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Sean is President of the Eastern Operations Area at TurnPoint Services, a Trivest portfolio company, where he oversees a $640M P&L with about 2,200 employees across 27 brands and 33 locations. Four years ago, he served as a Marine Raider officer in special operations. He's also a member of 51 Vets. Topics: Hiring Veterans for ExecutionMarine Raider SelectionThe Military-to-Business TransitionScaling Leadership from 150 to 2,000 People ...and so much more. Top Takeaways Execution is the most underrated skill in a portfolio company. Many veterans don't know how to talk about their soft skills once they're out of uniform, so they undersell them. Sean's message to PE firms is that people who can both build a plan and carry it out are rare, and special operations trains exactly that. He calls them "strategic executors." For sponsors building leadership benches, hiring for those traits can matter as much as industry experience. Scaling a team takes the same skills, used on purpose. Sean's largest Marine unit was about 150 people. Getting to 2,000 came down to delegation, commander's intent (a shared end state everyone works toward), a rigorous plan, and accountability. At TurnPoint, leadership's job is to set that intent rather than make thousands of frontline decisions a day. Sean still stays close to the work: he's "in an attic every single month, digging a trench" with the technicians who carry out TurnPoint's mission to "turn bad days into good ones." No mistake is permanent. After leaving the Marine Corps, Sean tried to fix everything at once, which went against how he'd been trained. The turnaround began when he went back to solving the problem in front of him, starting with 11.5 days of GMAT prep that got him into Duke's Fuqua School of Business. He now coaches new leaders to watch for "Superman syndrome" around day 45, when taking on everything alone leads to task saturation. About TurnPoint Services TurnPoint Services is a family of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical brands serving residential and light commercial customers, with a mission to "turn bad days into good ones." The company partners with established local service businesses, keeping their brand names and founders' legacies while adding back-office support, training, and modern systems. Its brands share a servant-led culture built on three customer promises: no needless delays, no cutting corners, and no nonsense. Sean leads TurnPoint's Eastern Operations Area, which spans 27 brands, 33 locations, and about 2,200 employees. Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs 51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds. Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, CRM Support & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

Robin is the Head of Technology Investment Banking at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., where he leads a 50-banker team spanning 12 tech verticals. He has 30+ years of investment banking experience advising high-growth technology companies on M&A and capital raising. Topics: AI in Investment BankingTech Market OutlookStrategically Hiring Senior TalentBuilding a Collaborative Culture ...and so much more. Top Takeaways Growth opportunities are increasingly coming from venture-backed targets. Most of the M&A activity Robin's team is seeing isn't traditional buyouts but portcos making strategic acquisitions to build out their existing platforms. Oppenheimer’s recent sale of Kentik to PE-backed Infoblox is one example. For sponsors, it’s a reason to look beyond the traditional add-on universe when building their M&A pipelines.The best use of AI may be capacity creation rather than headcount reduction. Oppenheimer is using an internal analytics tool to offload model-building, SEC data pulls, and other repetitive work. Robin sees the payoff not as needing fewer bankers, but as giving the existing team more capacity to process transactions and spend time with clients. The practical opportunity is to identify where AI can remove execution bottlenecks, then deliberately reinvest that capacity rather than treating efficiency as the end goal.High-stakes moments are built through low-stakes repetition. Robin learned that lesson rowing at Harvard, where months of repetitive training came down to a handful of six-minute races. Dealmaking requires the same discipline: keep doing the work when the payoff is distant, so you’re ready when the moment that matters arrives. About Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. is a full-service investment bank and wealth manager. Robin leads its technology investment banking group, with about 50 bankers across 12 verticals, from semiconductors and enterprise software to defense tech and aerospace. The team has advised on transactions including Backblaze's 2021 IPO, Corvex's $33M data-center financing, and Gilat's ~$157.5M acquisition of Comtech's satellite and space communications segment. Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs 51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds. Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, CRM Support & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

