Jerry Sargent

Northeast Regional Executive
Citizens

Jerry is head of Corporate Banking for the Northeast Region, which includes New England and New York State. He brings deep experience to this role having led a number of the bank’s commercial business units, including serving as the bank’s president in Massachusetts (2010-2021) and co-chair of its Advisory Board (2012-2018).

David Dunstan

Managing Director
Citizens M&A Advisory

David co-founded Western Reserve Partners in 2004, which was acquired by Citizens in 2017, and has more than 25 years of experience advising middle market companies in mergers and acquisitions and capital raising across a wide range of industries. Prior to co-founding Western Reserve Partners, he was a Managing Director at KeyBanc Capital Markets and Manager of Consumer Investment Banking at McDonald Investments. David started his career at Ernst & Young, where he provided financial consulting and audit services to middle market companies.

Benjamin Armour

Partner, M&A Practice Group Leader
Sullivan & Worcester

Ben is the leader of the Mergers & Acquisitions group at Sullivan. His practice focuses on corporate and securities law, representing public and private companies in complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, real estate investment trust (REIT) conversions, SEC reporting and other general corporate and securities matters.

Ben counsels clients through all stages of the corporate life cycle – from initial formation and financing through successful initial public offering or acquisition. He also plays an active role in the firm’s blockchain initiative, and advises companies with respect to blockchain and related technologies, virtual currencies and digital token sales, and related securities laws and regulatory matters, including (i) structuring and documenting the offering of Ethereum-based smart contract digital securities for a real estate fund, and (ii) structuring and documenting the offering of a principal-protected digital security in the hospitality industry.

In addition, Ben is a leader of the firm’s Opportunity Zones practice group, and he advises a range of clients in forming private investment funds, partnerships, joint ventures and other investment structures to take advantage of the U.S. Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017's Opportunity Zone Program.

David Barbash

Managing Partner - Boston
Arent Fox

David Barbash is the Managing Partner of the Boston Office and member of the Corporate and Securities Group of Arent Fox LLP, a full service national law firm of over 450 attorneys across five offices: Washington, New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. In addition to serving as the Managing Partner of the Boston Office, David is a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee, Co-Manager of the firm-wide Business Department and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Venture Capital and Emerging Business Industry Group.

David’s practice is focused on representing companies ranging from early stage to more mature family owned and venture backed companies in such areas as mergers and acquisitions, venture capital/private placements, strategic alliances/joint ventures, and licensing arrangements, as well as advising clients on day to day general business matters. He serves as a trusted legal advisor to senior management and boards of directors to assist clients in achieving their organizational objectives, while making certain to protect them legally.

John Blyzinskyj

Managing Director / Retired CEO
JJJ Consulting / Elemica Inc.

John Blyzinskyj is Chairman of Cleo Inc., and the former CEO and Board Member of Elemica Inc. He has Led two highly successful exits of Cloud Software companies on behalf of investors. Named a Global Top 50 Cloud Software CEO in 2018, he has a significant track record of partnering with Private Equity Firms on successful Tech investments. In the early part of his career John held a number of executive roles based in Europe and California for IBM and also HP. These positions involved leading global business units with revenues in excess of $1 billion.

Marc Busny

Managing Director
CBIZ & MHM

Marc is a Managing Director at CBIZ & MHM and has been with the organization for over 20 years. CBIZ & MHM is focused on providing tax, attest and transaction advisory services to the deal community.

David Clayman

CEO & Wealth Advisor
Twelve Points Wealth Management

Dave Clayman's 24 years of experience allow him to help entrepreneurs, like himself, shift their personal financial discussions from really big numbers to surprisingly small ones... how many moments we have in life that take our breath away. Coordinated planning allows Dave's clients to measure their 3 key gaps...wealth, profit and value... and maximize their enjoyment of a life well planned.

John Cushing

Partner
Goulston & Storrs

John is a corporate and securities lawyer who advises entrepreneurs, family offices, business owners and c-level executives on matters of business strategy, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financing, joint ventures, strategic alliances, private placements and public offerings of debt and equity securities, SEC compliance, technology licensing, corporate governance, recapitalizations, executive compensation, business succession and corporate governance. Having spent several years in working in finance and business operations, John has a unique understanding of client’s business and financial objectives. John works collaboratively with clients across a variety of industries, including high technology, consumer products, digital and print media, e-commerce and e-solutions, software development, information technology, life sciences, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, professional and financial services and alternative energy.

