Meet Our Team
The Skydeck Capital team works efficiently and effectively in a true partnership form.
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Founder and Managing Partner
With more than 30 years of experience in the energy industry, Michael Polsky is widely recognized as a pioneer and industry leader in the cogeneration and independent power industry in North America. Polsky founded Invenergy, a leading clean energy company in 2001. Previously, in 1991, Polsky founded SkyGen Energy – a developer, owner, and operator of natural gas-fueled generating plants – which was purchased by Calpine Corporation in 2001. Before forming SkyGen, Polsky co-founded and was President of Indeck Energy Services Inc. In 2002, Polsky endowed a center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business which is named after him. In 2016, Polsky was appointed by President Barack Obama as a Member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. Polsky holds an MSME Degree from Kiev Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
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Founder and Managing Partner
Tanya Polsky was born and raised in Ukraine and has lived in Chicago for over 20 years. She received her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She has a financial background in the banking industry and was employed by notable financial institutions such as Lehman Brothers and Bank Leumi. Tanya is also a president of Polsky Foundation, founder of Our Home Ukraine, co-founder of BRCA Research & Cure Alliance (CureBRCA) and is a founding funder of Operation White Stork. These organizations together address global issues such as access to education, poverty reduction, medical access and research. Tanya currently serves on the boards of Northwestern University, Chicago Lyric Opera, Boys and Girls Club of Chicago, Latin School of Chicago, and ORTUS Foundation. She is an enthusiastic visionary and a philanthropist who dedicates her life to volunteer service.
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Founder and Partner
Jon Taiber has over two decades of experience in finance, accounting and family office industries. Jon has led and managed 50+ direct investments in private equity, early-stage companies, and real estate. In 2013, Jon co-founded Skydeck Capital.
In 2001, Jon was recruited to run Polsky Holdings, the family office for the Polsky Family. Jon was responsible for all wealth management functions including the allocation of capital across traditional and alternative asset classes as well as direct investments. Additionally, he is a member of the founding group at Invenergy, which has grown to be the largest privately held renewable energy company in North America.
He has served on the boards of the Structurlam Mass Timber Corporation, LJP Waste Solutions, United Oilfield Services, Buzz Referrals, Conservatorio S.A. and Polsky Foundation as well as a member of Adams LaSalle Institutional Apartments LLC.
An Iowa native, Taiber earned a BBA, with distinction, from the University of Iowa and holds a CPA certification.
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Managing Partner
Tim Parker is responsible for overseeing all functions of Skydeck Capital including oversight and reporting on investments, treasury, tax planning and compliance. Tim has significant accounting and tax experience serving clients during his time in public accounting prior to joining Skydeck in 2015. Additionally, Tim managed the tax and financial reporting process for a private equity- backed international manufacturer working closely with management on mergers, acquisitions and strategic divestitures.
A Chicago native and Certified Public Accountant, Tim attended DePaul University's College of Commerce earning his Bachelor of Science in Accounting.
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Principal
Lior Shachaf is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and executing investments, as well as supporting existing portfolio companies. Lior has extensive investing experience across asset classes including public and private equity, real estate and venture capital. Prior to joining Skydeck Capital in 2019, Lior worked as an investment professional at a family office and as an accountant at Ernst & Young. Additionally, he served in a special forces unit of the Israel Defense Forces prior to moving to the US.
Born in Israel, Lior received his MBA, with honors, from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, earned a BA, Magna Cum Laude, from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, and holds a CPA (Israel) certification.
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VP, Real Estate
Tyler Perlman is responsible for overseeing Skydeck Capital’s real estate portfolio and sourcing new real estate opportunities. Tyler has over 9 years of experience across various real estate asset classes and has asset managed portfolios with a gross value of $1 billion and has completed over $300 million in acquisitions, dispositions, and financings. Tyler’s experience specifically includes ground-up and value-add multifamily developments and has worked for several premier developers in Chicago, New York, and South Florida.
A South Florida native, Tyler earned a BA from UW-Madison, is pursuing an MBA at the University of Chicago, and is a licensed real estate broker in Illinois.
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Associate, Investments
Adam Koszyk is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and executing investments, as well as supporting existing portfolio companies. Adam has extensive investing experience across asset classes including public/private equity and venture capital. Prior to joining Skydeck Capital in 2024, Adam worked as an Analyst at Millennium where he covered pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Adam also worked as an Associate at Cressey & Company and as an Analyst in Piper Sandler's Merchant Banking group.
A Chicago area native, Adam earned a B.B.A, Summa Cum Laude, in Finance and Accounting from Villanova University.
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Associate, Real Estate
Paul Zaharia is responsible for overseeing Skydeck Capital’s real estate portfolio. Paul has extensive experience across multiple real estate asset classes on both the equity and debt side. Prior to joining Skydeck in 2024, Paul worked as a Commercial Real Estate Analyst at Townhouse Partners where he sized complex commercial real estate loans on behalf of bulge bracket investment banks. Paul also worked as an Investment Analyst for Sonder and as an Acquisition Analyst for Varsity Investment Group.
A South Florida native, Paul earned a BS in Accounting from The University of Illinois at Chicago, and a MS in Real Estate from New York University.
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Associate, Real Estate
Kyle Hartman is responsible for overseeing Skydeck Capital’s multifamily real estate portfolio. Kyle has 6 years of experience ranging from ground-up development, asset management, and property management. Prior to joining Skydeck, Kyle was the Asset Manager for a Built-To-Rent developer in Central Texas. Kyle was responsible for underwriting and identifying potential development opportunities across Texas & Colorado. In addition, he oversaw asset management for a portfolio of several new BTR developments, as well as a legacy portfolio of value-add multifamily communities with a total value of over $400 million.
A native of Michigan, Kyle received his B.B.A in Real Estate Economics & Finance from Grand Valley State University.