Smart Business Dealmakers named me a 2026 Dealmakers of the Year honoree at its Columbus M&A Conference, recognizing me for founding Maven and leading the company through its acquisition. It was a humbling moment, and it is worth explaining why it matters to the way Elevate Growth Partners works.
The deal is the last chapter, not the whole story
An acquisition looks like a single event from the outside. From the inside, it is the result of years of ordinary, difficult operating decisions. I spent 15 years building Maven from a one-person business into an organization of more than 60 people. Along the way we built teams, won and served clients, improved profitability, modernized technology, and made hard calls when the answer was not obvious.
Nobody sees most of that work, but it is the work that creates the value a buyer eventually pays for.
Enterprise value comes from alignment
The lesson I carry from Maven is that sustainable growth rarely comes from one thing. It happens when the right people, technology, and execution are aligned around a clear objective. A strong strategy fails without the right people to carry it out. Great technology fails without leaders who decide clearly. And talent fails without a plan worth executing.
That is the thread behind everything we do at EGP, and it is why we describe ourselves as an operator-led growth and business transformation firm.
It fills my cup. I love to help create success for others. I have done it for myself, and I want to do it for other companies.
Bringing that experience to other leaders
Being recognized as an honoree reinforced something I already believed: owners and leadership teams do not need another report. They need a partner who has sat in the operator’s seat, who knows what it takes to win the work, build the team, and deliver on the promise, and who will work alongside them to get it done.
If you are growing a business and thinking about what comes next, whether that is scaling, modernizing, strengthening your leadership team, or eventually preparing for an exit, I would be glad to talk. Schedule a 30-minute conversation, or read more about my background. You can also read the Smart Business Dealmakers Columbus event page for details on the recognition.