Alex de Pfyffer

Managing Partner
Heritage Holding

Alex is the co-founder of Heritage Holding, an investment firm that specializes in building private equity platforms in the middle market. Heritage has completed 16 business acquisitions to-date across multiple industries including business services, tech services and healthcare services. Alex is also the outgoing CEO of Maicom, a telecom service company that he acquired with partner Ross Porter. Alex led Maicom's revenue growth from $55m to $130m between 2017-2021, built the business development, sales, M&a functions, oversaw international expansion. Alex holds an MBA with honors from Harvard Business School and a BS in international affairs from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

James DeLeo

Managing Partner
Gray, Gray & Gray, LLP

Jim DeLeo began his career at Gray, Gray & Gray over 30 years ago, and now serves as the Managing Partner. He founded the Transaction Advisory Services practice, works closely with many of the region’s most prominent sources of capital, and hosts the firm’s innovative quarterly DealMakers events that bring entrepreneurs, private equity professionals and operating businesses together to help facilitate transactions.

Bob Emmert

Partner
McCarthy Capital

Bob Emmert joined McCarthy Capital in 2008 and has more than 20 years of investment and investment banking experience. His responsibilities include managing operations of McCarthy Capital’s Boston office, raising investment capital, evaluating and making private investments and management oversight of portfolio investments. He is a member of the firm’s Investment Committee.

Alex Faigel

CEO & Co-Founder
Dr. Dental

Alex Faigel is the CEO and co-founder of Dr. Dental. Founded in 2004, Alex has led the organizations growth from a single dental office to 44 locations throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and New Jersey. Backed by an enduring energy and drive, Alex created the Dr. Dental vision of retailizing dental care by providing convenient, accessible, quality care via retail dental clinics in convenient neighborhood locations. In 2019 ABRY Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm, acquired Dr. Dental and continues to work closely with the management team.

Alex earned a degree in entrepreneurship and marketing from Babson College in 1999. As a strong believer in education, Alex serves as a member in local chapters of the Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO) and Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).

Olly Forrer

Vice President
Artemis Capital Partners

Olly is a Vice President on the Investment Team at Artemis. Olly works across the full spectrum of Fund activities, including deal generation, investment strategy & thesis development, transaction lead, portfolio company lead and Limited Partner engagement. Olly joined Artemis from Canaccord Genuity, a global middle-market investment bank, where he spent three years as an Analyst and Associate focusing on technology M&A advisory. Prior to Canaccord, Olly worked at AGC Partners, a Boston-based investment bank, focusing on technology M&A advisory. Olly received his BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (magna cum laude) from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Franklin Foster

Founder
Essex Bay Capital LLC

Franklin has led direct investments into private companies for the last 17 years, and has been in the finance industry for over 20 years. Prior to founding Essex Bay, Franklin was a Managing Director at Audax Private Equity, a leading middle market investment firm with over $9 billion of capital under management. At Audax, he led investments in the industrial, business services, healthcare and technology markets, among others, completing over 60 acquisitions. Representative investments include Aavid Thermalloy (sold to Boyd), Astrodyne TDI (sold to Tinicum), Gabriel Performance Products (sold to Huntsman), Northern Digital (sold to Roper) and Winchester Electronics (sold to Snow Phipps). In addition to leading investments for the bulk of his career at Audax, Franklin also was a member of the Business Development team, maintaining relationships with a variety of deal intermediaries.

Prior to Audax, Franklin was Interim CFO and VP of Corporate Development at Coast Crane Company, then an Audax portfolio company. Earlier, Franklin worked in investment banking in New York, London and Providence.

Paul Gabriel

CEO
Environmental Partners

Paul is the Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of Environmental Partners, with 40 years of experience across the full spectrum of civil and environmental engineering and related construction management, including drinking water and wastewater engineering, hazardous and solid waste management, and stormwater management and compliance.

