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APRIL 25, 2024


NAVIGATING THE POST-SALE TRANSITION AS A BUYER

Buying Denver


By Adam Burroughs

Black Lake Capital's Charles Scripps on what changes, and what doesn't, after a
private equity acquisition.

Investing Detroit



APRIL 25, 2024


TO GROW OR NOT DEPENDS ON YOUR PEOPLE

The midday panel at this year's Detroit Smart Business Dealmakers Conference
covers how to assess the right time to make an investment — whether the decision
is to sell or grow.

Buying St. Louis



APRIL 25, 2024


CHANGING TIMES IN M&A REQUIRE BUYER ADJUSTMENTS

Permanent Equity's Taylor Hall on the challenges and opportunities in today's
M&A market.

Integration Boston Detroit Atlanta Cleveland Philadelphia Houston



APRIL 25, 2024


HARNESSING MARKETING AND SALES ACROSS PE DEAL STAGES

Chief Outsiders Slade Kobran, Dawn Werry and Evan Eckman talk about how using
proven marketing and sales strategies across various deal stages can amplify
returns.

Raising Capital Buying Columbus



APRIL 25, 2024


HOW TO UNLOCK VALUE AND CREATE EXCITEMENT FOR INVESTORS

CollisionRight's Richard Harrison on the importance of generating investor
excitement when executing a roll-up strategy.

Buying Integration Dallas



APRIL 25, 2024


COMMON ACQUISITION PITFALLS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

ID Images Jeffrey Fielkow on some of the pitfalls that can trip up acquisitions,
and how to avoid them

Dealmakers Baltimore



APRIL 25, 2024


RECOGNIZING BALTIMORE'S SMART BUSINESS NETWORK DEALMAKER AWARD WINNERS AND 2024
DEALMAKERS HALL OF FAME CLASS!

Read about the Dealmakers of the Year we're honoring in Baltimore this year and
check out the accomplishments of our Hall of Famers.

Selling Deal Prep Liquidity Events Minneapolis



APRIL 18, 2024


SELLERS, BE PREPARED TO BURY YOUR BUSINESS

Forever Bride's Ashley Hawks on how sellers can set themselves up mentally for
the sale of their business

Buying Chicago



APRIL 18, 2024


HIGHER MULTIPLES REQUIRES GREATER BUYER SCRUTINY

MERK Capital Corp.'s Thomas Parro on how today's economic conditions are
affecting buyers' approach to deals

Dealmakers Detroit



APRIL 18, 2024


RECOGNIZING DETROIT'S SMART BUSINESS NETWORK DEALMAKER AWARD WINNERS AND 2024
DEALMAKERS HALL OF FAME CLASS!

We celebrated the accomplishments of the 2024 class of winners April 18 at the
Detroit Smart Business Dealmakers Conference. Together, they provide a strong
picture of the Detroit business community.

Selling Deal Prep Houston



APRIL 18, 2024


TO GENERATE VALUE, RUN THE BUSINESS LIKE YOU'LL BE THERE FOR 100 YEARS

Schumann Steier's Arthur Steier on generating value for a business

Selling Deal Prep Atlanta



APRIL 10, 2024


WHY YOU SHOULD VIEW A DEAL AS A LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP

A&R Ironworks John Chesnutt on seeing deals with a long-term view.

Raising Capital Deal Prep Boston



APRIL 10, 2024


START WITH THE END IN MIND

Volato's Phil Michaels on the importance of starting with the end in mind.

Trends Pittsburgh



APRIL 10, 2024


PITSBURGH DEAL ACTIVITY: INCREASED SCRUTINY ON FORECASTS IN A VOLATILE MARKET

While the primary impetus for this change in buyer perspective stems largely
from the pandemic and other macroeconomic factors like interest rate increases
and complex geopolitical conditions, we expect that this aspect of buyer
assessment will become a regular step in the deal process for the foreseeable
future.

Buying Selling Deal Prep Philadelphia



APRIL 4, 2024


THE RISING IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE IN DRIVING BUSINESS VALUE IN A DEAL

SolomonEdwardsGroup's Laura Kellers Queen on the rising importance of people in
driving business value in a deal.

Trends Cleveland



APRIL 4, 2024


CLEVELAND DEAL ACTIVITY: RESURFACING OF FINANCIAL SPONSORS AS BOTH BUYERS,
SELLERS

Because of the record levels of uninvested capital from record levels of
fundraising by private equity groups over the past three years, financial
sponsors are expected to be more aggressive and active on the buy side in 2024.

Raising Capital Nashville



APRIL 4, 2024


BE HONEST WHEN COURTING CAPITAL

FreightWise's Chris Cochran on how best to leverage different capital providers
to achieve business results.

Selling Boston Detroit Atlanta Cleveland Philadelphia Houston



APRIL 4, 2024


HOW TO MAXIMIZE PE VALUE CREATION BY BETTER ASSESSING GROWTH POTENTIAL IN DUE
DILIGENCE

Chief Outsiders Managing Partner, Private Equity, Slade Kobran outlines and
approach to value creation that starts in due diligence.

Buying Denver



MARCH 27, 2024


NUANCES OF BUYING MOM-AND-POP BUSINESSES

G&G Garbage's Michael Desmond on funding deals and the opportunities, and
challenges, of buying small companies.

Trends Columbus



MARCH 27, 2024


COLUMBUS DEAL ACTIVITY: RESURFACING OF FINANCIAL SPONSORS AS BOTH BUYERS,
SELLERS

Because of the record levels of uninvested capital from record levels of
fundraising by private equity groups over the past three years, financial
sponsors are expected to be more aggressive and active on the buy side in 2024.

Trends Dallas



MARCH 27, 2024


FORMER FBI AGENT ON THE ALARMING EVOLUTION OF CYBERTHREATS

Cyber Defense Labs Robert Anderson, Jr. on the state of cyberthreats today and
how they've evolved in recent years

Trends St. Louis



MARCH 21, 2024


THE IMPORTANCE OF DRIVING LOCAL INVESTMENT IN ST. LOUIS

BioSTL Founding President and CEO Donn Rubin, along with USAKO Group President
and CEO Dr. Han Ko and Capacity Chief Strategy Officer Douglas Wilber shared
their perspective on what it takes to build a company in the region.

Selling Deal Prep Houston



MARCH 21, 2024


LESSONS LEARNED FROM A SALE PROCESS

Champions Hydro-Lawn's Shea Walker on lessons learned after going through a sale
process

Selling Deal Prep Baltimore



MARCH 21, 2024


WHEN SELLING A BUSINESS, GET HELP BUT GET GOING

Red Hawk Past Owner Gillet Boyce on the advice he'd give to owners selling a
business for the first time.

Family Business Minneapolis



MARCH 21, 2024


THE HARD WORK OF NOT BECOMING ANOTHER FAMILY BUSINESS STATISTIC

Pump and Meter Service's Kurt Radermacher on his experience taking over the
family business

Dealmakers Boston



MARCH 21, 2024


CCA GLOBAL PARTNERS HOWARD BRODSKY ON THE OUTSIZED IMPACT OF DELIVERING THE
UNEXPECTED

CCA Global Partners Howard Brodsky on the common traits of the some of the
world's most successful entrepreneurs and the outsized impact delivering the
unexpected can yield for a business.