Vern Davenport is a Partner at QHP Capital with 35+ years of experience building and transforming healthcare technology and services businesses. Vern is the author of Accelerating Growth, which lays out QHP’s approach to scaling companies through its Management System. Allison Crumpler is the former VP of People & Culture at Catalyst Clinical Research. A professional Certified Coach with 15+ years of experience in clinical research, Allison focuses on leadership development, organizational culture, and employee engagement. Topics: Why Culture Drives PerformanceTurning Values Into BehaviorsHow to Kill Watermelon MetricsScaling Culture Across a Portfolio ...and so much more. Top Takeaways Values become culture through repetition. Operationalizing values means defining the behaviors behind them, teaching them, and reinforcing them in practice. Allison calls it the “Mr. Miyagi” approach: repeat those behaviors over and over, even when they feel obvious. That repetition is what embeds them into the organization and gives managers and employees a shared language for accountability.Measure culture with leading indicators, not just engagement surveys. Allison shares a few of the metrics Catalyst used to measure culture beyond traditional engagement and turnover data. They called them “Key Culture Indicators”: employee referrals, town hall attendance and time to hire. Put a target against each indicator, review it alongside operating KPIs, and set a more ambitious target once the current one is consistently achieved.Make the financials visible so everyone knows how they contribute. An individual contributor in a 1,000-person company can't see how they move EBITDA, so they disengage. Catalyst shared key company metrics across the organization, then helped teams understand how their own work affected sales, customer satisfaction and financial performance. Transparency turned "just doing my job" into "we win or lose together." About QHP QHP Capital is a private equity firm focused on middle-market life sciences and pharma services businesses. With $4.5B+ in AUM, QHP combines decades of sector experience with an operator-led approach to investing. Across its portfolio, the firm implements its proprietary Management System to build stronger leadership teams, operating infrastructure and commercial capabilities and support long-term, independent growth. About Catalyst Clinical Research Catalyst Clinical Research is a technology-enabled clinical research organization (CRO) specializing in oncology and providing clinical development services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies globally. Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs 51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds. Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, CRM Support & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

John Block is the Co-Founder and CEO of Unity Partners. He launched the firm in 2022 after nearly a decade as a Partner at HGGC, where he sat on the boards of more than ten services and software companies. A St. Louis native, John is a self-described grinder who runs most mornings and throws an annual paella party for the whole team. Topics: Employee Purpose PlansNarrowing a Five-Year PlanBuy-and-Build vs. Slap-and-Sell IntegrationThe 1% Better Model in Diligence and Ops ...and so much more. Top Takeaways Big five-year goals require a narrow year-one plan. Unity maps a five-year "passion for excellence" plan, usually five goals across growth, tech, and market positioning. Before the investment closes, Unity works with the leadership team to choose the 2–3 priorities that matter most in year one. Three priorities beat five because a founder chasing everything at once accomplishes nothing well. As John puts it, they got "manic about getting focused" after learning the hard way.Employee equity only works with an ownership culture behind it. Unity ties its employee ownership plans to a clear return objective, then communicates progress openly along the way. For companies without a defined exit, John suggests adapting the same model around a three-year revenue or earnings goal with a bonus pool accrued against it. Repeatability comes from a consistent framework, not an identical playbook. John describes Unity’s model as closer to building custom homes than identical row houses: there is a common blueprint and framework, but execution changes by company. The practical implication is to standardize the process for building the plan without assuming every portfolio company needs the same plan. About Unity Partners Unity Partners is a Dallas-based private equity firm focused on the lower middle market. The firm makes control investments in large, fragmented services industries, essential and recurring businesses across both field- and office-based services. Since launching in 2022, Unity has built eight platforms and invests out of a fund of roughly $330M. Its philosophy runs on the idea of “Building Better Together.” Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs 51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds. Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, Growth Support & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