He specializes in strategic planning and execution of large scale infrastructure programs where financing, public outreach, and assembling multi-disciplinary teams of professionals with diverse experiences are essential to project success, particularly as these large-scale efforts can take a decade or longer to complete.

Paulo Garcia

CEO & Co-Founder
Kytopen

As CEO and co-founder of Kytopen, Paulo is leading the development & commercialization of their proprietary Flowfect™ technology for non-viral delivery of molecules into hard-to-transfect immune cells. He co-invented the Flowfect™ technology during his postdoc (Research Scientist) in the Mechanical Engineering department at MIT. The scalable Flowfect™ technology combines microfluidics and automation to make this process easier, faster, and more reliable. With this automated cell engineering platform they plan to enable new discoveries in biology that will lead to cost-effective cell and gene therapies.

John Gardella

Shareholder / Attorney
CMBG3 Law

John Gardella is the Chair of CMBG3 Law's ESG and Environmental practice groups. He has 17 years of environmental litigation and compliance experience advising companies on risks associated with current and emerging environmental issues. He also consults with firms in the private equity, investment and banking spaces on environmental and chemical risks associated with the buy and sell sides of deals. He helps his clients see the risks that they are unaware of.

James Goodman

President
Gemini Investors

Jim has been an investor in private middle market companies for the last 26 years. Since 1993, when he founded Gemini’s predecessor firm, he has raised six private equity funds and completed investments in more than 120 different companies. From 1989 to 1993, Mr. Goodman completed over $400 million in private equity transactions at Berkshire Partners, a Boston-based private investment firm. Previously, he was a management consultant for five years with Bain & Company. Mr. Goodman has been a Director or Board observer for over 40 portfolio companies during his investment career.

Andrew Horne

Parnter
Mad River Associates

Andy joined Mad River Associates in 2021 to provide buy-side intermediate search services to both strategic and P/E Buyers seeking to expand. Prior to joining MRA, Andy served in executive, advisory and advocacy positions for over thirty years – first as a litigation attorney – and subsequently with Epoxy Technology, Inc. – a specialty adhesives manufacturer for high technology/microelectronics applications – for 20+ years as its General Counsel, Chief Operating Officer and finally, President. Andy worked closely with Epoxy’s family ownership to improve all aspects of the business and its employees, eventually guiding the family and the company through a sales process. Andy remained post-sale under P/E ownership for two years. Andy graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A in History and Government, and from the University of Michigan Law School.

Jonathan Kasen

Managing Member
Shaker Valley Capital Partners LLC

Jonathan Kasen is a Managing Member of Shaker Valley Capital Partners LLC (SVCP) and Co-Owner of Hilliards Chocolates. SVCP is an investment firm focused on small private middle market investments. Prior to SVCP, Jonathan was a Portfolio Manager at Fidelity Investments focused on the Energy and Industrials sectors.

Molly Kellogg

Chairman, President & CEO
Hubbard-Hall Inc.

Molly is the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hubbard-Hall – a $50 million chemical company with three locations on the Eastern seaboard, including headquarters in Waterbury. Molly directs, manages and runs the business – and through direct reports, oversees operations, sales and technical development.

David Kemp

CEO
Village Gourmet

David Kemp is CEO of Village Gourmet, a collection of five premium protein brands. With over 200 years of history in its brands, Village Gourmets sells to the top grocery stores and restaurants across the country. Previously, David was an infantry Captain in the Marine Corps, where he served two combat deployments to Afghanistan.

Brendan Kiernan

Partner, Head of Mergers & Acquisitions Group
Mirus Capital Advisors

Brendan is a Partner with Mirus Capital Advisors who joined the firm in 2004. Experienced in business valuation, corporate finance advisory and deal execution, Brendan leads Mirus’ Valuation practice, as well as co-leading sell-side and buy-side M&A mandates. Brendan has made significant contributions to several dozen client transactions and engagements during his tenure with the firm. His work has focused primarily on clients in the technology, business services, and industrial and distribution sectors.

Before joining Mirus, Brendan worked for Dresdner RCM Global Advisors, the asset management arm of Dresdner Bank AG, and the Industry Standard, a business magazine focused on the internet economy.

