New Frontiers In Small Business Acquisition
Presented by ETA@MIT
February 16, 2024 in Cambridge, MA
Tickets On Sale, Click here to secure your spot!
Get ready to dive into a day full of engaging presentations and interactive sessions covering a wide range of topics such as value creation with AI, ETA to reduce the racial wealth gap, and more. Whether you're an aspiring searcher, currently in the environment, or just exploring, there's something for everyone at the ETA Conference.
This year, the ETA@MIT Club will also host two additional events:
Feb 15th, Thursday: Tactical workshops that delve deep into operator pain points
Feb 17th, Saturday: Facilitated Networking Events
Connect with like-minded individuals, expand your network, and gain valuable insights from industry experts. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn, share, and be inspired!
Mark your calendars and be sure to join us at MIT's 8th Annual ETA Conference.
We can't wait to see you there!
2024 Conference Agenda
Opening Keynote
Michael Aubrey
Moderator: Brian Axelrad
Michael will talk about his exceptional outcome, the story of how he did it, how students in the audience can too, and why they should be excited about the opportunities in front of them
First Set of Panels
ETA to Reduce the Racial Wealth Gap
Will explore small business acquisition as a vehicle to create social impact, particularly for historically underrepresented communities.
Moderator: Archie Jones
Panelists: Jason Jackson, Allegra Stennet, Kanayo Oweazim, Julian Ham-Ying, Reggie Carter
Searcher Perspectives
What is searching really like? Students will have the opportunity to ask curated questions to current searchers.
Moderators: Amaury De Bock, Connor Fox
Panelists: Alex Conti, Max Schaefer, Ania Aliev, Emilio Ruiz Padilla
What Makes a Great Investor?
How do the best investors bring value to searchers and operators?
Moderator: German Canale
Panelists: Alfonso Blohm, Nick Qiu, Rob Leblanc, Sandro Mina, Sara Rosenthal
Second Set of Panels
Value Creation with AI
Strategies that best in class operators are using to create business value with artificial intelligence, and predictions for how AI will change SMB.
Moderator: Anthony Walker
Panelists: Felipe Corcuera, Mark Valdez, Scott Barstow, Linda Drabik, Enrico Magnani
Alternative Models in ETA
An exploration of SMB acquisition models outside of the traditional search fund.
Moderator: Will Smith
Panelists: Arielle Lawrence, Trish Higgins, Andy Canales, Rich Littlehale, Jordan Carter
Search Funds as an Asset Class
How should investors think about allocating capital to search funds? How do search funds fit within the traditional portfolio, and how is it different from other investments?
Moderator: Clement Lucas
Panelists : Frank Van Lint, Steven Goddard, Meg Paulus, Peter Fisher
Third Set of Panels
ETA Over Time
40 years ago the search fund was developed. How has this industry evolved, and what does the future look like?
Moderator: Mark Anderegg
Panelists: Steve Divitkos, Jane Snow, Sandro Mina, Keith Burns, Bill Schwab
Searching Outside the US
What is the current state of emerging markets for search? Are non-US search funds poised to outperform over the next 10 years?
Moderator: Jose Stella
Panelists: Jaime Alatorre, Joachim de Belgique, Esteban Kallay, Patricia Riopel
Closing Deals in a High Rate Environment
What is it like to be looking for a deal in the current environment, particularly as it relates to higher costs of capital?
Moderator: Raam Jani
Panelists: Quadri Oguntade, Lisa Forrest, Warren Chan, Addie Epstein, Ryan Turbes
Closing Keynote
Jenna Whigham - Fireside Chat
The story of how Jenna and her brother Dennis searched, acquired, and then grew a behavioral health agency to $150 million revenue in 3 years.
AJ Wasserstein - Exploring the Future of ETA
Entrepreneurship through Acquisition will retain elements of its roots, but will definitely change. Searchers can still thrive and enjoy financial and intellectual rewards.
