$22M Exit, Broken Deal & Buyback | Jaclyn Johnson, Founder, Create & Cultivate & Co-Founder, Cherub
Jacqueline Johnson, founder of Create & Cultivate and co‑founder of the angel‑investing platform Cherub, recounts her 20‑year entrepreneurial journey—from early marketing agency work and a pandemic‑era $22 million private‑equity exit to buying back her company in 2024. She highlights the personal toll of scaling a business, including burnout, divorce, and health challenges, and stresses the importance of cash‑flow discipline versus strategic risk‑taking. Johnson also critiques the stagnant 1.8‑2.1% of venture capital that goes to women, urging community‑building and mutual investment to shift the narrative. Her latest venture, Cherub, uses dating‑app mechanics to connect angels and founders, illustrating her pivot from founder to investor.
EP 22: Ryan Eisenman on AI Meets Private Markets - Optimizing the Investor Experience and Decision-Making
In this episode, Ryan Eisenman, co‑founder and CEO of Arch, explains how private‑market investors still juggle dozens of disparate portals and paper‑heavy processes, a problem public‑market platforms have already solved. Arch’s fintech solution consolidates private equity, credit, hedge fund and...
6G Podcast - Amazon's $11B Acquisition, Verizon & FIFA, AST SpaceMobile Launch, Ericsson's Struggles
In this episode the hosts discuss Amazon’s $11 billion acquisition of Globalstar, exploring how the deal will expand Amazon’s Leo satellite service and its implications for Apple’s emergency‑text offering and future D2D mobile connectivity. They then examine Ericsson’s weak Q1 earnings,...
Bad Company
In this episode of the Ralph Nader Radio Hour, journalist Megan Greenwell discusses her book *Bad Company*, exposing how private equity firms—like KKR, Bain Capital, and Blackstone—have taken control of a wide range of essential services from hospitals to utilities....
Finding a Buyer Who Values Your Legacy
In this episode Jacob Oros interviews Ibrahim Abdel Rahim of Moonbase Capital about the world of search funds, focusing on how searchers—often duos of MBA‑educated operators—identify and acquire lower‑middle‑market businesses with 1‑5 million € EBITDA. Ibrahim explains Moonbase’s investment model, typically funding...
How to Double EBITDA in 3 Years The Multi-Unit Retail Playbook
In this episode of the Raw Selection Private Equity Podcast, Jeff Helfgott, CEO of Boardroom Salon, shares his playbook for doubling EBITDA in three years within a multi‑unit retail business. He emphasizes that talent assessment and development are as critical...
Decamillionaire Fireside Chat: Due Diligence Tools, Strategies and Case Studies | Marc Halpern
In this fireside chat, Marc Halpern, co‑founder of the Deep Due Diligence Investors Club, explains how his group uses a rigorous, three‑layer framework—sponsor (the jockey), opportunity (the horse), and macro environment (the track)—to evaluate private‑placement deals. He describes their AI‑driven...
Exited Founder Podcast | Andrew Kirpalani: From Bar Napkin to Acquisition — Exiting WorkHound
In this episode, co‑founder and CTO Andrew Kirpalani recounts how a $20K accelerator deal sparked the creation of WorkHound, a mobile‑first employee engagement platform for truck drivers. He explains how his varied startup engineering background informed the product’s design and...
A Pro-Worker Experiment in Private Equity
In this episode, Planet Money explores a novel private‑equity experiment led by Pete Stavros at KKR, who tried to give workers ownership stakes in the companies they run, starting with Capital Safety’s Red Wing plant. The story follows Cindy Cordes,...
ETA Is Breaking (and Going Global): Investor Conflict, Weak Boards, and Structural Shifts - Ibrahim Abdel Rahim of Moonbase Capital
In this episode of Surge Funded, Ibrahim Abdel Rahim of Moonbase Capital reflects on five years of growth in the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) space, highlighting the shift from a Europe‑centric model to a truly global, home‑based approach with searchers...
The Investing Strategy in the Franchising and Multi-Unit Retail Sector
In this episode of the Raw Selection Private Equity Podcast, co‑managing partner Mike Esposito of Franchise Equity Partners (FEP) discusses his transition from a 30‑year career at Goldman Sachs to building a niche private‑equity firm focused on franchising and multi‑unit...