Buying Detroit



MARCH 14, 2024


TO CLOSE DEALS, GET PERSONAL

LUXIT Group's Stephane Vedie on the impact relationships can have in M&A

Buying Atlanta



MARCH 14, 2024


DEAL MATH: QUANTIFYING CULTURE, PREDICTING LIFESPAN

Crown Capital's Christopher Graham on the unexpected ways math can measure deal
risk

Dealmakers Dallas



MARCH 14, 2024


ANNOUNCING DALLAS' SMART BUSINESS NETWORK DEALMAKER AWARD WINNERS AND 2024
DEALMAKERS HALL OF FAME CLASS!

Here are the Dallas Dealmaker of the Year Award honorees and Hall of Famers
we're recognizing this year!

Deal Prep Raising Capital Chicago



MARCH 7, 2024


POLICIES THAT BRING BIG-PICTURE METRICS DOWN TO THE FACTORY FLOOR

Innovations in Nutrition and Wellness Former CEO Jared Leishman on programs
designed to engage employees in achieving company goals.

Buying Family Business Milwaukee



MARCH 7, 2024


FOR BLIFFERT LUMBER, PEOPLE ARE CENTRAL TO A DEAL

Bliffert Lumber's Eli Bliffert on the role a target's people play in a deal

Trends Boston Detroit Atlanta Cleveland Philadelphia Houston



MARCH 7, 2024


AI TRENDS FOR THE PROGRESSIVE CEO: NAVIGATING THE TRANSFORMATIVE LANDSCAPE

Chief Outsiders' Ed Valdez and Angus Robertson rank the eight most important
factors in the AI scene to pay attention to right now.

Dealmakers St. Louis



MARCH 7, 2024


ANNOUNCING ST. LOUIS' SMART BUSINESS NETWORK DEALMAKER AWARD WINNERS AND 2024
DEALMAKERS HALL OF FAME CLASS!

We're celebrating the accomplishments of the 2024 class of winners March 14 at
the St. Louis Smart Business Dealmakers Conference. Together, they provide a
strong picture of the St. Louis business community.

Trends Pittsburgh



MARCH 7, 2024


IT'S COMPLICATED: EARNOUTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON A DEAL

The full Pittsburgh Smart Business Dealmakers Conference Kickoff panel offer
their takes on the earnout's role in a deal — for better and worse.

Deal Prep Liquidity Events Cleveland



FEBRUARY 29, 2024


FIND ADVISORS WHO YOU TRUST WITH YOUR LIFE

Speedeon Data's Gerard Daher on the importance of advisors and mentors as he
prepares for an exit.

Selling Deal Prep Philadelphia



FEBRUARY 29, 2024


INSIDE THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF SELL OR DON'T SELL

Osage Venture Partners' Emily Foote on how she came to the decision she made
with Practice, a company she co-founded.

Liquidity Events Nashville



FEBRUARY 29, 2024


THE ROLE OF A FAMILY OFFICE FOR FOUNDERS

615 Ventures' Rob Bellenfant, along with UBS's Mark Tepsich and James Jack, on
the challenges of starting a family office after an exit, as well as strategies
to better handle the new responsibilities.

Dealmakers Boston



FEBRUARY 29, 2024


ANNOUNCING BOSTON'S SMART BUSINESS NETWORK DEALMAKER AWARD WINNERS AND 2024
DEALMAKERS HALL OF FAME CLASS!

Here are the Boston Dealmaker of the Year Award honorees and Hall of Famers
we're recognizing this year!

Selling Deal Prep Chicago Houston Atlanta Dallas New York



FEBRUARY 29, 2024


6 TIPS A GOOD CFO SHOULD OFFER BUSINESS OWNERS SEEKING AN EXIT

SeatonHill's Shyamal Parikh on six things business owners should do in
preparation for a sale.

Selling Minneapolis



FEBRUARY 21, 2024


SELLERS, KEEP IT SIMPLE WHEN TALKING WITH BUYERS

Circuit Check's Chris Scorse on the importance of clear communication between
sellers and potential buyers.

Raising Capital Buying Houston



FEBRUARY 21, 2024


DETERMINING THE RIGHT CAPITAL STRUCTURE TO FINANCE ACQUISITIONS

TD Williamson's Cris Gaut on financing deals and determining the right capital
structure as the company moves through its lifecycle.

Dealmakers Pittsburgh



FEBRUARY 21, 2024


ANNOUNCING PITTSBURGH'S SMART BUSINESS NETWORK DEALMAKER AWARD WINNERS AND 2024
DEALMAKERS HALL OF FAME CLASS!

Here are the Pittsburgh Dealmaker of the Year Award honorees and Hall of Famers
we're recognizing this year!

Family Business Selling Deal Prep Denver



FEBRUARY 15, 2024


THE UNEXPECTED SALE OF A FAMILY BUSINESS

Former Birko Corporation Owner Kelly Green on the shift to selling her family
business.

Selling Atlanta



FEBRUARY 15, 2024


DOING RIGHT BY YOUR TEAM IN A DEAL

Juvare's Robert Watson on the importance of focusing on the team during a
transaction.

Raising Capital Buying Baltimore



FEBRUARY 15, 2024


HOW MARKET SHIFTS ARE IMPACTING PE FUNDRAISING

Sidereal Capital Group Jabbar Abdi on the state of PE fundraising.

Dealmakers Nashville



FEBRUARY 15, 2024


ANNOUNCING NASHVILLE'S SMART BUSINESS NETWORK DEALMAKER AWARD WINNERS AND 2024
DEALMAKERS HALL OF FAME CLASS!

The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards and Hall of Fame
recognize exceptional individuals who are shaping the landscape of business and
innovation in Nashville.

Buying Chicago



FEBRUARY 9, 2024


CAPITAL COSTS AND THE IMPACT ON DEALMAKING

Monarch Collective's Suk Shah on capital options today and the effect on M&A

Raising Capital Milwaukee



FEBRUARY 9, 2024


TO FINANCE A DEAL, GET CREATIVE

ARME Group's Ron Beam on the opportunities and risks that come with getting deal
capital

Family Business Detroit



FEBRUARY 9, 2024


FIRING SISTERS AND SETTING UP A SON'S FIRST LLC

Preferred Data Systems' Kelly Comeaux on life growing up in a family business.

Dealmakers St. Louis



FEBRUARY 9, 2024


RAISING CAPITAL AND COMPETING WITH UNICORNS

Hungry Planet CEO Todd Boyman talks about launching Hungry Planet and why it
raised modest capital compared to its unicorn competitors.

Deal Prep Boston



FEBRUARY 2, 2024


WHY CEOS AT MIDSIZE FIRMS MUST EMBRACE TECH TO COMPETE

Committing to gradual modernization now is infinitely better than a panicked
scramble for reinvention when the markets force your hand.

Deal Prep Houston



FEBRUARY 2, 2024


TO MAXIMIZE VALUE, BUILD A GREAT TEAM

DGP Capital's Jack Chang on what sellers can do to make their business
attractive to buyers, when they should start the process and who they can turn
to for help as they work to maximize their deal.

Selling Deal Prep Philadelphia



FEBRUARY 1, 2024


KNOWLEDGE IS POWER FOR SELLERS

Keith Lipman on the prep work that went into the sale of his company,
Prosperoware

Family Business St. Louis



FEBRUARY 1, 2024


COMPETING ON CULTURE

Seyer Industries' Chris Seyer on how he uses culture as a competitive
differentiator.

