{"id":"sam-paderewski","title":"Sam Paderewski","content":"**Sam Paderewski** is a structured credit and [decentralized finance](https://iq.wiki/wiki/decentralized-finance) (DeFi) professional and Co-Founder of [Grove Labs](https://iq.wiki/wiki/grove-protocol). Before entering decentralized finance, he worked at Citigroup and Hildene Capital Management. His work focuses on [real-world assets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/real-world-assets-rwas), tokenized credit and institutional capital allocation through DeFi infrastructure.[\\[2\\]](#cite-id-cjuwKTsm3QHIKh3X) [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-6o9f5JQdkhFbLbxY)  [\\[5\\]](#cite-id-vwqVjnNMTubpOFsI)  [\\[6\\]](#cite-id-uVFPr5LqLIc4WTO7) \n\n## Education\n\nPaderewski graduated from Duke University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science and a certificate in Markets & Management Studies.[\\[2\\]](#cite-id-cjuwKTsm3QHIKh3X) [\\[6\\]](#cite-id-uVFPr5LqLIc4WTO7) \n\n## Career\n\n### Citigroup\n\nPaderewski began his career at Citigroup, where he worked in institutional investment-grade credit sales. His coverage included corporate bonds, credit-default swaps, high-yield bonds and credit indices. He subsequently joined Citi’s CLO Structuring and Syndicate team, helping bring newly issued collateralized loan obligations to market. [\\[5\\]](#cite-id-vwqVjnNMTubpOFsI)  [\\[6\\]](#cite-id-uVFPr5LqLIc4WTO7) \n\n### Hildene Capital Management\n\nPaderewski later worked at Hildene Capital Management as a structured-credit analyst and trader. He covered collateralized loan obligations, collateralized debt obligations and other structured-credit instruments. His responsibilities also included developing quantitative models and internal analytical infrastructure. [\\[5\\]](#cite-id-vwqVjnNMTubpOFsI)  [\\[6\\]](#cite-id-uVFPr5LqLIc4WTO7) \n\n### Steakhouse Financial and MakerDAO\n\nPaderewski joined Steakhouse Financial in 2022, focusing on real-world asset strategy and analysis. In a 2024 [Arbitrum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/arbitrum) Foundation proposal, he was identified as Steakhouse Financial’s Head of Credit and Real-World Assets. [\\[5\\]](#cite-id-vwqVjnNMTubpOFsI) \n\nHe also worked on real-world asset initiatives as a member of [MakerDAO](https://iq.wiki/wiki/makerdao)’s Strategic Finance team. In 2023, he joined the [Centrifuge](https://iq.wiki/wiki/centrifuge) Credit Group, a group of credit specialists formed to evaluate and structure onchain credit opportunities. [\\[6\\]](#cite-id-uVFPr5LqLIc4WTO7) \n\n### Grove Labs\n\nPaderewski co-founded Grove Labs in 2025 alongside [Mark Phillips](https://iq.wiki/wiki/mark-phillips) and [Kevin Chan](https://iq.wiki/wiki/kevin-chan). He serves as Co-Founder, Structured Finance & Credit, focusing on adapting institutional credit products and risk frameworks for onchain capital allocation. Grove Labs is a subsidiary of Steakhouse Financial and develops decentralized credit infrastructure within the Sky Ecosystem. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-Rz3T7OkSdDbDbLX7)  [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-6o9f5JQdkhFbLbxY) \n\nAt Grove’s launch, Paderewski described the protocol as a bridge between traditional and [decentralized finance](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi). He identified collateralized loan obligations as particularly suitable for onchain markets because of their yield profile and structured nature. