From the World Cup Circuit to Clavana: Welcoming Madigan Munro
Clavana is proud to welcome Madigan Munro - World Championship mountain biking medallist, multi-time U23 National and Pan-American Champion, and Team USA athlete. One of the most versatile and disciplined riders in American cycling, Madigan now brings her precision, emotional intelligence, and high-performance mindset to private-markets origination, while continuing to compete internationally.
From the World Cup Circuit to Clavana: Welcoming Madigan Munro
Clavana is proud to welcome Madigan (“Maddie”) Munro to the Clavana Elite Athlete Program, joining our buy-side sourcing team as an Originator.
A World Cup Mountain Bike athlete for Team USA, with a track record of discipline, resilience, and technical precision, Madigan represents the next generation of elite performers applying their competitive mindset into high-impact commercial roles. Her experience across global competition, leadership development, and high-pressure environments aligns seamlessly with Clavana’s modern, human, and fiercely effective approach to origination.
A Career Forged in High-Performance Environments
Raised in Boulder, Colorado, Madigan discovered cycling early and quickly emerged as one of the most versatile young riders in American sport. Her progression through junior, U23, and elite ranks has been defined by an unmistakable blend of competitiveness, consistency, and commitment to mastery.
Her achievements include:
Multiple-time U23 U.S. National Champion (XCO)
Known for her technical skill, race IQ, and ability to remain composed during the most physically demanding sections of a course, Madigan has built a reputation as an athlete who not only performs - but elevates the standard around her.
She is now entering her first year as an Elite, widely recognised as one of the rising forces to watch in international mountain biking.
Leadership Beyond Racing
Madigan’s impact extends far beyond the start line.She invests deeply in youth development through NICA (National Interscholastic Cycling Association) and supports multiple USA Cycling Foundation initiatives aimed at helping young riders build confidence, resilience, and access to the sport.
Her leadership style - empathetic, committed, and grounded - mirrors the qualities she brings to high-stakes performance. She is widely respected for her maturity, her ability to connect with others, and her instinct for building community within demanding environments.
Translating Elite Performance into Deal Origination
Madigan’s transition into private-markets origination is a natural extension of her competitive mindset. High-level racing and high-level sourcing share the same foundations:
precision, discipline, adaptability, and tactical decision-making.
In deal origination, as in elite cycling, success depends on timing, reading subtle patterns, and executing with consistency. Madigan brings:
A perfectionist’s attention to detail
Discipline built from years of structured training
Emotional intelligence that builds trust rapidly
Calmness under pressure and clarity in chaotic environments
A deeply human, sincere communication style
These qualities give her a distinctive edge in founder engagement - and our clients trust Originators like Madigan to reach decision-makers others can’t. When authenticity, discipline, and competitiveness align, meaningful conversations emerge that algorithms alone would miss.
A Natural Fit for Clavana’s Culture
Madigan's ability to combine elite performance with authentic relationship-building will play a key role in driving the next ascent of Clavana’s buy-side origination. Madigan joins a growing roster of Olympic and World Cup athletes powering the Clavana Elite Athlete Program - a model built on the belief that elite performers, supported by rigorous commercial training, become exceptional originators.
“Madigan is an outstanding addition to our team,” said Lara Hughes-Francis, Co-Founder of Clavana.“Her discipline, humility, and precision mirror the qualities we value most at Clavana. She brings a grounded intensity, a commitment to excellence, and a deeply human approach to engagement - exactly the mix that defines a world-class Originator.”
She embodies Clavana’s core values: integrity, mastery, passion, and modern human effectiveness, lifting both our culture and our client outcomes.
Welcome to the team, Maddie - we are thrilled to have you.
The Clavana Elite Athlete Program
Clavana’s Elite Athlete Program was created to support world-class athletes as they pursue their competitive ambitions while building meaningful careers beyond sport.
We recognize that elite athletes share many of the same qualities that make outstanding dealmakers: resilience, competitiveness, focus under pressure, adaptability, and exceptional communication. They are driven, disciplined, fiercely independent, and equally at home collaborating in teams to achieve something greater than themselves. These are the same traits that power success in origination, relationship management, and leadership within the financial and professional services industries.
Through the program, Clavana provides hands-on professional experience in origination, business development, and deal sourcing. This naturally aligns with the athlete mindset of persistence, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
The initiative offers both economic and structural support, creating a bridge between athletic excellence and future professional pathways. It helps athletes gain transferable skills, build networks, and develop commercial acumen while maintaining the flexibility required to train, travel, and compete at the highest level.
“Our goal is to create opportunities that not only recognize the discipline and intensity it takes to compete globally, but also provide a meaningful platform for transition, from sport to professional life,” said Clive Cooper, Co-Founder of Clavana, who has also enjoyed a remarkable career representing New Zealand in duathlon and continues to compete internationally. “This is about empowering exceptional individuals to thrive both on and off the field.”
By launching the Clavana Elite Athlete Program, the firm aims to champion those who embody the same grit, intelligence, and focus that drive success in investment and entrepreneurship - and to help them build futures that are as purposeful as their athletic careers.
About Clavana
Clavana partners with leading private equity funds, portfolio companies, and acquisitive corporates to deliver AI-driven market mapping, proprietary research, and fiercely effective deal origination.
Built on a simple belief - people power deals, not spreadsheets - Clavana represents a new breed of M&A origination: modern, human, and results-driven.
By combining data science with senior origination expertise, Clavana cuts through noise to uncover the right off-market opportunities and connect clients with the deals that move the needle.
Headquartered in the United States with a global, remote-first team, Clavana helps today’s dealmakers buy better, build better, and sell better.