Selling Deal Prep Cleveland



FEBRUARY 1, 2024


KNOW YOUR BUYER'S INTENTIONS WHEN SELLING

SupplySide Group's Ansir Junaid on the importance of understanding the different
buyer types and what they mean for your business post-sale.

Dealmakers Boston



JANUARY 26, 2024


FAILURE IS OK — AND OTHER LESSONS FROM ROB HALE

Rob Hale became a billionaire and lost it all by the age of 35. But he rebounded
from that failure to co-found Granite Telecommunications, which made him a
billionaire again and made it possible for him to become a co-owner of the NBA's
Boston Celtics. He shares 3 lessons he learned along the way.

Integration Houston



JANUARY 25, 2024


SHIFTING TO THE PE PERSPECTIVE AS AN OPERATOR

ZXP Technologies' Jason Sanchez on being an operator in a private equity-backed
company.

Buying Baltimore



JANUARY 25, 2024


THE NUANCES OF BUYING SMALL COMPANIES

Chesapeake Chemlab's Tim Krongard on the challenges, and opportunities, when
buying smaller companies.

Selling Deal Prep Minneapolis



JANUARY 25, 2024


ARE YOU REALLY READY TO SELL?

Big Dot of Happiness Founder and Former CEO Sherri Yukel on how she prepared
herself and her business for a sale.

Dealmakers Cleveland



JANUARY 19, 2024


CAVS CEO NIC BARLAGE ON CREATING A WINNING CULTURE

Nic Barlage, CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rock Entertainment Group,
discusses talent acquisition and development, building a winning culture, and
the importance of leadership on the Smart Business Dealmakers Podcast.

Investing Boston Detroit Atlanta Cleveland Philadelphia Houston



JANUARY 18, 2024


TUNE YOUR PE GROWTH ENGINE WITH THESE 4 PRINCIPLES

Chief Outsiders columnist Jack Bowen outlines how to optimize portfolio-company
performance and maximize growth opportunities.

Dealmakers Chicago



JANUARY 18, 2024


HAFEEZAH MUHAMMAD ON PEOPLE AND ANALYTICS IN DEALS

Hafeezah Muhammad's company Backpack Healthcare recently acquired two companies.
At the 2023 Chicago Smart Business Dealmakers Conference, she talked about how
the business has supercharged its

Family Business Dealmakers Denver



JANUARY 18, 2024


HOW ACQUISITIONS HELP BABSON FARMS DIVERSIFY REVENUE

Taylor Kirkpatrick is generation four of Babson Farms, a family enterprise that
started originally with dairy equipment manufacturing — the largest in the
world, he says — until they sold the business

Raising Capital Dealmakers Atlanta



JANUARY 18, 2024


CAPITAL CONSIDERATIONS TO MAXIMIZE FLEXIBILITY

When capital was really plentiful, CFO Ron Oertell says for his company,
Purchasing Power, the focus was on making sure they had many options. "We
established separate SPVs, we established staggered

Selling Dealmakers Deal Prep Columbus



JANUARY 18, 2024


SALLY HUGHES ON LETTING GO

Sally Hughes founded Caster Connection in 1987 when she started selling chair
casters out of the trunk of her car. Over 36 years, she built the business up to
include some 3,000 different products,

Dealmakers Nashville



JANUARY 12, 2024


WHY HEALTH CARE STARTUPS FAIL

Jumpstart Capital founder and managing partner Vic Gatto has been investing in
early-stage health care businesses for nearly a decade. His organization —
Jumpstart Foundry, Jumpstart Health Investors

Dealmakers Family Business Detroit



JANUARY 12, 2024


FINANCIAL ISSUES TO CONSIDER WHEN DOING INTERNATIONAL ACQUISITIONS

Gentherm closed two deals in July of 2022. One was a German multinational that
added to the company's automotive space. The other was a domestic acquisition in
China for its medical business. The deal

Buying Pittsburgh



JANUARY 11, 2024


WHEN IT COMES TO ASSESSING CULTURE, LISTEN TO YOUR GUT

HB Global's Bob Whalen on the critical importance of culture in a deal and how
to assess it.

Dealmakers Cleveland



JANUARY 5, 2024


EXPLORING CAPITAL OPTIONS IN A CHALLENGING MARKET

Working within the commercial real estate space, Spencer Pisczak, president and
founding Member of Premier Development Partners, says the current climate is in
many ways a challenge. "The big problem

Early-stage Milwaukee



JANUARY 5, 2024


NVNG'S CARRIE THOME ON BECOMING THE INVESTEE

Carrie Thome left the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, where, as the Chief
Investment Officer, she oversaw a $3 billion investment portfolio, to co-found
NVNG Investment Advisors.

Selling Dealmakers St. Louis



JANUARY 5, 2024


EVEN WITH EXPERIENCE, SELLING A FAMILY BUSINESS CAN BE A CHALLENGE

Recently, Jeff Gershman, Chairman of the Board, of Gershman Mortgage & Gershman
Investment Corp., sold Gershman Commercial Real Estate, a brokerage and property
management company. Through his law

Dealmakers Philadelphia



JANUARY 5, 2024


AGROFRESH SOLUTIONS' CLINTON LEWIS, JR. ON TAKING THE PUBLIC COMPANY PRIVATE

AgroFresh Solutions Inc. was spunoff into a stand-alone public company, listed
on NASDAQ, after Dow Chemical acquired Rohm and Haas, of which it had originally
been a part. Clinton A. Lewis, Jr.

Deal Prep Boston



JANUARY 5, 2024


NAVIGATING THE JOURNEY FROM DILIGENCE TO EXIT IN PRIVATE EQUITY

Chief Outsiders' Slade Kobran shares some key considerations from PE operating
partners that ought to be taken from diligence to exit, and the go-to-market
strategies they’ve used to foster success.

Buying Minneapolis



DECEMBER 15, 2023


FOR PERFORCE SOFTWARE, DEAL SPEED IS CRITICAL

Perforce Software's Mark Ties on his company's approach to M&A and why speed is
crucial to deal success.

Selling Houston



DECEMBER 15, 2023


A TALE OF TWO EXITS

Allie Danziger, SVP and GM at AscentUP and Ascent Funding, on how lessons from
her first sale informed how she approached the second.

Trends Cleveland



DECEMBER 15, 2023


CLEVELAND DEAL ACTIVITY: CULTURAL FIT MATTERS

One of the most critical aspects of a successful transaction is cultural fit.
There are several reasons it matters. Here are a few that can determine success
or failure.

Family Business Columbus



DECEMBER 7, 2023


SETTING UP THE NEXT GENERATIONS

Lisa Ingram, president and CEO of White Castle, on how the 10,000-employee
company prepares its family to participate in the business.

Integration Buying Milwaukee



DECEMBER 7, 2023


TACKLING THE PEOPLE PART OF DEALS

Borgman Capital's Megan Brobson on communication strategies for buyers and
sellers involved in an M&A process.

Buying Detroit



DECEMBER 7, 2023


BUYERS, TAKE IT ONE DEAL AT A TIME

Stellex Capital Management's Shankar Kiru on the importance of approaching deals
on a case-by-case basis.