Brandon Fix is a Division General Manager at Renuity Home, where he leads one of the company's largest operating divisions. A former U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Officer, he brings a systems-driven approach to leadership, translating military decision-making, operational discipline, and team development into managing complex businesses and P&Ls. Topics: Why Special Ops Make Elite OperatorsThe Military-to-P&L Mental ModelBuilding a Sales Org That ScalesWhat Servant Leadership Means ...and so much more. Top Takeaways Great operators see people behind every line item. Brandon doesn't treat a P&L as a spreadsheet to optimize. According to his military-to-P&L mental model, marketing is intelligence, sales are the first team into the field, operations deliver the mission, and support functions enable execution. When conversion drops, he looks at sales leadership before the sales report. When marketing underperforms, he asks whether the team has the right intelligence. Financial performance to him is the outcome of how well those teams are led.At scale, your biggest lever is talent. As Brandon's organization grew to a 1,000-person, $350M division, he couldn't be everywhere at once. His job shifted from solving problems to making sure the right leaders were solving them. That meant hiring leaders who can operate independently, coaching them well, and making tough people decisions before small leadership gaps become big operational problems.Don't just build skills, learn to communicate them. Brandon believes his military experience gave him the leadership skills to run a business. But earning that opportunity required learning the language of finance, operations, and private equity so employers could connect his experience to the role. His advice: learn to translate your experience into the language of the role you're pursuing. About Renuity Home Renuity Home is one of the largest home improvement platforms in the U.S., providing replacement windows, doors, bathrooms, kitchens, garages, closets, and other remodeling services through a family of national and regional brands. The company operates across 40 states, employs 1,000+ people, and has served over 300,000 homeowners, making it a notable example of building scale through acquisitions while preserving strong local operating brands. Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs 51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds. Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, Growth Support & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

Before leading value creation at Brightstar Capital Partners, Chris Nicolini served as an Army officer, ran large-scale manufacturing operations, and led transformation efforts at General Electric. Today, he brings those lessons to founder-led businesses navigating growth, talent challenges, AI adoption, and operational change. Topics: AI Implementation at PE firmsBuilding a Repeatable Hiring PipelineIntegration Best PracticesStrategy as Alignment, Not Just a PlanRestructuring Frameworks ...and so much more. Top Takeaways Successful AI adoption starts with problems, not tools. At Brightstar, AI initiatives start with a business problem. During AI hackathons, teams identify a bottleneck, repetitive task, or inefficiency, then spend the day building a solution around it. The biggest AI wins come from eliminating friction and repetitive work, rather than accumulating more tools. Build a hiring flywheel, not a hiring process. Chris grew a maintenance team from 2 to 25 people by building a hiring system that consistently recruited electrical and mechanical engineers from the Naval Power Training Unit. The lesson: scalable hiring comes from building a repeatable talent pipeline, not filling roles one at a time. Strategy only works when the team is aligned. Many leaders mistake strategy for a plan. The real test is whether the team understands where the company is going, why it matters, and what role they play in getting there. A brilliant plan without buy-in is just a document. Understand the cause before cutting the cost. When performance declines, many companies immediately look for expenses to cut. Chris argues the better approach is to first understand why those costs exist. Some expenses are inefficiencies. Others directly support revenue generation, customer retention, or growth. Cut the wrong one, and you can make the problem worse. About Brightstar Capital Partners Brightstar is a middle-market private equity firm that invests in founder-led businesses across business services, industrials, government services, and tech. The firm works closely with management teams on growth, talent, operational transformation, and AI adoption, combining hands-on operational expertise with emerging technologies to create value across the portfolio. Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs 51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds. AGM Support, Video, Marketing Strategy, Brand Identity, Web Design & Development, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

Alex Russ is the Head of Americas for Evercore’s Private Funds Group. He advises PE sponsors on fundraising strategy, LP positioning, and market navigation, with a focus on helping managers differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive capital environment. Hilary LaBrash is a Managing Director in Evercore’s Private Funds Group, where she works closely with emerging and established managers on fundraising preparation, messaging, and investor strategy. Topics: Fundraising Environment in 2026First Close Strategy & Fund Sizing360 Feedback & LP Pre-WiringWhat Differentiates a GPEmerging Manager Playbook ...and so much more. Top Takeaways You only get one first impression with LPs. Alex and Hilary emphasized that many Emerging Managers rush into market before the story, team, or positioning is fully ready. In a crowded fundraising environment, LPs rarely “reset” their perception later. If you show up to that first meeting half-prepared, LPs may start questioning readiness, infrastructure, and execution. LPs care about organizational health more than most GPs realize. Alex and Hilary talked about how the best firms create long-term alignment by promoting talent internally, evolving economics as the firm grows, and giving younger partners real opportunity over time. When firms fail to do that, spinouts often follow. For LPs, team stability and incentive alignment are strong indicators of whether a manager can execute consistently across multiple fund cycles. “Founder-friendly” is no longer a differentiator. Many firms use the same buzzwords — proprietary sourcing, operational value-add, founder relationships — making it harder for LPs to tell managers apart. What stands out today is a repeatable process: why you win deals, when you deploy operational resources, how you make decisions, and what specifically makes a company a fit for your strategy. About Evercore Evercore is one of the world's leading independent investment banking advisory firms, with $5+ trillion in announced transactions since founding. Their Private Funds Group works with PE, infrastructure, real estate, and private credit managers on fundraising strategy, positioning, and LP engagement—across institutional investors worldwide. Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs 51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds. Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, CRM Support & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

