ABOUT
VIVA MINERALS
Viva Minerals is a privately funded company focused on the acquisition and management of natural gas and oil minerals and royalties in the Haynesville play of East Texas and Louisiana and the Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma. We utilize the same proven strategy and underwriting standards that were successfully deployed at PHX Minerals, where our leadership team executed over $140 million in acquisitions, generating strong returns despite volatile commodity markets.
Founded by five members, including four former PHX Minerals executives with over 70 years of combined energy sector experience, our team brings institutional-grade expertise and deep regional knowledge to every acquisition. Following PHX Minerals' successful sale in June 2025, we established Viva Minerals to continue our disciplined investment approach, leveraging our proven track record and industry relationships to identify and execute strategic opportunities that maximize value.
Meet Our Team
Ralph D'Amico
Partner, CEO
Ralph D'Amico brings over 20 years of energy sector expertise to Viva Minerals. As CFO of PHX Minerals (2020-2025) and VP of Business Development (2019-2020), he spearheaded the development and execution of a mineral-focused acquisition strategy, successfully deploying over $140 million in the mineral and royalty space. Ralph holds a Bachelor's in Finance from the University of Maryland and an MBA from George Washington University.
Chad True
Partner, CFO
Chad True brings 17 years of audit and accounting experience to Viva Minerals. As Senior Vice President of Accounting at PHX Minerals (2020-2025), he led all legal, SEC, financial, and tax reporting requirements while developing and implementing new systems and processes for internal data management and reporting. Prior to PHX, Chad held audit and accounting positions at Grant Thornton and Wexford Capital. He holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Accounting from Oklahoma State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Kenna Clapp
Partner, EVP of Land
Kenna Clapp brings 16 years of oil and gas experience to Viva Minerals. As Vice President of Land at PHX Minerals (2020-2025), she led all aspects of land management, including division orders, leasing, title review, and internal performance reporting, while handling all legal and land due diligence for the acquisition program. Prior to PHX, Kenna held various land positions at Chesapeake Energy across multiple plays including the Haynesville, Mid-Continent, Eagle Ford, and Barnett. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance from Oklahoma State University and a Juris Doctor from Oklahoma City University.
Danielle Mezo
Partner, EVP of Engineering
Danielle Mezo brings 16 years of oil and gas experience to Viva Minerals. As Vice President of Engineering at PHX Minerals (2020-2025), she led all aspects of engineering for acquisitions and corporate planning while managing the technical team. Prior to PHX, Danielle held various reservoir engineering positions, primarily at SandRidge Energy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and is a licensed professional engineer.
Michael Kao
Partner, Strategy
Mike brings over 30 years of investment experience across commodities, credit, and equity markets. He began his career in the commodities unit at J. Aron/Goldman Sachs in New York, trading over 25 different commodity markets and their derivatives. After earning his MBA in Finance from The Wharton School, Mike joined Canyon Partners as a partner and co-founder of the Canyon Arbitrage Fund, focusing on convertible and capital structure arbitrage as well as event-driven strategies. He later founded Akanthos Capital Management, LLC, running an opportunistic, value-driven investment strategy. Mike holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science from UC Berkeley and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.