID	Date	Summary
2025-12-17-mike-ajouz-santi-montoya-truth-platform-fellowship	2025-12-17	Strategic Session with Mike Ajouz and Santi Montoya - Zero-Trust Truth Platform and Ajouz Fellowship...
2025-09-09-gary-sheng-mike-ajouz-santiago-montoya-christian-strategic-philosophy-trianon-coffee	2025-09-09	Deep Christian Strategic Philosophy & Warfare Theology Discussion
2025-08-19-gary-sheng-mike-ajouz-santiago-montoya-christian-business-philosophy-trianon-coffee	2025-08-19	Strategic Christian Business Philosophy Discussion
2025-07-30-gary-sheng-santiago-montoya-blas-moros-alpha-schools-assessment	2025-07-30	Gary provides unfiltered assessment of Alpha Schools dysfunction while discussing manufacturing transition