Andrew Nelson is Chief of Staff to the CEO at Waste Eliminator, where he helps drive strategic initiatives, operational execution, and growth across the company’s expanding footprint in the Southeast. Before entering the private sector, Andrew spent six years in the U.S. Army with 3rd Ranger Battalion, completing five deployments across Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He transitioned from the military in 2022 and later earned his MBA from Emory University. Topics: Why Portcos Need a Chief of Staff Military Speed as a PE AdvantageThe Military-to-Civilian ShiftTranslating Military Skills Into Business ...and so much more. Top Takeaways A Chief of Staff can become a force multiplier for a PE-backed CEO. Andrew described the role as part project manager, part operator, and part accountability driver. In lean portfolio companies where leadership teams are stretched thin, a Chief of Staff can help move strategic initiatives forward across operations, finance, systems, and growth projects simultaneously. Clear ownership prevents projects from stalling. Andrew shared a military execution principle he still uses in business today: every task needs a clear owner, a standard, and a “time hack” — the agreed-upon deadline for completion. Many fast-growing companies struggle because ownership and timelines are vague. As projects pile up inside PE-backed businesses, unclear accountability often becomes the bottleneck that slows execution. Military operators fit portfolio companies better than Fortune 500s. Andrew made the point that large corporations can feel slow and highly segmented, while lower middle market businesses offer more ownership, faster decision-making, and clearer impact. For many veterans, that environment feels much closer to the pace and accountability they were used to in the military. The right network changes the trajectory of a transition. Andrew’s path to Waste Eliminator didn’t come through LinkedIn or a recruiter. It came through a direct introduction from a 51 Vets member who had already made a similar move. One of Andrew’s biggest takeaways was how valuable it is to have people a few years ahead of you who understand both the military background and the PE/portfolio company world. 51 Vets is that network, with 500+ members from the special operations and aviation communities and mentors across IB, PE, consulting, and operating roles. About Waste Eliminator Waste Eliminator is a waste and recycling platform focused on sustainable waste solutions and landfill diversion. The company handles a broad range of waste streams, serving customers from households to large commercial and industrial facilities. Backed by Allied Industrial Partners, Waste Eliminator has expanded through acquisitions and now operates across multiple locations throughout Georgia and the broader Southeast. Investors & Operators is brought to you by 51 Labs 51 Labs is a marketing agency for the lower middle market. We offer full-service digital marketing for PE, portfolio companies, IB, VC, hedge funds. Brand Identity, Marketing Strategy, Marketing & AGM Video, LinkedIn Strategy & Execution, Web Design & Development, CRM Support & more400+ videos100+ projects#1 content creator on LinkedIn in the lower middle market

