Need a trading buddy? Join our crew! Our Coaches have been trading together for over a decade, and now they’re taking their daily office banter live, so you can be part of the action and discuss the markets and your trading strategy along with us.
The hosts
Michael Patak
Founder & CEO
Michael started in the live markets at 18 by losing three $30K accounts. After losing, he found the importance of developing his skills in a simulated environment and became a professional prop trader. He then traded his own capital on the top step (yes, that’s where “Topstep” came from) in the CBOT Dow Jones Futures trading pit. Michael has helped thousands of traders learn the safe way to trade while growing the first and #1 prop firm in the industry.
Eddie Horn
Senior Performance Coach
Eddie started his career at the CME in 1985 as a runner for Thomson McKinnon Futures. From there, he gained experience in Currencies, working in the pits. Eddie’s advice and direction has given thousands of traders a more straightforward path to better habits, stronger skills, and long-term success, in his 13+ years at Topstep. Watch his Funded Trader interviews and nearly 80 podcasts on YouTube with some of the top names in the industry.
John Hoagland
Senior Performance Coach
John has 35+ years of futures trading experience. He traded on the CME floor for 20 years before moving to the screens in 2009. As a member of the Founding Team, he’s developed thousands of traders at Topstep and is passionate about improving individual performance. Check out his educational content and Youtube. You can also catch him in Group Coaching and on TopstepTV’s daily trading broadcast, entertaining traders, seeking context, and finding opportunity.
Andre McHugh
Performance Coach
Andre has been a professional, full-time trader since 2006 and was a clerk on The CBOT floor before then. He trades primarily equity, currency, and fixed-income futures, and has been with Topstep since its founding. Catch him on TopstepTV pretty much everyday!
Mick Ieronimo
Risk Manager
Mick has 20+ years of futures trading experience. After getting his start on the CME floor in Grains, he made the transition to full time discretionary trading on the screen. He also operated as a market maker for a proprietary trading firm, as well as execution for a hedge fund prior to joining Topstep in 2015 as Risk Manager.
Jack Pelzer
Executive Producer
Jack traded for 7 years in the Treasury spreads group at two large Chicago prop firms. He left the industry to pursue his true love, internet content. Holding degrees in economics and business, Jack loves to look at the larger picture in the markets, evaluate trends, and hopefully present them in a somewhat entertaining manner.
John Doherty
Executive Producer
John is a 20 veteran of the futures trading industry. In 2001, he joined a high volume market making group where he managed large positions in the 30-year Bonds and 10-year Treasury Notes. In 2007 he transitioned to full-time electronic trading. John joined Topstep in 2019 and is a regular contributor to TopstepTV.
Robert Cooney
Platform & Algorithm Specialist
Robert has been trading & investing since 2002. He began day trading full-time in 2017 with stocks and crypto, switching to futures in 2018. His focus is on intraday, short-term trades on NQ, ES, RTY, and YM. He uses the “Occam’s Razor” approach meaning, “the simplest explanation is usually the best”.
in-house guests
Alyssa Kaufman
TopQuiz Guest
Bonnie Chen
TopQuiz Guest
Brooke Smith
TopQuiz Guest
Brett Goodwin
Risk Manager
Ben Street
ES Performance Coach
Erich Graff
NQ and ES Performance Coach
Kourtland Taylor
ZB and ES Performance Coach
Martin Hunt
NQ and ES Performance Coach
Mike Ewing
NQ Performance Coach
Nick Dolby
Frequent Power Player
Sarah Hecker
TopQuiz Guest
Tyler Travis
ES Performance Coach
Vanessa Wright
TopQuiz Guest
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