Liquid Private Equity & Volatility Laundering (Owen Lamont & Randy Cohen) | #625
In this episode, Owen Lamont of Acadian Asset Management and Harvard professor Randy Cohen discuss the evolution and appeal of private equity, focusing on its historically higher returns and lower reported volatility compared to public markets. They explore the concept...
Lattice and Crosschq Acquire
In this 7‑minute episode of This Week in RegTech, host Chris Russell highlights two major acquisitions shaping talent acquisition: Crosschq’s purchase of Tradeify to create an outcome‑trained hiring model, and Lattice’s acquisition of Mandela’s AI‑native coaching tech to accelerate its...
Mayo-Mustard Merger, Creatine Craze and HOP WTR On Top
The podcast highlighted McCormick's pending merger with Unilever's food division, uniting brands like Hellmann's and French's. Constellation Brands agreed to acquire HOP WTR, a functional sparkling water, while Create Wellness secured $20 million to expand into powdered beverages. Q Mixers announced its first...
M&A Roll-Up Playbook: How Zayo Did 45 Acquisitions and Returned 8.5x | Dan Caruso (Part 1)
In this episode, Dan Caruso, founder and former CEO of Zayo, walks through his 45‑deal roll‑up strategy that delivered an 8.5x return, sharing how he built a disciplined, buyer‑led M&A thesis, sourced and integrated fiber assets, and allocated capital to...
When And How To Sell Your Company
In this episode, the hosts discuss the complexities of selling a private‑equity‑backed company, covering when to exit, why timing matters, and the role of market conditions, management goals, and fund‑level liquidity needs. They explain the typical five‑year investment horizon, how...
UFA Completes $48.2 Million Acquisition of AgraCity Assets
UFA completed a $48.2 million acquisition of AgriCity’s crop‑protection assets, including a finished fertilizer blender at Belle Plaine, registrations, IP and a packaging facility in Saskatoon. CEO Fred Toon emphasized that the deal uniquely guarantees farmers who were owed product by...
Nobody Told Us This Was M&A Week
In this episode of Motley Fool Money, hosts Tyler Crowe, Matt Frankel, and Lou Whiteman dissect a wave of high‑profile M&A activity, focusing on two massive food‑industry deals—a $26 billion acquisition of Restaurant Depot by Cisco Food Services and a $44 billion...
From Brooklyn to $500M Exits: 7 Capital Raising Secrets | Centimillionaire Strategy Talk
Jody Chapnick, a serial entrepreneur who grew up in Brooklyn, outlines the playbook behind his $500 million REIT IPO, a $250 million pharma exit, and multiple insurance roll‑ups. In a Centimillionaire Strategy Talk he breaks down how he raised hundreds of millions...
Mastery of the Psychology of Change & Transformation
In this episode of the Raw Selection Private Equity Podcast, former CEO Meg Pogue discusses how the psychology of change and transformation impacts private‑equity‑driven acquisitions. She explains that most employees react to change with fear because it threatens their need...
255: The Rise of Private Markets: Access, Liquidity, and Portfolio Diversification
Private markets are moving from niche institutional holdings into mainstream wealth management as companies stay private longer and financing shifts away from public exchanges. BlackRock’s Head of Product and Alternatives, Jon Diorio, explained that expanded access and advisor adoption are...
From Huel to Hellmann's, Big Food Makes Its Moves
Danone announced a $1.1 billion acquisition of British meal‑replacement brand Huel, signaling a deeper push into the plant‑based sector. Frozen‑food startup Laoban raised $7.2 million to expand beyond dumplings into broader Asian categories. Unilever is reportedly negotiating the sale of its food...
Is Bp Pulse Plotting an Acquisition?
The episode examines the surge in electric vehicle (EV) adoption and the parallel rise in copper cable theft, which threatens both home and public EV charging infrastructure. Former detective Mark Cannona explains how thieves target copper in signal, broadband, and...
Exited Founder Podcast | Rachel Murphy: Selling to a Competitor and Building a Founder Exit Playbook
In this episode, host Brian Dukes talks with serial entrepreneur Rachel Murphy about her two successful exits—first a consultancy she built in her early 20s and later a healthcare‑government services firm she grew to an eight‑figure sale. Rachel shares how...
