Craig Dupper, based in Park City, Utah, founded Elan Growth Partners after years of seeing how the traditional fund model fails to optimize stakeholder alignment and investment periods. At Elan, they prioritize high rollover equity to cement a true partnership mindset in each deal. On the LP side, they have built a tech-enabled, institution-grade back office that extends the flexibility of the independent sponsor model to the capital providers as well.

References and how to contact today's guest:
Craig Dupper | LinkedIn

Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

Connect with Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas James
• Visit Minds Capital

Credits:

• Edited by Anton Rohozov

Independent sponsor royalty Michael Kornman details how he built NCK Capital out of Dallas with his brother Grant, acquiring 5 platforms in 10 years. In 2024 they partnered with Align Capital Partners to form Align Collaborate, changing sides of the table to deploy a $233m sponsor-friendly fund that backs buyouts and buy & builds.

References and how to contact today's guest:
Michael Kornman | LinkedIn

Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

Connect with Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas James
• Visit Minds Capital

Credits:

• Edited by Anton Rohozov

Robert Graham, based in Dallas, graduated from HBS in 2018 and acquired his first company the year after as a self-funded searcher using SBA7a financing. After a turbulent start, this healthcare platform exploded to $30m of EBITDA and now "hemorrhages cash." That early breakout win became the engine behind SIG Partners, recently named a Top 20 independent sponsor by Axial, which has since assembled an extraordinary 33 platforms in just 6 years.

References and how to contact today's guest:
Robert Graham | LinkedIn

Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

Connect with Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas James
• Visit Minds Capital

Credits:

• Edited by Anton Rohozov