Aron Grossman

I spoke with Christien Louviere of BDE Capital about his journey from a $330mm exit to becoming an independent sponsor. Christien shared excellent insights for folks looking to partner with business owners, rather than buy sellers out completely. Below are a few of the topics we covered: - Why he moved from “zero-to-one” startups to a buy-then-build strategy - How Christien's background shaped a focus on growth vs. cost-cutting - Why 20–40% rolled equity is central to his deal structures—and how it builds trust with sellers - Using scenario analysis with AI tools to evaluate management teams and uncover hidden key-person risks - How to identify when a $3–5M EBITDA company truly has a middle management layer—or is still founder-reliant For anyone investing in or buying small businesses, Christien’s approach provides a fresh lens on growth, alignment, and deal structuring. 🎥 Watch the full interview here → https://lnkd.in/ekfkaiej 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e86Agx6V

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I’ve spoken to over 2 dozen MDs at PE firms I can confidently say that the arb of figuring out how to implement Vertical AI at portfolio companies is very real right now It will fundamentally change underwriting for those who can do it predictably and unlock generational returns. Most are aware they need to act. Very few have.

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💡Emerging GP Fundraising Insight #8: Rolling Closes Keep You Moving Small funds can't always afford to sit still until the target is hit. Rolling closes let you start deploying earlier, build a track record, and show momentum to prospective LPs. One GP told me that for Fund I ($5M target), he took capital as it came, signed, wired, and got to work. It wasn't perfect, but it kept the lights on and the deals moving. Sometimes the "sign and wire as it comes" approach is the only way to get moving. Takeaway: Momentum is a fundraising asset and rolling closes can help you keep it. Has anyone here used rolling closes as a strategic advantage?

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More companies are betting on first-time CFOs - but what sets the successful ones apart? My colleague Matt Quinn shares his perspective, and Gabriel Ventura, first-time CFO of Mr. Greens Produce, offers five lessons from his first year in a PE-backed seat: https://lnkd.in/eUma_Wq3

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More companies are betting on first-time CFOs - but what sets the successful ones apart? My colleague Matt Quinn shares his perspective, and Gabriel Ventura, first-time CFO of Mr. Greens Produce, offers five lessons from his first year in a PE-backed seat: https://lnkd.in/egxjbfUR

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Wealth professionals looking to introduce private market investments into client portfolios are finding that client education is essential. Managing Director James Martin shares a key insight from our Global Private Wealth Survey that highlights how stronger education equips clients to confidently embrace private markets.

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Why are MBAs from top grad schools always choosing search funds over McKinsey? Simple. Why spend years giving suggestions in decks no one will read when you can actually implement changes yourself and capture the economics? Search funds have figured out that there's massive value in young operators positioning themselves as succession plans for cash-flowing "boring" businesses. They're buying companies that need operational improvements and getting paid for making those improvements happen. But search funds focus on the buy-side. There's a parallel opportunity on the sell-side that most people are missing. Investment banks are sitting on portfolios of companies with fixable operational issues. Customer concentration, succession planning gaps, weak financial controls. These aren't deal killers, they're value creation opportunities. The banks know these issues exist but don't have the operational capability to fix them. They either walk away from deals or try to sell companies "as is" and hope for the best. That's where fractional executives come in. You have the operational experience to actually implement changes, not just recommend them. And unlike traditional consultants, you can structure compensation around value creation rather than just billable hours. The opportunity is to do for sell-side what search funds are doing for buy-side. Help companies get from where they are to where capital allocators need them to be.

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Growth at all costs is out. Strategic expansion is in. One stat from our new report that says it all: By $100M ARR, 67% of growth comes from expansion, not net-new customers. We’re seeing a mindset shift among top-performing founders. They’re prioritizing customer success early, building in product-led growth loops, and measuring how they grow, not just how fast. Full analysis and benchmarks here: https://lnkd.in/gZruurYs #AI #SaaS #CustomerSuccess #BeyondBenchmarks

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Activist Investor Galloway Capital Partners Buys 6.01% of Noodles & Company "The filing further said that Galloway “intends to engage the board and management” regarding share performance, operations, management, governance — including potential changes to the board of directors — conflicted party transactions, capital allocation policies, and strategy." #activistinvesting #shareholderactivism #corporategovernance https://lnkd.in/gJr3tFgJ

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A fantastic discussion with Glenn Oken, Dan Herr and Matt Rooney on the evolution of a dedicated BD team in private equity. The conversation explores how deal sourcing has transformed over his 30+ year career, examining what truly drives credibility in the market, the importance of empowering genuine decision-makers, and his journey to co-founding one of the first operationally focused private equity funds in the lower middle market. #DealSourceryPodcast

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