Mike Silva is an Investment Manager at CalPERS, where he has spent more than a decade leading the institution’s Emerging Manager Program across private equity, private debt, and real estate. He focuses on sourcing, evaluating, and advocating for emerging managers internally while helping shape CalPERS’ broader approach to middle-market and venture investing. Topics: Where Emerging Managers Should Focus FirstNailing the 30-Minute First MeetingTimeline from First Meeting to CommitmentSeeding vs. Staking vs. Direct Investment ...and so much more. Top Takeaways If you can’t explain your firm in 2 minutes, LPs will move on. Emerging Managers need to quickly distill their team, strategy, and differentiator into a narrative that sticks. LPs like Mike are meeting hundreds of managers a year. Long-winded explanations don't just waste time but signal a lack of clarity. The managers who cut through can clearly explain four things: who they are, what they invest in, why they're differentiated, and why it matters to that LP specifically. LPs value predictability as much as performance. Mike made the point that trust starts forming well before capital is committed. LPs are watching whether managers actually execute what they said they would do: hiring the right people, closing the deals they discussed, and staying consistent with the strategy they pitched. Every update becomes proof of credibility. Your IC dynamics matter more than you think. Mike shared that when evaluating Emerging Managers, he spends significant time understanding team dynamics: how long the partners have worked together, how investment committee decisions are made, whether there’s healthy debate, and how disagreement is handled. Strong track records matter, but LPs are also underwriting the decision-making culture that produced them. About CalPERS CalPERS is one of the largest public pension funds in the world, managing retirement and health benefits for California public employees, retirees, and their families. Through its Emerging Manager Program, CalPERS invests across private equity, private debt, and real estate, backing smaller and differentiated managers it believes can generate long-term outperformance and expand access to overlooked areas of the market.

Topics: Why Fewer, Better Theses WinIntegration Lessons from 100+ AcquisitionsWhat LPs Look for in the First MeetingHow to Win Trust in Controlled Deals ...and so much more. Top Takeaways Avoid overpaying, overlevering, and overconcentrating. Because Jarrett has seen firsthand how getting this wrong—even on a “good” business—can take down an entire fund. His rule: only buy what already makes sense — disciplined price, manageable leverage, no oversized bets. If the return depends on fixing everything post-close, you’re exposed. Slow down idea generation to improve deal quality. The Soundcore team moved from ~500 loosely formed ideas a year to about one per week, each built on a required template, reviewed in advance, and pressure-tested as a team. The result is a tighter, higher-quality pipeline (~40 ideas annually, ~30 advancing to qualification) and far fewer wasted cycles on weak or unvetted theses. Start slightly bigger, so you can scale faster. Soundcore found that sub-$1M EBITDA deals often lack the infrastructure to grow, making them harder to double. $2M+ businesses already have systems, teams, and customer density in place. That’s why they shifted upmarket: not for size, but for execution. Cheap doesn’t always matter if it can’t scale. Lead with trust and a clear angle. Or you won’t get a second meeting. In Jarrett’s experience, fundraising comes down to two things—credibility and a differentiated strategy. That’s why the first few minutes of LP meetings matter most. If you can’t clearly answer why you, why this strategy, and why now, they won’t get to the rest. About Jarrett Turner Jarrett Turner is the Founder and Managing Partner of Soundcore Capital Partners. He has led 100+ acquisitions, building the firm from an Independent Sponsor into a $450M+ platform focused on buy-and-build investments in fragmented, recession-resistant industries. Jarrett’s approach is shaped by his blue-collar upbringing: growing up around his father’s business, he saw firsthand the inefficiencies in founder-led companies. About Soundcore Capital Partners A New York–based private equity firm focused on building companies through buy-and-build strategies in fragmented, lower middle-market industries. Since its founding in 2015, the firm has completed 100+ acquisitions and has grown to $700M+ in AUM. They invest in mission-critical, recession-resistant sectors, partnering with founder-led businesses to create scalable platforms through disciplined sourcing and operational improvements.

Chris Nikic is the first person with Down Syndrome to complete an Ironman. He has also ran all SIX Global Marathon Majors, Won TWO ESPY's, and become a global Ambassador for the Special Olympics. He’s an Adidas-sponsored athlete, an author, and a public speaker. Topics: From Overweight to IronmanInclusion Through SportThe 1% Better PhilosophyLimiting Parenting Beliefs ...and so much more. Top Takeaways Reset limiting beliefs at the top. In Chris’s story, the biggest constraint wasn’t physical, it was what parents were told their child couldn’t do. Once those protection-driven beliefs shifted, everything else followed: training, discipline, results. The same applies in business. What leaders believe about their team or growth potential sets the ceiling. If leadership operates with constraint, that mindset spreads fast. But when leaders expand what’s possible, behavior follows—teams take bigger swings, operators push further, and performance changes. Commit to 1% better, every day. The biggest transformations don’t come from massive leaps, they’re built through small, consistent improvements. Over time, those incremental gains compound into outsized results. For Chris, that meant stacking daily progress until an “overweight beginner” became an Ironman and global athlete. Speakers like Chris Nikic break the pattern of predictable AGMs. An external speaker helps break up a full day of presentations and makes the event more memorable—something you’d actually want to talk about afterward. Chris brings a real, human example of what consistency and long-term effort look like, making ideas like compounding and execution easier to connect with. About 1% Better Chris Nikic Foundation The 1% Better Foundation is a nonprofit initiative that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by expanding access to fitness, training, and inclusive opportunities. It helps them build confidence, independence, and a path to reach their full potential.