Dustin S. Klein

Chief Content Officer
Smart Business

Dustin is an award-winning business journalist, bestselling author, and the chief content officer of Smart Business. Over the past 30 years, he has interviewed thousands of business and civic leaders, and helped more than 50 CEOs and entrepreneurs transform their ideas into books. A trained investigative politics reporter and former digital media entrepreneur, Dustin joined Smart Business in 1997 after serving as an editor at several daily newspapers.

Ruben Klein

Principal
R. Klein Consulting LLC

Ruben is the founder of R. Klein Consulting LLC where he advises privately held companies on a variety of financial strategies. Most recently he was the President & CFO of TriWire Engineering Solutions, a provider of technical services to the telecommunications industry, where he led the sale of the company to a strategic buyer. Previously, Ruben was the CFO for several industrial companies, where he has managed over a dozen M&A transactions. Ruben’s background also includes a successful career in corporate banking.

Irina Krasik

Principal
Stellex Capital Management

Ms. Krasik is a member of Stellex’s investment team. Prior to joining Stellex in 2021, Ms. Krasik was a Principal at Bregal Partners where she led investments in the Food & Consumer and Business Services sectors. Before Bregal Partners, Ms. Krasik was a Principal at Wicks Capital Partners and prior to that an Associate at the Carlyle Group.

Ms. Krasik previously served on the boards of Bendon, Bisnow, My Mochi, Northstar Travel Group, Sontiq, and Syndigo.

Tony Lemmo

President & CEO
BioDot

Tony has over 25 years of experience bringing platform technologies to the life sciences, diagnostics and pharmaceutical industries. He currently serves as the CEO and President of BioDot Inc., the market leader in automated, high-throughput ultra-low volume dispensing systems for the manufacturing of today’s most advanced diagnostics. BioDot manufactures the dispensing technology currently used by more than 80 diagnostics manufacturers worldwide to make COVID-19 antigen, antibody and PCR tests.

Stephen Leonard

SVP, Head of Corporate Banking
Cambridge Savings Bank

As a seasoned banker, Steve knows what customers are looking for in their relationship with Cambridge Savings Bank, and he strives to deliver it every day.  Steve oversees the growth of CSB’s commercial and industrial lending, including asset-based lending. His goal is simple; to make CSB the community bank of choice for small and mid-sized companies. With more than 35 years in finance, Steve calls upon a wealth of experience building relationships and developing commercial business in the middle market.  Steve and his team of 14 commercial lenders oversee $1.4 billion in commitments to companies largely based in New England.  Previously he held key positions at places like Bank of America, Eastern Bank, State Street Bank, and Mass Development Boston. With a BA in Human Development from Colby College, Steve currently resides in Wellesley.  He has participated in the Pan Mass Challenge the past 15 years and serves on the board for Capital Fund, an organization that provides financing for community health centers.

David MacKeen

CEO
Eliassen Group

Dave MacKeen Jr. has held leadership positions within the Technology Staffing industry for over two decades, including the roles of CFO and president, prior to becoming CEO of Eliassen Group in 2010. During his tenure as CEO, Dave has spearheaded tremendous company growth, working in collaboration with his team and utilizing a combination of organic and acquisitive tactics and strategies to stay aligned with changing staffing industry dynamics. Under Dave’s leadership, Eliassen Group has completed its third private equity partnership, with the most recent being Stone Point Capital, positioning Eliassen Group to transformational growth as a leading national strategic consulting and talent solutions firm.

While at Eliassen Group, Dave has enjoyed significant achievements at the regional and national level, including the following:

• Recognition from the Boston Business Journal as 2021’s Citizens Middle Market Executive of the Year
• Being featured on SIA's annual Staffing 100 North America list for six consecutive years

Additionally, Dave serves on several boards including the Bentley Executive Club, Endicott College Board of Advisors, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Van Noy Valor Foundation and Saint John’s Prep Trustee Associate .

Caio Malufe

Associate Director, Farmland Plus
Manulife Investment Management, Timberland and Agriculture

Caio Malufe has a background in investment banking with Credit Suisse in Brazil, a decade in food & agriculture investments with The Blackstone Group in Latam, which included managing value creation for two portfolio companies, and over 4 years in corporate strategy and M&A for Cargill in Asia and in the US. He's currently at HNRG's team investing in vertically integrated agricultural companies, with a long-term value creation strategy.

