The Exit Paradox: Balancing Fear and Greed to Maximize Value
Presented By: Graystone Consulting from Morgan Stanley
When considering selling a business, there are two primary emotions at play: fear and greed. On one hand there is fear—fear of loss, fear of uncertainty, fear of making the wrong move. On the other hand, there’s greed—the desire to maximize value, to capture every last dollar the business can command. These two emotional forces often pull owners in opposite directions. But the truth is, the right approach isn’t about choosing one over the other—it's about balancing both. Join us as we dive deeply into why the most successful business exits come from understanding and navigating this paradox thoughtfully and deliberately.
Moderator:
Vice President, Private Wealth Advisor
Graystone Consulting
Matthew Gurwin is a Vice President, Private Wealth Advisor, and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) for Graystone Consulting at Morgan Stanley. He specializes in advising business owners and families considering substantial liquidity events due to the sale of a privately held business. A veteran of the financial services industry, Matt draws on his 25 years of experience, helping entrepreneurs maximize the value of their business, take their personal and personal financial plans to the next level, and be prepared for what adventure comes next after transitioning their current company.
Panelists:
Principal
The Sixth Level Collaborative
Rachel Wallis Andreasson, MBA, a Principal of The Sixth Level Collaborative is committed to creating a culture no one wants to leave. Rachel is a second-generation owner of Wallis Companies and has a proven track record of building sustainable infrastructure and governance systems. Rachel is known for her ability to unlock individual and group potential, making her a transformative force in every endeavor she undertakes.
COO
Viscogliosi Brothers
Rob Grimaldi is chief operating officer of Viscogliosi Brother's LLC, a single-family office that is a global leader in medtech and biotech investing and innovation, with a long heritage of creating new markets, commercializing innovation, addressing clinical unmet needs while changing standards of care in the neuro-musculoskeletal medical device industry. In addition to his experience in family office leadership, private equity and venture capital, Rob has advised many entrepreneurial led companies acorss multiple industries through various stages, from formation to exit. Rob is a co-founder of Ad Infinitum, a bio-preservation solution and co-founder of diagQ, a diagnostic company.
CEO
Priority Waste
Todd Stamper is the founder and CEO of Priority Waste, a leading waste management company headquartered in Michigan. With over 1,200 employees across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, Priority Waste has quickly become one of the largest privately held waste companies in the country. Its success is driven by technology-enabled operations, a world-class customer experience, and an industry-leading employee culture. Todd's astute business sense and ability to identify opportunities in waste management led to the company's success. Todd is a 2025 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year winner for Michigan and Northwest Ohio.
President
EdgePoint Capital
Tom is the President and Founder of EdgePoint Capital, a boutique investment banking firm based in Cleveland. Since EdgePoint’s founding in 2000, Edge Point has completed more than 275 domestic and international middle market M&A transactions totaling billions in transaction value.
Tom has over 25 years of transactional experience including an active and dynamic role in a family business. He was been honored nationally by M&A Atlas awards as the Investment Banker of the Year. Tom is also an active civic leader and participates on several for profit and not-for-profit boards.