Buy-Side Edge: Seizing Opportunistic Deals in Evolving Markets

Adam Fuchs is a Group Senior Vice President and hub leader for the west suburban middle market banking hub for Wintrust Commercial Banking. Adam works with many privately held middle market businesses that are family founder owned as well as sponsor owned. In his 15 years with Wintrust he has helped many businesses by providing access to capital to support working capital, equipment, real estate and construction financing needs. In addition, he works closely with the many great niche businesses in Wintrust including the banking specialists supporting ESOP’s, sponsor finance, private banking, international banking, contractor banking and leasing to name a few. 

Neal Nath is the Founder and Managing Partner of N3 Capital Management, LLC, a Chicago-based private investment firm focused on making majority and minority investments in lower middle market companies. Mr. Nath has two decades of institutional investing, transaction, and operational experience. Mr. Nath has led successful investments in various industries including industrial, consumer, business services, and real estate.

Prior to founding N3, Mr. Nath was a Managing Director at Aves Capital Management, L.P., where he originated, structured, and executed bespoke middle market debt and equity financing transactions. Mr. Nath also served as a member of the firm’s Investment Committee and Valuation Committee.  

Previously Mr. Nath was a Managing Director and senior member of the private equity investment team at Z Capital Group, where he made control private equity investments and oversaw value creation initiatives across several middle market portfolio companies.  Mr. Nath was also an investment banker with Houlihan Lokey and a management consultant with The Keystone Group.

Mr. Nath received his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University.  He is a member of the board of Advance Switchboard Distribution and previously served on the boards of Factor75, Premier Thermal Solutions, Twin-Star International and Carillon Miami Wellness Resort.

Dan Novaes is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mode Mobile, where he’s redefining how people engage with technology through the company’s “Earn As You Go” model. Under his leadership, Mode has helped millions generate passive income from their smartphones and achieved 32,481% revenue growth from 2019 to 2022, ranking #1 in Software on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500. A lifelong entrepreneur, Dan launched ventures in e-commerce, consumer goods, and media, collectively approaching $100M in revenue.

A graduate of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, he was one of the youngest members of YPO and the Chicago Economic Club. Today, he also leads Mode’s strategic M&A and roll-up model in the mobile app space, acquiring and scaling profitable apps like AppLock and integrating them into the EarnOS ecosystem to maximize user reach, monetization, and long-term growth.

Mike is an experienced dealmaker, having successfully guided clients to closing hundreds of transactions. As a Leader of Sheppard’s Private Equity Team, Mike handles mergers and acquisitions, debt finance transactions, venture capital transactions and general corporate matters. He works with private equity funds and venture capital funds, startups and entrepreneurs, banks and non-bank lenders, and other public and private businesses.