Brent Mathews

Senior Vice President
BankProv

Brent Mathews is a commercial lender with BankProv, focusing on acquisition financing of lower middle market companies by private equity groups, independent sponsors, management teams and private companies on a cash flow basis. Prior to BankProv, Brent worked at PNC Business Credit, CIT Group and GE Capital originating and structuring asset based and cash flow loans including unitranche and 1st lien/2nd lien structures.

Peter McLoughlin

Owner
ARK National

Emmett McNulty

CEO
General Management Group

Emmett McNulty is a serial entrepreneur investor. Currently the CEO of General Management Group a Distressed Investment group that owns and operates multiple businesses around the world. He founded General Management Group (GMG) as an investment vehicle in 2016 and formally as the management company acting with the group's portfolios in early 2020. The GMG team currently works with over 20,000 independent contractors and employees located in 28 countries, with Headquarters predominantly located in North America and Ireland (2022).

David Model

COO
Triton Systems Inc.

David has 40 years of business experience in energy, defense, biotech, and other high technology fields. David has served as CFO of two of Triton’s public company spin-offs, and CEO, CFO or COO of seven privately financed affiliate companies. Prior to Triton, David was a founder of the group that took ImageMax public in 1997, and Airfoil Technologies, a joint venture between Teleflex and General Electric.

David holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Yale University.

Brian Moore

Managing Partner, Boston Office
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

Brian serves as managing partner for the firm's Boston office. He practices in the area of business law where he counsels privately and publicly held companies on corporate, finance, and securities law matters. Brian specializes in advising closely held businesses and larger companies in mergers and other business acquisitions, sales, and restructuring transactions. He also has venture capital experience, representing both emerging companies and investors.

Samantha Ory

General Partner
Ouroboros Group

Samantha is a General Partner with Private Equity firm Ouroboros Group, which invests in Consumer, Healthcare and the Manufacturing and Distribution spaces. Prior to Ouroboros Samantha was on the investment team at Generation Equity Capital and has been active in sourcing, evaluating and executing on investment opportunities as well as developing investment theses across various sectors. Prior to joining Generation, Samantha was at Corporate Fuel Advisors where she advised clients on a variety of M&A and financing transactions.

Prior experience includes working at a start-up quant hedge fund as an algorithm/back tester and Capital Markets at Morgan Stanley with a focus on the consumer sector. Samantha received her BBA in Design & Management, Summa Cum Laude, from Parsons The New School For Design. Most recently, she received an MBA from Brandeis University where she graduated top 5% with a concentration in Finance & Economics and a minor in Social Policy.

Jason Ray

Co-Founder & CEO
Paperless Parts, Inc.

As a Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer at Paperless Parts, Jason focuses on driving the company's product vision, while building relationships with American manufactures. While serving as an officer in the US Navy, he led the implementation of additive manufacturing technology, prior to starting a consulting firm focused on driving efficiency in precision manufacturing operations through process improvement and automation.

Tarrus Richardson

CEO
IMB Partners

Mr. Richardson is the Founder and CEO of IMB which was started in 2010. He has 25 years of private equity experience, has invested over $500 million of capital and completed over 20 platform buyouts and add-on acquisitions.

Prior to IMB, Tarrus co-founded ICV Partners, a $440 million minority-owned private equity firm from 1998-2010 and worked at JLL Partners, a private equity firm with over $2 billion of AUM, and Citibank (formerly Salomon Brothers).

Tarrus is the founder of the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP), a top leadership development and networking organization based in New York and Los Angeles and a founding board chair of All Star Code, a leading non-profit focused on helping boys of color code.

Mr. Richardson received a BS in Accounting from Purdue University (where he has served as the Purdue Black Alumni President and as Student Body President) and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a Robert Toigo Fellow.

Julie Rousseau

Managing Director & Wealth Manager
First Republic Investment Management

Julie Rousseau is a Managing Director and Wealth Manager with First Republic Investment Management.