Episode 93: Inside the Deal with Brian Allen
In this episode, Brian Allen, CEO of Certus Solutions—a leading IBM‑focused software and services firm in Australia and New Zealand— discusses the company’s two‑decade growth, its strategic sale to Aegis Group, and his post‑exit plans. He explains how a planned...
From M&A in Africa to Enterprise Wireless Infrastructure, DC Moore of ATG
In this episode, host Nick Law talks with DC Moore, a former Motorola, Lockheed Martin, and McKinsey executive who spent eight years doing M&A in Africa before acquiring and running Atlantic Technology Group, an enterprise wireless and mobility solutions provider. DC...
What Private Equity Buyers Really Want in a Business
In this episode Jacob Oros interviews Eric Wicklant, partner at Spaceside Equity, about the firm’s private‑equity strategy for middle‑market manufacturing businesses. Spaceside targets companies with $50‑500 million in revenue, focusing on misaligned ownership structures where they can apply a 27‑tool value‑creation...
Structuring for Uncertainty - Legal Trends in Middle-Market M&A - Pt. 1
In this episode, Steve and Bruce Fretton discuss how heightened uncertainty—driven by tariffs, shifting interest rates, and tighter credit markets—has complicated middle‑market M&A. They note that private equity’s $2 trillion of undeployed capital is pushing deals forward, but valuation gaps and...
Structuring for Uncertainty - Legal Trends in Middle-Market M&A - Pt. 2
In this episode, Bruce Fenton and host Steve discuss how to structure middle‑market M&A deals amid heightened uncertainty, focusing on valuation gaps, earn‑outs, seller rollovers, and purchase‑price notes as tools to bridge price mismatches. They highlight the importance of rigorous...
🎥 Brookfield Asset Management's David Nowak - "Earn Your Seat" Private Equity
In this episode, Brookfield Asset Management’s President of Private Equity, David Nowak, discusses how the firm’s owner‑operator culture and “earn your seat” ethos shape its private‑equity strategy. He explains Brookfield’s deep alignment with LPs—investing its own capital alongside theirs—and its...
Tech M&A in February 2026: Deal Volume, Valuations & Mega Deal Trends Explained
The February 2026 Tech M&A episode breaks down 394 tech transactions, highlighting five mega‑deals—including a $9.9 billion deal and a $9.2 billion acquisition of InPost by FedEx—while showing that startups still account for 45% of deals and cross‑border activity hits 35%. It...
5 Costly Tech M&A Myths That Kill Founder Value (And How to Avoid Them)
In this brief episode, the host debunks five persistent myths that erode founder value in tech M&A: the belief that companies are bought rather than sold, the ineffectiveness of soft overtures, the flawed serial approach to buyer outreach, outdated bid...
Why Buyers Are Searching for Your Professional Service Business
In this episode Jacob Oros interviews Eric Brenner, a seasoned financial advisor who has completed 11‑12 acquisitions of wealth management, tax, and accounting firms. Brenner explains how the market has shifted from a handful of buyers to intense competition, driven...
How Private Equity ACTUALLY Buys Companies
In this episode of the Private Equity Funcast, co‑founder Ryan Milligan walks through the end‑to‑end process of buying a company, from sourcing deals to closing them. He explains how deal sourcing has evolved from simple phone calls in the 70s...
From Fired Searcher to $50M in Deals in One Year | Kevin Hong, Caprae Capital
In this episode, Kevin Hong shares his journey from being a fired search fund CEO to founding CapRate Capital, where he has closed over $50 million in lower‑middle‑market private equity deals. He explains how he built a fragmented cap table to...
Mark Connelly on Why Every Miner Is for Sale
In this episode Mark Connelly discusses his reputation as a "for‑sale" board member, explaining that every mining company ultimately seeks a willing buyer and that his role is to maximize shareholder value through strategic exits or growth. He outlines how...
Exited Founder Podcast | Shannon Wilburn: Selling the Franchise Empire She Built From Her Living Room
In this episode, Shannon Wilburn recounts building Just Between Friends—from a living‑room startup to a national franchise with over 30 locations and $60 million in system‑wide sales—and the emotional, strategic journey of selling it to the brand’s largest franchisee. She emphasizes...