Dealmakers Nashville



DECEMBER 7, 2023


BUILDING A BRIDGE OF OPPORTUNITY FROM CORNER TO CORNER

Compelled by Jesus’ invitation to ‘love our neighbors as we love ourselves,’
Corner to Corner was founded by Will and Tiffany Acuff in 2011. The young couple
wanted to create a relationship-centered

Family Business Philadelphia



DECEMBER 1, 2023


TO THRIVE, A FAMILY BUSINESS NEEDS RULES

Jim Jurgielewicz, of Joe Jurgielewicz & Son Ltd., on the rough couple years the
business experienced and how the rules the family set help them keep it
together.

Selling Pittsburgh



DECEMBER 1, 2023


LEVEL AGENCY'S PATRICK PATTERSON RAISES THE GROWTH BAR

Level Agency's Patrick Patterson on the management buyout, how he connected with
his PE backers and what it took to close the deal, what life is like with a PE
partner and the agency's plans for the future.

Buying Cleveland



DECEMBER 1, 2023


WHY DEALS FALL APART + REASON FOR CAUTION WITH EARN OUTS

The Riverside Company's Cheryl Strom on why most deals fall apart, as well as
why sellers should use caution when earn outs are part of a deal.

Selling Denver



NOVEMBER 21, 2023


BUYER HONESTY CAN MEAN GREATER SELLER BUY-IN

Tendit Group CEO Alejandra Harvey Oliver on how the seller mindset can affect
the deal process.

Dealmakers Baltimore



NOVEMBER 17, 2023


FOR SCLOGIC, TIME IS TICKING FOR AN EXIT

Mike Saldi, founder and CEO of SCLogic, feels he's running out of time. And that
in part why his company began running a process. "At 60 years old, I've got to
figure out what's next," Saldi said at

Selling Strategy St. Louis



NOVEMBER 17, 2023


SEE YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH BUYERS' EYES

The advice to business owners looking to exit is often to get the right advisers
and plan well ahead of going to market. But for many, that's not always the
reality. "We deal with the business owners

Deal Prep Selling Milwaukee



NOVEMBER 17, 2023


HOW BUYER TYPE AFFECTS DEAL PREP

When running businesses for private equity groups, Kevin Matkin, CEO of Maysteel
Industries LLC says what's often important when preparing for a sale depends on
the buyer type. For a financial buyer,

Trends Cleveland



NOVEMBER 17, 2023


THE FOURTH QUARTER COMEBACK

Sports enthusiasts can attest that there are few scenarios more thrilling than a
fourth quarter comeback. And no NFL quarterback has led more fourth quarter
comebacks than future Hall of Famer Tom

Raising Capital Nashville



NOVEMBER 17, 2023


REIMAGINE CARE SHIFTS ONCOLOGY CARE TO PATIENT’S HOME

While service providers such as hotels and restaurants were severely debilitated
by the pandemic shutdown, others thrived. One such example is Reimagine Care, a
Nashville-based in-home cancer care

Trends Houston



NOVEMBER 16, 2023


THE IMPACT OF HUMAN CAPITAL ON M&A DEALS

Caliber Midstream Company's Joseph Mills and Cooper Machinery Services' John
O'Brien on the power of people in dealmaking.

Trends Minneapolis



NOVEMBER 10, 2023


MAYOR, BUSINESS LEADERS ON THE EVOLUTION OF DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS

Minneapolis city and business leaders discuss downtown revitalization and the
role that the business community leaders play in making a dynamic and vibrant
downtown a reality.

Trends Columbus



NOVEMBER 10, 2023


DEAL ACTIVITY: THE 4TH QUARTER COMEBACK

A brief look at history would indicate that total U.S. deal volume and Tom Brady
have something in common: completing a 4th quarter comeback.

Dealmakers Pittsburgh



NOVEMBER 3, 2023


VEN RAJU ON INVESTOR OPPORTUNITIES IN PITTSBURGH

After years of investing in early-stage companies in the SaaS, robotics,
Internet of Things, health and fin tech spaces, Ven Raju has taken his talents
from New York to Pittsburgh where he now heads

Dealmakers Cleveland



NOVEMBER 3, 2023


PUTTING YOUR SUPERPOWER TO WORK POST EXIT

It's always a good time to start thinking about life after the sale of a
business, says North Coast Ventures Managing Director Todd Federman. That, he
says, can help business owners avoid being one of

Deal Prep Dealmakers Philadelphia



NOVEMBER 3, 2023


GREATER DILIGENCE MEANS GREATER DEAL PREP

In the market today, there's been a change in availability of debt and the cost
of that debt, says Mereo Capital Partners Managing Partner John O'Hare. There's
also an issue of meeting seller

Dealmakers Atlanta



OCTOBER 27, 2023


DEEPER DILIGENCE PUTS MORE ONUS ON SELLERS

Macroeconomic factors are driving due diligence that is much deeper, taking
longer and is more important to deal making, says Mark Kessler, a partner at
Palmares Capital Partners. Looking across the

Dealmakers Minneapolis



OCTOBER 27, 2023


ANNOUNCING MINNEAPOLIS' SMART BUSINESS NETWORK DEALMAKER AWARD WINNERS AND 2023
DEALMAKERS HALL OF FAME CLASS!

The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards recognize exceptional
individuals who are shaping the landscape of business and innovation in
Minneapolis. In addition, The Minneapolis

Dealmakers Deal Prep Detroit



OCTOBER 27, 2023


THE SEARCH FOR CLEAN DEALS

No deal is perfect, but Dan Weingartz, CEO of W&P Management, says that it's
just gotten to where there needs to be cleanliness across everything — the
financials, the strategy, the leadership and

Dealmakers Cleveland



OCTOBER 20, 2023


CLEVELAND DEAL ACTIVITY: RISE IN BANKRUPTCIES DRIVE DISTRESSED M&A ACTIVITY

Throughout 2023, the U.S. M&A landscape has been significantly shaped by a
notable rise in distressed M&A transactions. According to bankruptcy filings
from the U.S. Courts, the number of Chapter 11

Dealmakers Charlotte



OCTOBER 20, 2023


CHARLOTTE M&A HONOREES ANNOUNCED!

The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards recognize exceptional
individuals who are shaping the landscape of business and innovation in
Charlotte. The 2023 class of winners — who will

Dealmakers Nashville



OCTOBER 20, 2023


BUYING WHAT'S NOT IN THE NUMBERS

Randy Overton says in health care M&A in recent years, he's seen all kinds of
books. "All of the sudden, everybody is the most valuable company in the world,"
says Overton, CFO of FastPace Health.