Prior to joining First Republic in 2018, she was a financial advisor for the Atwood Group within Merrill Lynch's Private Banking and Investment Group in Boston, MA. As a member of the Atwood Group at Merrill Lynch, Ms. Rousseau advised clients in all areas of wealth management with a focus on complex planning issues.

Prior to joining Merrill Lynch, Ms. Rousseau served as a Managing Director and Member of a Boston-based registered investment advisory (RIA) firm, in charge of the firm's Private Wealth and Family Office practices. During her tenure, she serviced both the firm's family and institutional clients and held responsibilities in the firm's operations, technology development and management efforts as the firm grew from $400 million assets under management to over $10 billion.

Charlie Saponaro

CEO
MRA

Charlie is the CEO of MRA, a leading healthcare services business providing medical coding, auditing and cancer registry services to hospitals in the United States. Before acquiring MRA in 2010, Charlie worked in private equity, corporate development and sales.

Enzo Scalora

President & CEO
Scalora Consulting Group

With 24 years of experience in the design and construction industry, Enzo founded Scalora Consulting Group to create the most forward-thinking owner’s representative firm in the design and construction industry. He has a vision to build a better world by investing in people, partnering to innovate, and being socially and environmentally responsible.

Lynn Schade

Senior Vice President & Regional Manager
Middlesex Savings Bank

Lynn Schade is an experienced, cash flow banker in the Commercial Banking group at Middlesex Savings Bank. She is focused on working with middle market companies throughout New England providing acquisition finance, equity recaps and sponsor finance.

Gordon Scott

Managing Member
Shaker Valley Capital Partners, LLC

Gordon Scott is Managing Member of Shaker Valley Capital Partners, LLC and Co-Owner of Hilliards Chocolates LLC. Prior to Shaker Valley, Gordon spent fifteen years with Fidelity Investments and managed approximately $10 billion of equity assets. Gordon lives in Newton, Massachusetts and hold a Bachelors and Masters degree from the University of Wisconsin.

Lewis Segall

Partner, Corporate Department Director
Sullivan & Worcester

Lew is the director of Sullivan's Corporate Department. His practice is focused on a number of transactional areas. He regularly represents public and private companies in equity and debt financings, joint ventures, domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate matters. Lew also represents financial institutions in secured and unsecured credit facilities. His clients consist of major financial institutions, private equity groups, family-owned businesses, family offices and other investors, as well as emerging and established companies engaged in a variety of industries, including renewable energy, advertising, health care, communications, manufacturing and software.

Mark Shirman

Founder
Congruity 360

Mark has over thirty five years of entrepreneurial experience in the IT services and Software arena, most recently in the Cloud and Infrastructure markets. Mark has been either founder or senior executive in a wide variety of organizations including RiverMeadow Software, GlassHouse Technologies, Convergent Group, Cambridge Technology Partners and others. When not working, Mark enjoys time with his wife, five children, five grandchildren, his guitar and his skis.

Daniel Singer

President & CEO
Robison Energy

Daniel began his professional career with the Pepsi Cola Company where he worked in a variety of positions and concluded his tenure at Pepsi in 1996 in the position of Manager of Labor Relations for North American operations. In 1996 Daniel joined his family at Robison as Vice President of Operations and is currently CEO and President. Since his arrival, Robison has expanded its services to include natural gas supply and service, electricity supply, air conditioning, home performance services, duct cleaning, as well as mold testing and remediation. Robison now employs over 200 people and serves over 24,000 homes and businesses throughout the New York metro area. Daniel is a member of the Executive Committee of the Empire State Energy Association. In addition to his duties at Robison, Daniel serves on the board of Feeding Westchester as well as the Westchester Business division of the United Jewish Appeal. Daniel, his wife Jill, and their three children live in White Plains, NY.

Kurt Steinkrauss

Member / Chair, Closely Held Business Practice; Co-chair, Private Equity Practice
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

Kurt Steinkrauss chairs Mintz’s Closely Held Business Group and co-chairs the Private Equity Practice. He has significant experience helping individuals and families develop and implement successful estate planning strategies. Clients count on his insights on evolving gift and estate tax laws to help them manage their assets effectively. Kurt also handles a variety of corporate and employment matters. He often counsels closely held businesses, start-ups, and emerging companies on corporate governance matters as well as sales, acquisitions, and M&A transactions. Kurt is an experienced speaker and lecturer, and he regularly contributes articles to national and regional business and law publications.

