Inside the Deal: A 360° Look from Strategy to Close
Presented By: Morgan Stanley
Go behind the curtain of different transactions as this session takes a comprehensive, step-by-step look at the full lifecycle of a deal. From initial strategy and sourcing through due diligence, structuring, negotiation, and ultimately close, our panel of experienced dealmakers will dissect the key moments, challenges, and decisions that shape a successful outcome. Whether you’re on the buy-side or sell-side, this deep dive offers practical insights and real-world lessons on navigating the complexity of today’s deal environment.
Moderator:
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.
Panelists:
CEO
2X
Dom Colasante is the co-founder and CEO at 2X, the category-defining leader in B2B Marketing as a Service (MaaS). Since founding 2X in 2017, Dom has led 2X to over 1,000 employees, raised first institutional capital from Recognize Partners in 2023, led a secondary investment from Insight Partners in 2025, and received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year recognition for the 2024 Philadelphia region.
Managing Director
Renovus Capital Partners
Lee is a Managing Director on the lnvestment Team overseeing the Professional Services vertical. Previously, he was a Vice President at Lovell Minnick Partners, a private equity firm focused on financial services and technology. Prior to Lovell Minnick, he was at UBS in the financial institutions investment banking group. Lee began his career at J.P. Morgan Asset Management.