Dealmakers Denver



OCTOBER 20, 2023


STEVE BALL ON GROWING ZESTY PAWS AHEAD OF ITS $610M SALE

Steve Ball, the former CEO and board member of Zesty Paws, helped lead the pet
supplements company to extraordinary growth that eventually led to its sale to
Health & Happiness (H&H) Group

Dealmakers Columbus



OCTOBER 13, 2023


IN THIS MARKET, CREATIVE DEALMAKERS THRIVE

Slow M&A deal flow in 2022 has trickled into 2023 as more people are standing on
the sidelines concerned about rising interest rates and the perpetual threat of
a recession. Though deal flow as picked

Selling Deal Prep Milwaukee



OCTOBER 13, 2023


WHEN SELLING, ASK MANY QUESTIONS

As he was looking into selling Insight Publications, Publisher Brian Rasmussen
had a lot to think about. Given his age, energy level, and a sense that, given
the nature of his business, he wasn't

Dealmakers Chicago



OCTOBER 13, 2023


MIDWEST VALUES BOUY BUSINESSES WHEN FUNDAMENTALS ARE THE FOCUS

The Chicago Smart Business Dealmakers Conference kicked off with insights and
strategies for navigating the post-exit landscape, as well as the speakers'
perspective on what's been a tricky M&A

Selling Cleveland



OCTOBER 6, 2023


THE MILLION-DOLLAR QUESTION WHEN CONSIDERING A SALE

Knowing when to sell a business is challenging, says Richard Hamlin, executive
vice president of The Reserve Group, a family office and management company.
While much depends on the owner's personal

Dealmakers Strategy Pittsburgh



OCTOBER 6, 2023


INTEREST RATES EFFECT STRATEGY, BUT MULTIPLES REMAIN INSULATED

Interest rates have an impact on a variety of factors — not just in M&A, but in
business in general. That's causing businesses to develop strategies to minimize
the impact of those rising rates to

Dealmakers Chicago



SEPTEMBER 29, 2023


CHICAGO M&A HONOREES NAMED

The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year awards recognize exceptional
individuals who are shaping the landscape of business and innovation in Greater
Chicago. The 2023 class of winners —

Dealmakers Philadelphia



SEPTEMBER 29, 2023


OPTIMISM FOR BETTER M&A TIMES IS ON THE HORIZON

Headlines of articles covering the M&A market over the past couple of months and
years have painted a challenging picture, says UBS Market Executive,
Philadelphia & DC Market Julie Fox. However, they

Selling Strategy Dealmakers Baltimore



SEPTEMBER 29, 2023


THE 15-YEAR PROCESS OF SELLING COLLABRASPACE

CollabraSpace Co-Founder Ray Schwemmer says he would get cold calls all the time
from people looking to buy his software company. "We basically just ignored
them," he said at the Baltimore Smart

Family Business Selling Strategy St. Louis



SEPTEMBER 29, 2023


TRANSPARENCY IS NEEDED WHEN SELLING A FAMILY BUSINESS

Multigenerational family businesses, says Richard J. Wolkowitz, CEO and Family
Advisor at Xylogenesis | Family Office Advisory, are tough. The family working
in the business may have a different

Selling Cleveland



SEPTEMBER 22, 2023


SELLING SGT. CLEAN

Two years ago, Brian Krusz, co-founder and director of growth and development at
Sgt. Clean Car Wash, brought on a financial partner, Prairie Capital, who he
says has helped the decade-old,

Dealmakers Columbus



SEPTEMBER 22, 2023


INCREASING INVESTMENT IN CENTRAL OHIO

On the heels of the Intel announcement that created much buzz in Central Ohio,
Chris Michael a partner at Ice Miller LLP, led the kickoff panel at the Columbus
Smart Business Dealmakers Conference

Dealmakers Detroit



SEPTEMBER 22, 2023


HOW NOT LISTENING TO ADVICE BENEFITTED SKYSPECS

SkySpecs CEO Danny Ellis has raised a few rounds of funding — six in total — and
has learned several lessons from the experience. "A lot of mistakes in the early
days," Ellis says. "We probably over

Selling Deal Prep Minneapolis



SEPTEMBER 15, 2023


4 TIPS FOR PREPARING TO SELL YOUR BUSINESS

Northern Lakes Capital partner Joel Grebenick share what sellers should consider
when thinking about an exit.

Selling Atlanta



SEPTEMBER 14, 2023


FOR A SUCCESSFUL SALE, KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

With early-stage tech companies, it's important to figure out what the
entrepreneur wants because often the entrepreneur is near burnout, says Sig
Mosley, managing partner of Mosley Ventures.

Selling Family Business Milwaukee



SEPTEMBER 14, 2023


CANDID REASONS NOT TO PASS YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT GENERATION

How — and why — Thomas J. Young sold Arrowhead Systems, a business he had no
intention of selling.

Dealmakers Cleveland



SEPTEMBER 8, 2023


CLEVELAND DEAL ACTIVITY: NAVIGATING M&A DEAL STRUCTURES IN A TIGHTENED DEBT
MARKET

As interest rates and borrowing costs move in parallel, buyers are faced with
the challenge of navigating increasing costs of debt to finance acquisitions,
especially in deals where the seller has

Early-stage Nashville



SEPTEMBER 8, 2023


COVID TURBULENCE DREW PROJECT ADMISSION'S FOCUS INWARD

Stephen Glicken is working to disrupt ticket sales as we know it with his
company, Project Admission. It's a unique model that managed to survive the
collapse of live events during COVID and continue

Dealmakers Philadelphia



SEPTEMBER 8, 2023


PHILADELPHIA'S 2023 SMART BUSINESS NETWORK DEALMAKER AWARD WINNERS: TRAILBLAZERS
IN BUSINESS AND INNOVATION

The 2023 Smart Business Network Philadelphia Dealmaker Awards have recognized
exceptional individuals who are shaping the landscape of business and innovation
in the City of Brotherly Love. These

Strategy Raising Capital Pittsburgh Boston



SEPTEMBER 1, 2023


WELLIST FOUNDER ASHLEY REID ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSPECTIVE

Wellist Founder and CEO Ashley Reid discusses growing into the company's
national presence, what outside board seats have taught her about running her
own business and the evolution of the company's fundraising.

Buying St. Louis



SEPTEMBER 1, 2023


WHEN BUYING, UNDERSTAND THE SELLER’S POST-CLOSE INTENTIONS

John Dolan, President and CEO of PFI InStore, has been part of many exits and
acquisitions. From that experience, he says he’s learned many lessons, a number
of which focus on the human capital side

Buying Strategy Baltimore



SEPTEMBER 1, 2023


BUYERS’ INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE CAN HELP LAND THE BEST DEAL

Dr. Nithin Krishna is a board licensed psychiatrist and serial mental health
entrepreneur who formerly led as CEO the multimillion dollar Bloom Health
Centers. Krishna acquired Psych Associates of

Selling Buying Cleveland



AUGUST 25, 2023


FROM SELL TO SELL AND BUY

General Die Casters has been in business since 1957 making high-pressure
aluminum die castings of parts for everything from automobiles to chainsaws.
About a year ago, CEO Brian Lennon says the

Selling Strategy Chicago



AUGUST 25, 2023


TAKE THE STIGMA OUT OF THE EXIT TALK

CEOs are often hesitant to talk about exits because there's a stigma attached to
it, says MATH Venture Partners Managing Director Mark Achler. "There's a concern
that if you start to talk about an

Dealmakers Atlanta



AUGUST 25, 2023


DEALS CAN BE LIKE A MARRIAGE, BUT ALSO LIKE A DIVORCE

Christy Brown has had multiple entrepreneurial journeys. For each, there are
three common factors that ultimately led to the sale of each. "One was typically
I was looking for a strategic partner for

Dealmakers Detroit



AUGUST 25, 2023


PEOPLE ON A DEAL P&L

As Detroit Manufacturing Systems sets out to make acquisitions, people are top
of mind, says then CFO, now EVP of Sales, Purchasing and Strategy Scott Cieslak.
"One of the first things we had to do

