Stacking Smart: Building Flexible Capital Structures to Power Growth in Any Market
Presented By: CBIZ / First Financial Bank
In today’s uncertain economy, access to capital—and how you structure it—can be the difference between stalled momentum and sustained growth. This session dives into how companies and investors are building complex, layered capital stacks that combine debt, equity, mezzanine, and alternative financing to support both organic expansion and M&A activity. Hear from financial strategists, lenders, and capital partners as they break down creative approaches to capital formation, risk mitigation, and funding resilience—regardless of market conditions.
Moderator:
Managing Director
CBIZ
Greg is Managing Director at CBIZ (formerly Marcum LLP). He helps clients build and grow their businesses while maintaining necessary compliance requirements. He does this through the development and execution of strategic plans, providing creative guidance in raising and deploying capital, helping stakeholders and their families maximize their returns, protect and transfer their assets.
Panelists:
Regional President
First Financial Bank
David Dannemiller leads First Financial Bank's expansion efforts into Northeast Ohio. FFB is a 160 year old, $20BB, 4 state Ohio-based banking company. Locally, David is responsible for all of FFB's business lines, including commercial, real estate, and investment banking, as well as wealth and mortgage. David is a FINRA licensed investment banker and actively involved in several local civic and NFP boards.
CEO
Standard Wellness
Prior to serving as the CEO of Standard Wellness, Jared served as the CFO of PSC Metals, Inc which had revenues of as much as $1B. PSC was a reportable segment of Icahn Enterprises (IEP, Nasdaq). PSC operates a network of 8 scrap shredders, 2 non-ferrous separation facilities, and ~25 scrap feeder yards in the US. PSC also sold secondary pipe and plate through various distribution points in both the US and Canada. Jared had primary responsibility over treasury, financial planning, corporate development / strategic planning, tax, and financial reporting.
Prior to joining PSC, Jared served as Director, Supply Chain Optimization & Director, Finance at Aleris International, where revenues were $5B. Jared was the Treasurer of the May Dugan Center for 4 years.
Co-Founder & Principal
Green Harvest Capital | Spark GHC
Bhavin "B" Patel is a co-founder of Green Harvest Capital (GHC), a leading real estate investment group with expertise across multifamily, hospitality, and industries. Bhavin also serves as the Principal of Spark GHC, a hospitality-focused arm dedicated to select-service brands in the U.S. Midwest, including Marriott, Hilton, and IHG.
With over 18 years of experience, Bhavin leads GHC’s diverse portfolio, focusing on transforming multifamily housing, driving innovation in hospitality, and spearheading industrial investments. His strategic vision has been pivotal in GHC’s commitment to urban renewal and sustainability, with initiatives like Project Scarlet in Cleveland. Under his and his teams' leadership, GHC continues to grow its impact by identifying opportunities that foster community growth, sustainability, and long-term investor returns.
Bhavin's experience in real estate acquisitions spans Ohio’s most sought-after markets, where GHC and Spark GHC have built a portfolio of over 2000+ multifamily units and hospitality properties. His role at GHC and Spark GHC emphasizes integrating business growth with innovative, sustainable development practices, all while enhancing the value of each investment.
Currently, Bhavin is actively championing adaptive reuse projects and driving growth across multiple verticals.
Partner
CW Industrials
Mr. Richards has over 15 years of lower-middle market private equity experience. Prior to joining CW Industrial Partners, he was a Partner at Walnut Ridge, a Cleveland-based single-family office, where he led the organization’s direct investing activities. Prior to Walnut Ridge, Mr. Richards was a Partner at The Riverside Company and was a leader in the firm’s Specialty Manufacturing specialization. Mr. Richards started his career in M&A investment banking at Lincoln International and worked in Strategy & Corporate Development at PepsiCo.
Mr. Richards received a Master of Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Wake Forest University where he graduated summa cum laude.