The Lessons From Formula 1 to 22 Acquisitions by a Private Equity-Backed CTO
In this episode, Peter Rossi, a former McLaren track‑side IT specialist turned private‑equity‑backed CTO, walks through his eclectic career—from Formula 1 to consulting, VC tech‑due‑diligence, building a SaaS ISO‑27001 platform, and leading a portfolio that has acquired 22 companies across four...
Pete Nordstrom on the Enduring Power of Retail’s ‘Best Mousetrap’
Nordstrom celebrated its 125th anniversary as a $16 billion retailer, having evolved from a Seattle shoe store into a full‑line department chain. In 2023 the Nordstrom family partnered with Mexico’s Liverpool to take the company private, giving it greater speed and...
Build a Business That Sells Without You
In this episode of M&A Talk, host Jacob Oros interviews serial entrepreneur Travis Jameson, who has founded and exited a dozen businesses across tech, e‑commerce, SaaS, and health products. Jameson shares his core lesson for building a sellable company: make...
What Two PE Exits Taught James About Winning as a CFO
In this episode, James Carver, a CFO with two private‑equity‑backed exits, walks through his career—from trading desks and investment banking to leading finance functions in mid‑market companies—and shares the operational and strategic levers that drove value in each sale. He...
Family Office Roundtable 2026 - $124 Trillion Wealth Transfer, AI, & Private Markets
In this Family Office Roundtable, Ron and Wendy discuss the massive $124 trillion wealth transfer from baby boomers to the next generation and how family offices are adapting. They focus on AI’s disruptive role, highlighting platforms like Opto that can filter...
No More 'Easy Trades': REIT Take-Privates Could Slow in Reshaped Market
The episode examines the recent slowdown in REIT take‑private activity as market conditions improve, highlighting the $3.4 billion Affinius Capital acquisition of Varus Residential REIT as a benchmark. Guests Jonathan Brass, Sarah Marks, and Matthew Norris explain that higher valuations, abundant...
🎥 MSCI's Luke Flemmer - "Bringing Clarity to Investment Decisions"
In this episode, Luke Flemmer, head of private assets at MSCI, explains how standardizing and normalizing data can unlock transparency, price formation, and liquidity in private markets, drawing parallels to past evolutions in bonds, FX, and equities. He argues that...
Exited Founder Podcast | Sean McKenna: How He Sold His HR Tech Startup to Dayforce in 16 Months
In this episode, Sean McKenna recounts how he founded Data Fusion HCM, a payroll and HR‑tech integration platform, and sold it to Ceridian (now Dayforce) within 16 months. He explains the strategic advantage of building a product that solved a...
Learnings From a $1BN+ Exit and 300 Investments in Private Equity
CapitalSpring, a sector‑focused private equity firm, recently completed a $1 billion‑plus exit of its Sizzling Platter portfolio to Bain Capital. Over two decades, the firm has deployed $4 billion across more than 300 investments, primarily in multi‑location foodservice and consumer brands. It...
Software Update: AI Saas Scare Haunts Capital Markets
Recent AI upgrades, notably Anthropic’s Claude Co‑worker agent, are unsettling SaaS valuations and complicating IPO plans for many software firms. The devaluation of SaaS‑related loans is eroding the collateral base of collateralised loan obligations, with similar pressures hitting chemical‑sector loans....
Employee Ownership as a Search Fund Advantage, Turner Wyatt of Small Capital
Turner Wyatt, founder and CEO of Small Capital, funds self‑funded searchers who embed employee ownership from acquisition day one. He argues that search fund deals can address income inequality while enhancing business performance by giving employees a stake. Small Capital’s...
Building a Value Creation Machine & Scaling a Private Equity Firm
Chris Sznewajs of Pacific Avenue Capital Partners discussed how the firm builds a private‑equity platform centered on complex corporate carve‑outs and assets owned by “unnatural owners.” The firm leverages proprietary sourcing through corporate relationships and invests heavily in an operational...
Private Equity Deal Teams and the Discipline to Win
In this episode of Best But Never Final, Lloyd Metz, Doug McCormick, and Sean Mooney break down the anatomy of a private‑equity deal team, outlining the typical roles—from associates and analysts to VPs, principals, and managing directors—and how responsibilities shift...