Topics: Venue Do’s & Don’tsAgendas for Emerging ManagersPanels vs. Single PresentersPublic LP ConstraintsAGMs as a Brand Opportunity ...and so much more. Brian Bank shares what actually makes AGMs stand out from an LP’s perspective—from venue and agenda to networking, speakers, and swag. It offers clear, experience-driven takeaways for GPs and emerging managers who want their AGM to feel differentiated and worth the trip. Top Takeaways Choose a venue LPs will remember. The AGMs that stand out don’t stay in hotel ballrooms. They bring LPs to portco sites, operating assets, sporting venues, museums, or distinctly local experiences. The right venue either reinforces the investment strategy or creates a memorable experience that LPs will still recall long after AGM season ends. Never assume LPs remember who you are. AGMs often include new faces. Always reintroduce the team, restate strategy, and provide context for roles and investments. Clear speaker handoffs and background reminders prevent confusion and disengagement. Reinforce the firm you’re becoming, not just the fund you raised. An AGM is both a branding and promotional moment. Speaker selection, team visibility, and agenda structure should signal institutional depth, succession, and where the firm is headed next. Highlight rising leaders, repeat portfolio CEOs, and functional expertise to show LPs what Fund II or Fund III will look like. Build differentiation into every detail. Templates, venues, speakers, and formats repeated year after year erode impact. The most effective AGMs ask one question throughout planning: What will make this one distinct from the other 20 meetings LPs attend this year? About Brian Bank Brian Bank is a seasoned strategy and client relations executive in the Investment Funds Group at Kirkland & Ellis. With 25+ years of experience as both an institutional LP and a placement agent, he’s committed capital across asset classes, served on multiple LPACs, and attended hundreds of AGMs. This gives him a firsthand view of what LPs actually value in investor relations and annual meetings. About Kirkland & Ellis Kirkland & Ellis is a global law firm known for its strength in corporate, litigation, and client advisory work across industries including private equity, M&A, and finance. The firm regularly advises leading investors and funds on complex transactions, strategy, and governance, and has built a reputation for deep legal expertise paired with practical, business-focused guidance.