Buying Boston



AUGUST 18, 2023


SHAUN STIMPSON ON BUYING A BUSINESS AND BECOMING AN OPERATOR

Shaun Stimpson left a nearly 20-year career in wealth management to launch North
Iron Holdings. The purpose of North Iron was to be a vehicle to acquire an
industrial distribution company. After an

Buying Columbus



AUGUST 18, 2023


COLUMBUS DEAL ACTIVITY: NAVIGATING M&A DEAL STRUCTURES IN A TIGHTENED DEBT
MARKET

As interest rates and borrowing costs move in parallel, buyers are faced with
the challenge of navigating increasing costs of debt to finance acquisitions,
especially in deals where the seller has

Buying Charlottte



AUGUST 18, 2023


VALUE CREATION STARTS DAY 1

RTC Partners Partner Tony Brindisi says he thinks of value creation from a
growth perspective. "Whenever we're approaching an acquisition, we try to take a
full, holistic account of the value that can

Strategy Trends Milwaukee



AUGUST 18, 2023


AN UNCERTAIN ECONOMY BRINGS THE FOCUS INWARD

The uncertainty of the current state of the economy has driven Jim Banovich, CEO
of Marsh Electronics to invest into the company and start getting it in position
for the next generation and the next

Family Business Cleveland



AUGUST 10, 2023


ANTHONY MANNA ON GROWING HIS FAMILY BUSINESS

Anthony Manna on lessons learned for establishing a family-owned enterprise that
generates value and how he's preparing the company to transition to the next
generation.

Raising Capital Nashville



AUGUST 10, 2023


HOW THE PEACH TRUCK FOUND THE RIGHT PARTNER

How Jessica and Stephen Rose found the right partner to capitalize on The Peach
Truck's significant growth.

Deal Prep Minneapolis



AUGUST 10, 2023


FIT MATTERS MORE UNDER INCREASING DEAL SCRUTINY

BMO Capital Markets' Dan McIntosh on how changing market conditions mean finding
the right fit is the key to success.

Buying Pittsburgh



AUGUST 4, 2023


TO MAXIMIZE VALUE, PREPARE

David Nicholson, Vice Chairman of Polyconcept North America has, over 15 years,
gone through three private equity buyouts of the business and has done multiple
strategic acquisitions within the

Investing St. Louis



AUGUST 4, 2023


CULTIVATION CAPITAL: A FUND BY ENTREPRENEURS, FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Barry Sandweiss started Cultivation Capital around 2011 along with former
entrepreneurs. So, he says, the fund is naturally entrepreneurial. "We know what
it's like to sit in the chair of a founder,"

Selling Baltimore



AUGUST 4, 2023


DEAL CLOSE IS NOT THE END OF THE MARATHON

Rendia, founded by an eye doctor and his three children to help doctors and
patients understand each other better, was sold to a strategic buyer,
PatientPoint, this past October. To personally prepare

Trends Cleveland



JULY 28, 2023


SLOWED INFLATION TO TEMPER RISING COST OF CAPITAL ... HOPEFULLY

Sharply increasing inflation rates over the past two and a half years in the
U.S. are a result of several contributing factors, but none more than the
relationship between the prices for goods and

Family Business Philadelphia



JULY 28, 2023


DON'T FORCE FAMILY INTO TAKING OVER THE BUSINESS

When it comes to making a successful transition within a family business,
education and communication are by far the most important factors. Waldron
Private Wealth Partner & Chief Investment Officer

Raising Capital Atlanta



JULY 28, 2023


WHEN IT COMES TO INVESTORS, LOOK FOR FINANCE +

Emily Morris is founder and CEO of Emrgy, an Atlanta-based climate tech startup
that recently closed an $18.5 million and is deploying a new asset class of
renewable energy worldwide. The technology

Dealmakers Chicago



JULY 21, 2023


LUKE HAVERHALS' COMPANY IS WORKING TO SOLVE THE WORLD'S BIGGEST PROBLEM

Luke Haverhals, founder and CEO of Natural Fiber Welding, says he's an
accidental entrepreneur. As the former chemistry professor at the United States
Naval Academy tells it, he was fortunate to be in

Buying Charlotte



JULY 21, 2023


IF YOU SWING IN THIS MARKET, DON'T MISS

Omar Jorge's family started Compare Foods Supermarkets in 1989. The
international grocer is focused on importing products from Latin America,
offering patrons products they usually can't get out of a

Selling Strategy Detroit



JULY 21, 2023


LESSONS LEARNED FROM SELLING A BUSINESS ... TWICE

Bruce Milen, Chairman of the Board of Jax Kar Wash, first sold his business back
in 1998 during a period of consolidation and roll ups. He had and took the
opportunity to buy it back three years later

Dealmakers Columbus



JULY 14, 2023


ROBERT H. SCHOTTENSTEIN ON HOW HE DILIGENCES LAND, COMPANY ACQUISITIONS

M/I Homes, Inc. started in Columbus in 1976, and today is one of the largest
home builders in the U.S. Chairman and CEO Robert H. Schottenstein's dad was one
of the co-founders of a business that

Dealmakers Minneapolis



JULY 14, 2023


VIEW DEAL RISK WITHIN THE LARGER CONTEXT

John “Ozzie” Nelson Jr., Chairman and CEO of NELSON Worldwide, has led the
award-winning design, architecture, branding, and consulting services
organization's hypergrowth from one-office to more than

Buying Cleveland



JULY 7, 2023


THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTIONS IN DEALMAKING

OMNI Systems, founded 33 years ago out of the CEO's garage, is now a $100
million company. "So, we know a bit about growth," said David Campbell, OMNI's
CFO, at the Cleveland Smart Business Dealmakers

Dealmakers Nashville



JULY 7, 2023


JOHN CERASUOLO ON MAKING THE LEAP TO A NEW INDUSTRY FOCUS

John Cerasuolo leads incredibly acquisitive companies. At ADS Security, he led
the business through 45 acquisitions in a direct-to-owner model that relied on
relationships and an internal team to

Dealmakers Boston



JULY 7, 2023


HOW THREE LONG-TIME COMPETITORS MERGED

Massachusetts-based technology advisory firms ROI Communications, Blue Front
Technology Group and allConnex joined forces in late 2022 under one banner as
Amplix. The three agencies — long-time, mutually respectful competitors — agreed
to a merger backed by Gemspring Capital ManagemenT. The deal has worked for all
three, and now a fourth major player, NET7, has joined the team.

