Beyond the Payday: Smart Planning Before a Liquidity Event

William Akers founded, operated and sold two fire protection sprinkler installation companies in the last 20 years. Fire Watch Services and Akers Fire Protection. Currently, Akers Fire Protection is located in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. We specialize in the renovation and modification of existing fire sprinkler systems located mostly in commercial office buildings. However, we are currently involved in a project that includes replacing 40 miles of underground firefighting distribution piping in the WAMATA Subway transit system. Akers Fire Protection was recently acquired by Sciens Building Solutions in February of 2025.

Dan is a results-driven executive and board member with a proven track record of success in both business and higher education. His career has been marked by achievements in driving performance for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He possess a diverse skill set that includes entrepreneurship, business scaling, operations management, sales, fundraising from seed level to 3x Private Equity and Venture Capital backing, acquisitions, consulting, and hospitality management.

As a strong visionary, Dan excels in strategic planning, team building, and business development. He has a passion for continuous learning and a commitment to staying at the forefront of industry trends. His educational background includes an MBA from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, where he gained invaluable insights into the world of business and leadership.

Matthew Michaelangelo is a PwC Deals Partner specializing in tax due diligence and tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions (domestic and multinationals) and other federal taxation matters involving corporations and their shareholders. For over 20 years Matthew has worked with clients (public and private) to address tax-related aspects of transactions in a wide range of industries, working on numerous (domestic and international) restructurings / acquisitions / divestitures and various areas of corporate taxation.

Brad Palmer is a Managing Partner at Sequence Equity, where he helps lead the firm’s management, investment, and capital formation initiatives. Sequence Equity is a next-generation private investment firm focused on resilient technologies that enhance the human experience. With a global perspective and deep institutional backing, the firm invests in sports, software, and performance-driven sectors, leveraging a multi-fund approach to drive unique value creation across its portfolio. At the core of Sequence Equity’s strategy is a commitment to excellence, performance, and integrity, fostering transformative businesses and building enduring partnerships.

A serial entrepreneur with a track record of building and scaling successful ventures, Brad founded B3 Group in 2008, an IT consulting and digital transformation firm specializing in enterprise application modernization, cloud engineering, and data analytics—primarily serving the Federal Health sector. After partnering with private equity in 2021, the platform was ultimately acquired by IBM Consulting for $1.25B.

Beyond his leadership at Sequence Equity, Brad is an active investor and advisor in AI, SaaS, digital health, and sports technology, contributing to multiple successful exits. His passion lies in identifying and cultivating high-impact opportunities that drive innovation and long-term growth.