Advertise on podcast: Minds Capital Podcast

Kevin Wong is the Chief Investment Officer at Lang Partners, a family office based in Dallas. With 15 years on the investment side of the lower-middle market, Kevin has built a reputation as one of the most active and respected LPs in the independent sponsor ecosystem, backing 27 platforms since 2020. References and how to contact today's guest:Kevin Wong | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

Alan Baca and Dana Robinson explain how Verde Equity Partners is buy-and-building a scaled commercial landscaping platform using an operator-led playbook. Drawing from prior home services roll-ups, Verde warehoused their early deals and operates by moving fast on M&A and slow on integration. In 2.5 years, the team has completed 9 acquisitions while retaining 100% of customers and employees. References and how to contact today's guest:Alan Baca| LinkedInDana Robinson | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

NYC-based James Bohannon works at Belzberg & Co, a multi-family office with a keen eye to the independent sponsor asset class. Drawing on years of conference repetition and real world deal experience, James explains how family offices truly think about backing independent sponsors. References and how to contact today's guest:James Bohannon | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

Based in New York, Michael ("Mike") Healy began his career as an attorney before deciding the real fun and action were on the deal side. After a stint in PE, he founded Gardner Standard in 2010. The early years were rocky, marked by failed deals and long stretches of uncertainty. Momentum finally arrived when a sizable closing fee on a deal he sourced and sold to a PE fund provided the liquidity needed to persevere. Today, Mike is an accomplished independent sponsor with a clearly defined strategy built around sourcing deals with legal complexity. References and how to contact today's guest:Michael Healy | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

Peter Lehrman founded Axial in 2009, the leading deal origination platform for lower-middle-market M&A. Today, roughly 10,000 attempted transactions are launched on Axial each year, with approximately 25% closing, making it one of the most active M&A marketplaces in the U.S. lower middle market, and independent sponsors are the single most active buyer type by closed-deal volume. In this episode, Peter shares unmatched market intelligence and highly tactical insights on how independent sponsors source, win, and fund deals. References and how to contact today's guest:Peter Lehrman | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

G.R. Kearney, a former inner-city Chicago teacher, was thrust into leadership when his senior partner tragically passed away. He navigated the emotional and legal complexities of sustaining the firm and ultimately rebranded it as Stacker Holdings, reshaping the platform into an employee-centric, EOS-driven, long-term investment firm. References and how to contact today's guest:G.R.Kearney | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

Dan Tamkin, based in California and co-founder of Resurgent Capital Partners, is an operator, technologist, and turnaround investor, in that order. After a career revolving around tech turnarounds and challenged VC portcos, he has found the lower-middle market to be a better channel for value creation, especially when done via the deal-by-deal model of independent sponsorship. References and how to contact today's guest:Dan Tamkin | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

UK-based Sam Turner overcame a challenged first deal by pivoting the business model and eventually built a thriving facilities maintenance roll-up that targets market leadership in its space. He points to capital stack discipline as key when self-funding add-on acquisitions. Beyond work, Sam volunteers one full mentorship day per month to founders and prospective business buyers. References and how to contact today's guest:Sam Turner | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

Craig Dupper, based in Park City, Utah, founded Elan Growth Partners after years of seeing how the traditional fund model fails to optimize stakeholder alignment and investment periods. At Elan, they prioritize high rollover equity to cement a true partnership mindset in each deal. On the LP side, they have built a tech-enabled, institution-grade back office that extends the flexibility of the independent sponsor model to the capital providers as well. References and how to contact today's guest:Craig Dupper | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

Independent sponsor royalty Michael Kornman details how he built NCK Capital out of Dallas with his brother Grant, acquiring 5 platforms in 10 years. In 2024 they partnered with Align Capital Partners to form Align Collaborate, changing sides of the table to deploy a $233m sponsor-friendly fund that backs buyouts and buy & builds. References and how to contact today's guest:Michael Kornman | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

Robert Graham, based in Dallas, graduated from HBS in 2018 and acquired his first company the year after as a self-funded searcher using SBA7a financing. After a turbulent start, this healthcare platform exploded to $30m of EBITDA and now "hemorrhages cash." That early breakout win became the engine behind SIG Partners, recently named a Top 20 independent sponsor by Axial, which has since assembled an extraordinary 33 platforms in just 6 years. References and how to contact today's guest:Robert Graham | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

Willistown Capital’s journey offers a window into how independent sponsors can execute complex, high-stakes transactions with institutional precision. William Boffa and Darren Fultz walk through the anatomy of their award-winning related acquisitions of Quiltcraft and Fabtex. From stakeholder alignment to >$1m of legal fees, they detail their journey through complexity & risk to the promised land of “zone skipping". References and how to contact today's guest:Darren Fultz | LinkedInWilliam Boffa | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

Ryan Sullivan's fully-baked & winning concept at North Park Group: buy $1m EBITDA firms at 4x, add the real estate, finance half with SBA debt, and never sell. Voila, today they have 5 operating companies, 6 acquisitions, 25% annual returns, and an investor waitlist. References and how to contact today's guest:Ryan Sullivan | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

Quinten Griffiths, based in Calgary, Canada, shares his journey from an empty-handed traditional searcher who walked away from 6 LOIs to a highly successful independent sponsor and co-founder of GoodCapital. Today, he leads Sportball as CEO, one of several portfolio companies that they own outright, with a 4th platform set to close imminently. Their success prompted a Family Office to offer them the opportunity to lead & run a dedicated $100m fund, but Quinten and his partner preferred the autonomy & flexibility of staying an independent sponsor. References and how to contact today's guest:Quinten Griffits | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov

Ian Reynolds, based in Houston, founded Thesis Capital Partner, recently ranked as a Top 20 independent sponsor. Thesis recruits Executives in Residence, who run their portcos, shares in the GP, and gets involved at the Thesis-level for shared learnings and ecosystem-building. Minds Capital invested in one of Thesis' deals in 2024. 8 years after completing his first deal as a self-funded searcher, Ian reflects on a journey that now counts 8 portfolio companies and a team of handpicked partners. References and how to contact today's guest:Ian Reynolds | LinkedIn Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors. Connect with Minds: See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas JamesVisit Minds CapitalCredits: Edited by Anton Rohozov