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-tO8Kas4FQxDAGnNS)  [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-Rz3T7OkSdDbDbLX7) \n\nPaderewski has also written about Grove’s approach to institutional credit allocation. His work discusses how onchain allocators evaluate investment vehicles, asset managers, custody arrangements, reporting infrastructure, liquidity and risk controls before deploying capital. [\\[7\\]](#cite-id-nXzzzlQSP2Li393w) ","summary":"Sam Paderewski is a structured-credit specialist and co-founder of Grove Labs, where he leads structured finance and credit. Formerly at Citigroup and Hildene Capital, he focuses on bringing institutional credit and real-world assets onchain.","images":[{"id":"QmRy25Rm8RA7RJCeLGe4G5ndEPUXRT5FxYCw8EqajHXhoJ","type":"image/jpeg, image/png"}],"categories":[{"id":"people","title":"People in crypto"}],"tags":[{"id":"Advisor"},{"id":"Founder"}],"media":[],"metadata":[{"id":"linkedin_profile","value":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-paderewski-17027129/"},{"id":"twitter_profile","value":"https://x.com/0x_roo"},{"id":"references","value":"[{\"id\":\"tO8Kas4FQxDAGnNS\",\"url\":\"https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/06/25/newest-star-in-sky-ecosystem-launches-with-1b-tokenized-credit-strategy\",\"description\":\"Coindesk article\",\"timestamp\":1784074868978},{\"id\":\"cjuwKTsm3QHIKh3X\",\"url\":\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-paderewski-17027129/\",\"description\":\"LinkedIn profile\",\"timestamp\":1784124868365},{\"id\":\"Rz3T7OkSdDbDbLX7\",\"url\":\"https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250624393365/en/Grove-Announces-Launch-of-Institutional-Grade-Credit-Infrastructure-DeFi-Protocol-with-$1-Billion-Allocation-to-Tokenized-Janus-Henderson-Anemoy-AAA-CLO-Strategy\",\"description\":\"Grove Labs press release\",\"timestamp\":1784124868365},{\"id\":\"6o9f5JQdkhFbLbxY\",\"description\":\"About Grove Protocol\\n\",\"timestamp\":1785106778262,\"url\":\"https://grove.finance/about\"},{\"id\":\"vwqVjnNMTubpOFsI\",\"description\":\"Steakhouse Financial - STEP Program Manager\",\"timestamp\":1785106798999,\"url\":\"https://forum.arbitrum.foundation/t/steakhouse-financial-step-program-manager/23829\"},{\"id\":\"uVFPr5LqLIc4WTO7\",\"description\":\"Introducing the Centrifuge Credit Group\",\"timestamp\":1785106815312,\"url\":\"https://gov.centrifuge.io/t/introducing-the-centrifuge-credit-group/4994\"},{\"id\":\"nXzzzlQSP2Li393w\",\"description\":\"Inside Grove's Onchain Allocation Framework\\n\",\"timestamp\":1785106829432,\"url\":\"https://grove.finance/blog/inside-grove-onchain-allocation-framework\"}]"},{"id":"previous_cid","value":"\"https://ipfs.everipedia.org/ipfs/QmY8mnpnT9YmZdhxERZErrJP8zrcMatAGpPtxpcVrdjQLv\""},{"id":"commit-message","value":"\"Updated wiki content: revised bio to Sam is a structured credit specialist and co-founder, removed Developer tag, updated image, added 1 reference\""},{"id":"previous_cid","value":"QmY8mnpnT9YmZdhxERZErrJP8zrcMatAGpPtxpcVrdjQLv"}],"events":[],"user":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"author":{"id":"0x8AF7a19a26d8FBC48dEfB35AEfb15Ec8c407f889"},"operator":{"id":"0x1E23b34d3106F0C1c74D17f2Cd0F65cdb039b138"},"language":"en","version":1,"linkedWikis":{"blockchains":[],"founders":[],"speakers":[]},"recentActivity":"{\"items\":[{\"id\":\"1d13f18b-ffdb-4206-8bb5-8a8533882b82\",\"title\":\"Sam Paderewski\",\"description\":\"Samuel Paderewski, Co-Founder of Grove Labs, is a structured credit and DeFi professional known for his roles at Citigroup and Hildene Capital Management.\",\"timestamp\":\"2026-07-20T16:25:39.119Z\",\"category\":\"People in crypto\",\"status\":{\"icon\":\"RiGlobalLine\",\"label\":\"Wiki Updated\",\"iconClassName\":\"text-green-500\"},\"user\":{\"name\":\"0x8AF7a19a26d8FBC48dEfB35AEfb15Ec8c407f889\",\"address\":\"0x04e4a72e18b46EC55Ba1361CEFcEF0404b520f47\"},\"button\":{\"label\":\"View Summary\",\"icon\":\"RiFileTextLine\"},\"summarySections\":[{\"title\":\"Title\",\"subtitle\":\"Changed page title\",\"variant\":\"modified\",\"changeCount\":1,\"changes\":[\"Changed title from \\\"people\\\" to \\\"People in crypto\\\"\"]},{\"title\":\"Content — Intro (opening paragraph)\",\"subtitle\":\"Added internal links and updated citation markers in the opening paragraph\",\"variant\":\"modified\",\"changeCount\":1,\"changes\":[\"Added wiki link for \\\"decentralized finance\\\" (https://iq.wiki/wiki/decentralized-finance) and converted \\\"Grove Labs\\\" to a wiki link (https://iq.wiki/wiki/grove-protocol); 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