John Stephenson

CEO
WJ Connell Co.

John Stephenson is the CEO and 4th generation owner of WJ Connell Co., a 118 year-old holding company that owns, operates, and invests in the industrial distribution, real estate, and alternative investment spaces. Mr. Stephenson began working at WJ Connell Co. in 1992 and served in various roles until 2000 when he was named CEO.

Additionally, Mr. Stephenson is the co-founding partner (2012) and Board member of Power Distributors (www.powerdistributors.com), a national distribution network that provides value-added services to “big-box” retailers, online vendors, and over 30,000 B2B power equipment customers across North America.

He is also the co-founding partner (2007) and former Board member of Gardner-Connell (www.gardner-connell.com), a distribution network that serves retailers, online vendors, and over 6,000 B2B customers throughout the northeast. Mr. Stephenson sold his equity interest in Gardner-Connell in December of 2020.

In January 2021, Mr. Stephenson launched a Family Office with Boston Family Advisors (www.bostonfamilyadvisors.com). The WJ Connell Co. Family Office will focus on various investment strategies including alternative and start-up opportunities.

Susan Hunt Stevens

Founder & CEO
WeSpire

Susan Hunt Stevens is the Founder & CEO of WeSpire, an award-winning employee experience technology that drives environmental, social, and governance (ESG) outcomes by engaging people in activities that align with their passion and purpose. After her son was diagnosed with serious food allergies, she founded WeSpire to leverage her digital behavior change expertise to help people embrace healthier and more sustainable lifestyles and to create a more equitable and inclusive work culture.

Sean Sullivan

Vice President
Copley Equity Partners

Sean joined Copley in 2019 and is currently a Vice President based in Copley’s Boston office. Sean is responsible for deal sourcing, deal execution, and portfolio company management. Prior to Copley, Sean worked at a number of private equity firms including SFW Capital, WestView Capital, and Century Equity Partners. Prior to entering private equity, Sean worked at Barclays Capital in the Investment Banking Group in New York City.

Sean earned a B.S. in Finance and B.A. in History from Boston College and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Sean also graduated with honors from Belmont Hill School.

Simon Taylor

Founder & CEO
HYCU, Inc.

Simon Taylor is the Founder and CEO at HYCU, Inc. HYCU is a Boston-based multi-cloud data protection SaaS company and is funded by Bain Capital Ventures and Acrew Capital. As CEO, Simon creates and executes on the vision and strategy of the fast-growing global company. Recently Simon and HYCU were the leads on the ransomware readiness recovery public service initiative, R-Score. R-Score is a quantitative benchmark for assessing an organization's recovery readiness in case of a ransomware attack. Prior to HYCU, Simon held senior executive positions at Comtrade Software including President and CEO as well as Chief Strategy Officer of The Comtrade Group where he evaluated technology development, partner relationships and strategic investments. Simon also held management and leadership positions at Putnam Investments, Omgeo and Forrester Research. Simon sits on the board of directors of Boston Uncornered and is an active member of YPO (Young Presidents Organization) in Boston. He holds an MBA from Instituto de Empressa (Madrid) and an BSc Operations Technology from Northeastern University.

Baxter Underwood

CEO
Safe Harbor Marinas

Bruce Welty

Founder
Locus Robotics

Chris Whelan

Owner
Health Express Urgent Care

Marcus Wilson

Co-Founder
NOBULL Project

A seasoned entrepreneur, marketer and storyteller who has spent many years finding ways to help big brands and startups grow.

Areas of expertise include: marketing, content creation, entrepreneurship, strategy and operations, e-Commerce and investing.

Josh Zachariah

Partner, Co-Chair Tech M&A
Goodwin Procter LLP

Josh is a partner in the firm’s Public M&A/Corporate Governance practice, and serves as the Co-Chair of the firm’s Technology M&A practice. His practice focuses on representing public and private acquirers and target companies in a variety of domestic and cross-border acquisition and disposition transactions, joint ventures and other corporate matters. Mr. Zachariah has deep public M&A experience, across the private equity, technology and life sciences industries.