Raising Capital Pittsburgh



JUNE 29, 2023


FUNDING TO CROSS THE VALLEY OF DEATH

In 1985, Sanjiv Singh worked on the first autonomous ground vehicles to operate
outdoors. By 2010, he led a team that demonstrated the first autonomous
full-scale helicopter flight. Now he's with Near

Dealmakers Selling Strategy Baltimore



JUNE 29, 2023


PREPARE AT THE BEGINNING FOR THE BEST END

Harold Green launched Chamberlain Contractors, an asphalt paving company, back
in 1975, and sold it to Pavement Partners, a portfolio company of Shoreline
Equity Partners, in January 2022. While he

Buying St. Louis



JUNE 29, 2023


IN THIS ECONOMY, BUYERS MUST LOOK DEEPER

Given the volatility in today's Market, Emily Martin, president of Aschinger
Electric - A Guarantee Electrical Company, says both buyers and sellers are
facing economic pressures that are impacting

Buying Cleveland



JUNE 23, 2023


CULTURE TAKES PRIORITY POST ACQUISITION

In this choppy economic environment, Jody Richards, CEO of Process Technology
says she's seen some order cancellations and some order push-outs. And while
some would say semiconductors are supposedly

Raising Capital Columbus



JUNE 23, 2023


CINDY MONROE ON USING NETWORKING TO FIND THE RIGHT PARTNER FOR THIRTY-ONE

Thirty-One Gifts founder Cindy Monroe took on a growth equity partner in
Kanbrick, the investment firm led by former Warren Buffett deputy Tracy Britt
Cool and Brian Humphrey, in July 2020. While she

Raising Capital Detroit



JUNE 23, 2023


TRUST YOUR GUT AND GET GOOD ADVICE

Kathleen Craig, founder and CEO Plinqit, has raised more than $10 million in
venture funding for the SaaS fintech company, which licenses its software to
banks and credit unions across the country.

Family Business Philadelphia



JUNE 23, 2023


TRANSITION OPTIONS FOR FAMILY BUSINESSES

There comes a time for family businesses to make a transition. In some cases,
the business is passed down to the family's next generation. But when that's not
an option, there are other transitions

Selling Atlanta



JUNE 23, 2023


EXITING IS A JUGGLING ACT FOR OWNERS

After a stint practicing law, Ron Cundy decided, during the depths of the Great
Recession, to start a company. He and a partner launched recteq, a business that
made grills, but couldn't get a product

Selling Charlotte



JUNE 16, 2023


AUTHENTICITY, TRANSPARENCY KEY IN DEAL NEGOTIATIONS

When preparing to sell a business, Womble Bond Dickinson LLP Partner Scott
Anderson says it's best not to hide anything because the buyer, through
diligence, is going to find it. "So, you might as

Buying Milwaukee



JUNE 16, 2023


BUYERS: LEARN TO BE GREAT LISTENERS

One lesson Milton Kuyers, CEO of Faustel Inc. and Kuyers LLC, has learned
through the 65 acquisitions he's personally been a part of throughout his career
is that if you don't grow, your business will

Selling Chicago



JUNE 16, 2023


LIFE AFTER SELLING

Jai Shekhawat founded Fieldglass, a cloud-based VMS platform, in 1999, grew it
to be the largest vendor management software firm in the world, then sold it in
2014 for $1 billion. He's raised capital,

Dealmakers Cleveland



JUNE 9, 2023


SUPERSTAR CEO ROUNDTABLE KICKS OFF CLEVELAND CONFERENCE

Kicking off the 2023 Cleveland Smart Business Dealmakers Conference were several
of the region’s top executives talking with moderator Jeff Bechtel, President -
Cleveland Region, First National Bank,

Dealmakers Boston



JUNE 9, 2023


RAY PINEAULT ON EXPANDING THE BRAND

From a property in Connecticut that quickly became one of the world’s largest
casinos, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment has grown exponentially through a
combination of organic and inorganic

Selling Nashville



JUNE 9, 2023


SELLING TO MAKE THE BUSINESS BETTER

Having sold his business, the once-high-growth startup focused on high-acuity
homecare programs, Contessa Health, Co-Founder Travis Messina says when they ran
their process, they used an investment

Selling Family Business Minneapolis



JUNE 9, 2023


TO ENHANCE VALUE, START EARLY

When it comes to building the right team around a family business to help create
value, not every company has the right people in their family tree to do that.
That, says Messerli Kramer Attorney and

Trends Pittsburgh



JUNE 2, 2023


ESTATE TAX PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS FOR CONTEMPLATED M&A TRANSACTIONS

The landscape of estate tax planning is set to undergo a significant change in
the coming years, as the estate tax exemption is set to revert to pre-2018
levels at the end of 2025. This means that

Dealmakers Atlanta



JUNE 2, 2023


AGCO'S ERIC HANSOTIA ON THE AG GIANT'S M&A STRATEGY

AGCO Corporation is the largest pure-play farm machinery company in the world,
competing against industry giants. Headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, this year
they'll do about $14.5 billion in sales

Raising Capital Baltimore



JUNE 2, 2023


TO MANAGE THROUGH FUNDRAISING, TRANSACTIONS, SIGN UP WITH COMMITMENT

LabCorp recently paid a reported $450 million to acquire Personal Genome
Diagnostics, known as PGDx, a genomic testing company. Earlier that same year,
PGDx successfully raised a $103 million Series

Raising Capital St. Louis



JUNE 2, 2023


THE MISPERCEPTION OF INVESTORS

Balto founder and CEO Marc Bernstein has built a SaaS platform designed to
provide real-time guidance to contact center agents. He's scaling fast and
having fun doing it, even after adding multiple

Dealmakers Cleveland



MAY 26, 2023


RECOGNIZING THE 2023 DEALMAKERS OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been channeled to the 2023 Smart Business
Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards honorees. But raising funds is not all
this year's class of entrepreneurs have

Dealmakers Cleveland



MAY 26, 2023


THE INAUGURAL CLEVELAND DEALMAKERS HALL OF FAME CLASS SETS THE STAGE

Welcome the inaugural class for the Cleveland Dealmakers Hall of Fame! This
group of dealmakers has made an often-groundbreaking impact on their
organizations, industries and the Northeast Ohio region

Trends Detroit



MAY 26, 2023


STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP.'S GREG URBAN ON THE MIXED M&A MARKET AND ITS CULPRITS

Confidence in the macro environment is a significant driver of M&A activity in
this uneven market, says Stifel Financial Corp Managing Director Greg Urban.
"The availability of equity capital —

Early-stage Dealmakers Chicago



MAY 19, 2023


BIJU KULATHAKAL ON LAUNCHING HALO, FUNDRAISING

Halo Investing is a platform for structured notes or, as the company's
Co-Founder and CEO Biju Kulathakal puts it, defined outcome investing. "It's a
financial product that's a $3 trillion market

Selling Cleveland



MAY 19, 2023


SELLERS SHOULD BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT IN A DEAL

Gridiron Capital Managing Director Joe Saldutti says, as a private equity
investor, what attracts him to businesses and helps him prioritize investing in
one company versus another is when it's a

Deal Prep Columbus



MAY 19, 2023


RENEWED FOCUS ON ESTATE TAX AS LAW REVERTS

The landscape of estate tax planning is set to undergo a significant change in
the coming years, as the estate tax exemption is set to revert to pre-2018
levels at the end of 2025. This means that

Dealmakers Philadelphia



MAY 19, 2023


WHETHER BUYING OR SELLING, ALIGNMENT IS KEY

Investors have had a lot to process recently — COVID bumps in their portfolio
companies, whether positive or negative; supply chain issues; inflation
impacting working capital, to name a few. While

Dealmakers Charlotte



MAY 19, 2023


WHETHER BUYING, SELLING OR RAISING CAPITAL, TIMING IS EVERYTHING

When it comes to capital opportunities, timing, says Foro Capital Markets
Managing Director, CFO and Chief Compliance Officer Mike Marr, can be
everything. In December of ‘21, the company raised some

Deal Prep Cleveland



MAY 12, 2023


ESTATE TAX PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS FOR CONTEMPLATED M&A TRANSACTIONS

The landscape of estate tax planning is set to undergo a significant change in
the coming years, as the estate tax exemption is set to revert to pre-2018
levels at the end of 2025. This means that

Early-stage Nashville



MAY 12, 2023


PORTER ROAD'S PATH TO CHANGING THE WORLD

"Originally, when (co-founder) Chris (Carter) and I went out, we had $50 suits
that we got at Goodwill and we had a crazy idea, which was opening a high-end
butcher shop in East Nashville. At the time, and traditionally, East Nashville
wasn't a very wealthy neighborhood. It was a very working class, rougher area.
Most banks and financing people didn't see the opportunity that was going to
happen." - Porter Road Co-Founder James Peisker on why banks hesitated to fund
the company and how capital and ideas from VC and PE led to its remarkable
growth.