Liz Weindruch breaks down what makes an AGM work from an LP’s perspective. The result is a practical, no-fluff guide for emerging managers planning their first or next AGM. Topics: Comms Best PracticesUse of Panels & PresentersAI & Technology DiscussionSwag StrategyWhat Makes an AGM Memorable ...and so much more. Top Takeaways Design the AGM experience around LP value, not GP convenience. The meetings that stand out offer insights LPs can’t get from quarterly reports and meaningful face time with people they rarely interact with, such as operating partners, VPs on the deal teams, or former CEOs who’ve exited a business and want to do it again with the firm. Easy-to-reach locations matter, and portfolio “field trips” are a bonus when feasible. The best structure for AGM materials and portfolio updates. The strongest AGMs follow a clear arc: a concise firm update, current macro and sector context, and a disciplined walk-through of the portfolio. Macro commentary should always be tied to company-level impact. Portfolio deep dives should restate the original thesis, show what has changed since acquisition, and explain how capital structure, timelines, and return expectations have evolved. Swag: What LPs keep vs. what they toss. If you’re giving out clothing, assume it might end up at Goodwill. Fit is hard, branding is risky, and most items won’t get worn. Consumables almost always are a safe bet: high-quality, portable, and waste-free. The best swag ties back to a portfolio company or the firm’s ethos in a thoughtful way. If it feels generic, it probably is. About Liz Weindruch Liz Weindruch is a Managing Director on the Diversified Alternative Equity team at Barings, where she serves on the investment committee and leads global fund, co-investment, and secondary origination and underwriting. With 20+ years in private markets, Liz has reviewed and attended hundreds of AGMs across funds, vintages, and strategies, giving her a front-row view into what actually works from an LP perspective. About Barings Barings is a global investment management firm headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The firm manages $480B+ across public and private markets—including fixed income, real assets, and alternatives—for institutional, insurance, and intermediary clients across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Topics: “99% Right Is 100% Wrong” MindsetMaximizing Outcomes in a Sale ProcessPost-Close Seller Regrets ...and so much more. Top Takeaways Make your first deals your brand. Matt emphasizes that early deals define how the market sees you and become proof of your standards and the caliber of clients you can win. That’s why it pays to set a clear bar for what you’ll take on: deal quality, counterparty strength, and your ability to run a clean process. Build an advisory board with a clear purpose. Matt notes that advisory boards only create value when you’re clear on what you want from them At Edgeview, advisors were brought in for credibility, introductions, and high-level guidance. That clarity kept the relationship lightweight and efficient. Decide early whether you need a stamp-of-approval and network board with periodic check-ins or an operator board that requires heavy preparation and greater accountability. Private business owners: not every great outcome is a sale. The best path forward might be a recap, a minority partner, or a keep-and-grow strategy with the right buyer. Before going to market, owners should align on liquidity needs, legacy goals, leadership succession, and employee impact. That clarity reframes value from price alone to after-tax outcomes and long-term fit. Mid-level bankers: don’t get stuck as “the execution person.” If you don’t build a revenue lane, you’ll never leave the trenches. The bankers who create real leverage carve out a clear wedge—a vertical, sponsor set, buyer niche, or unique POV—and spend real time developing deal flow and ideas, not just executing. About Matt Salisbury Matt Salisbury has built, scaled, and exited two successful investment banking firms over a 25+ year career, advising on 100+ M&A and strategic transactions primarily for private business owners. Matt launched EVP Strategic Advisors to focus on helping entrepreneurs navigate complex strategic decisions with clarity and confidence. About EVP Strategic Advisors EVP Strategic Advisors is a boutique advisory firm dedicated exclusively to privately held and family-owned businesses. Rather than pushing owners toward a transaction, EVP helps founders clarify their long-term goals, evaluate strategic options, and maximize outcomes across growth, liquidity, and legacy.

Topics: How Sponsors Communicate EfficientlyWhat Investors Look For in First CallsLower Middle Market Buy-and-Build Strategies ...and so much more. Top Takeaways Match your capital partners to your stage of maturity. Grant notes that choosing the right capital partner upfront prevents misalignment and speeds your path forward. For example, early sponsors gain the most by co-sponsoring with seasoned PE funds to learn what “good” looks like. Sponsors aiming to raise a future fund need co-investors who protect attribution and let them build a clean track record. Lead with the value you’ll create, not the deal you found. Grant sees it all the time: independent sponsors spend 45 minutes on deal mechanics and leave only a few minutes on the plan that actually drives returns. It’s backwards. Investors care far more about the growth thesis, the value levers, the M&A roadmap, and why you are the right person to execute it. VOC + Market Mapping is the new standard for top sponsors. Grant expects more sponsors to invest in structured market studies, especially voice of customer to validate why the company wins, and market mapping to define the actual M&A universe. Most sponsors talk about add-ons, but few can prove how many targets exist, which ones fit, or whether sellers transact. Investors back the sponsors who can quantify this, not just claim it. About Grant Kornman Grant Kornman is a former independent sponsor with more than a decade of experience buying and growing lower-middle-market companies. He co-founded NCK Capital and built a track record across multiple sectors through disciplined investing and operator-level execution. As a Partner at Align Collaborate, Grant brings a sponsor-first approach to equity shaped by a deep understanding of what independent sponsors need to execute and create value. About Align Collaborate Align Collaborate is an equity partner purpose-built for independent sponsors. Launched by Align Capital Partners in partnership with Grant and Michael Kornman, the firm provides fast, flexible equity for lower middle-market buyouts. Their model is designed around the realities of the IS ecosystem: clean attribution, quick decisions, tailored structures, and the option to leverage ACP’s operational resources.