Early-stage Milwaukee



MAY 12, 2023


DEMYSTIFYING ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL SOURCES

It's very hard to get into a PE fund, says Datassential Inc. CEO Jim Emling. In
order to do the kind of work he does within private equity, typically a person
would have to have sold to their business

Selling Minneapolis



MAY 12, 2023


BEST PRACTICES IN PREPARING FOR A SALE

As business owners begin preparing their company for sale, something to consider
is how much time it would take to fix a problem if one is found. "The way we
thought about it is, what are the things

Buying Selling Early-stage Investing Cleveland



MAY 5, 2023


FACING ECONOMIC HEADWINDS, DEAL MATH CHANGES

Several area dealmakers chimed in on how they see the current market; how
buyers, sellers and entrepreneurs are faring; and their expectations for how the
remainder of the deal year plays out. Check out what they have to say.

Buying St. Louis



MAY 5, 2023


PROTECTING THE VALUE OF 2021 DEALS IN A MUCH DIFFERENT MARKET

Aon's Jessica Harger on issues buyers are facing after a year of fast-paced
deals.

Trends Baltimore



MAY 5, 2023


BALTIMORE BUSINESS LEADERS SEE AN ECONOMY OF BOTH UPS AND DOWNS

Mahogany Inc.'s Jeff Hargrave, Acme Paper & Supply Co.'s Andy Attman, MacKenzie,
Commercial Real Estate Services' Owen Rouse, Jr., and FNB Corp.'s Mac Tisdale
share anecdotes from their experiences on the front lines and observations of
trends during this choppy economy.

Buying Pittsburgh



MAY 5, 2023


HOW COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWNS CAN KILL DEALS

CE Consulting Group's Gary Cerrone spoke during the Smart Business Dealmakers
Conference about a deal that almost didn't get done in part because of a
communication breakdown.

Buying Cleveland



APRIL 26, 2023


WHAT TRG'S SEAN KENNEDY LEARNED MAKING TWO FOREIGN ACQUISITIONS

TRG's Sean Kennedy on the company's growth, the differences between its domestic
and international acquisitions, as well as the process of integrating teams that
come from much different cultures.

Trends Detroit



APRIL 26, 2023


HALL OF FAME ROUNDTABLE WEIGHS IN ON TODAY'S DEAL CHALLENGES

Valenti Capital's Sam Valenti III, along with MSX International's Fred Minturn,
BELLE Michigan Impact Fund's Carolyn Cassin, and BDO Consulting Group's Robert
Berdanier share their view on the current M&A climate.

Trends Boston



APRIL 26, 2023


THE 180° TURN OF M&A CONDITIONS

Gavin Slader, head of the investment bank for JMP, a Citizens company, offers
his state of M&A — an overview of the conditions dealmakers are facing and
predictions for how the 2023 deal year finishes up.

Trends Columbus



APRIL 26, 2023


DEAL PULSE: IT'S THE BEST OF TIMES AND THE WORST OF TIMES

The domestic M&A market is in a state of great disparity. Valuations from buyers
receded to pre-pandemic levels while sellers continue to expect the lofty
valuations seen in the latter portion of 2020

Deal Prep Cleveland



APRIL 21, 2023


SELLERS MUST BELIEVE IN THEIR PROJECTIONS

Foundation Wellness CEO Sean Williams on message control and the importance of
believing in what you're selling.

Deal Prep Philadelphia



APRIL 21, 2023


THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

Blank Rome's Louis Rappaport on best practices for gaining the upper hand in
deals done in a highly competitive environment.

Dealmakers Chicago



APRIL 21, 2023


HOW REDBACK'S FAMOUS IPO ALMOST WASN'T

Dennis Barsema on his experience with Redback, the issue that almost prevented
him from taking the company public, and how his path eventually led him to
teaching future entrepreneurs.

Early-stage Trends Pittsburgh



APRIL 21, 2023


FINDING OPPORTUNITY IN DISRUPTION

Defiant Capital Group Founder Jonathan Dane on launching the firm, his
perspective on how the investor mindset has changed over the years since, and
offers tips on post-business investment life.

Dealmakers Cleveland



APRIL 14, 2023


DEAL PULSE: BEST OF TIMES, WORST OF TIMES

The domestic M&A market is in a state of great disparity. Valuations from buyers
receded to pre-pandemic levels while sellers continue to expect the lofty
valuations seen in the latter portion of 2020

Dealmakers Boston



APRIL 14, 2023


THE DEAL ENVIRONMENT IN TURBULENT TIMES

Accel International Holdings' Tony Oh, Boston Celtics Co-Owner Rob Hale, and
Citizens' David Dunstan and Jerry Sargent on what CEOs are saying about today’s
climate for dealmaking and their experiences on the front lines.

Dealmakers Nashville



APRIL 14, 2023


HOW TO GET A FAIR DEAL

MATH Venture Partners' Mert Iseri and Mark Achler, along with UBS's James Jack
and Ryan Wood, on the valuable personal lessons they've learned over several
successful exits.

Early-stage Charlotte



APRIL 14, 2023


IDENTIFYING GAPS IN CHARLOTTE’S STARTUP SCENE

Innovate Charlotte Managing Director Juan Garzón on his perspective on the
Charlotte startup scene — its strengths, its gaps, and the progress it's made
... and still needs to make.

Buying Selling Cleveland



APRIL 6, 2023


HUGH SLATER ON BUYING, BUILDING AND SELLING EGC ENTERPRISES

Slater Capital Managing Partner Hugh Slater on buying, building and growing EGC
Enterprises.

Raising Capital St. Louis



APRIL 6, 2023


RAISING CAPITAL REQUIRES WARM RELATIONSHIPS

TCARE Co-Founder Ali Ahmadi on the company, its growth and the lessons he's
learned about raising capital.

Deal Prep Pittsburgh



APRIL 6, 2023


CHANGING DEAL CONDITIONS REQUIRE BUYER, SELLER ADJUSTMENTS

Babst Calland Attorney at Law Kevin Wills on how deals are being affected by
economic headwinds and what both buyers and sellers are doing to keep deals
flowing.

Dealmakers Chicago



APRIL 6, 2023


SUZANNE YOON ON LAUNCHING KINZIE CAPITAL PARTNERS

Kinzie Capital Partners Founder and Managing Partner Suzanne Yoon on launching
the firm.

Dealmakers Cleveland



MARCH 31, 2023


THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGEABLE CFOS IN DEALS

TalentLaunch's Matt Lyon and Resilience Capital Partners' Bassem Mansour on
post-acquisition integration and how the CFO role plays a part in making sure
the deal pays off.

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