Hi, I'm Ron Gardner, Founder and CEO of Gardner Acquisitions & Closings. I've spent years inside hospital operations and healthcare systems before pivoting into acquisition entrepreneurship, so when I say I want people who can operate under real pressure, I mean it literally. I built this firm the same way I ran a pharmacy floor: on process, precision, and follow-through. We're a fundless sponsor targeting lower middle market businesses ($1.5M+ EBITDA, $3M+ asking price, 10+ years of operating history, industry-agnostic except general construction). This isn't a small outfit. We've built a 30 person acquisitions engine running roughly 2,700 deals through our pipeline right now. Finding deals and getting them under contract is only half the job. The other half is making sure they actually close, and that comes down to capital. That's where this role comes in. I need people who can take meetings with SBIC investors and banks when I can't, build real relationships with them over time, and make sure that when we have a deal under contract, financing isn't the thing that kills it. This is a direct extension of me in the rooms I can't personally be in. I review applications on a rolling basis. Don't wait. THE ROLE: INVESTOR & BANKING RELATIONSHIPS MANAGER You'll work directly with SBIC investors and commercial banks on behalf of the firm, taking meetings, answering their questions, and keeping those relationships warm between deals, not just when we need something. You'll help present our capital relationship materials, walk lenders and investors through our deal thesis, and represent our multi-lender financing strategy accurately and professionally. When a deal goes under contract, you're one of the people making sure it actually gets financed and closes, not just sourced. You need to be comfortable in a room with bankers and investors who may not take you seriously at first, and confident enough to earn that seriously anyway. A natural fit for anyone drawn to investment banking, commercial lending, capital markets, or private equity. WHAT YOU'LL ACTUALLY GET Direct relationship-building experience with SBIC investors and commercial banks, not simulated case studies. A real seat in financing conversations on live deals under contract. Exposure to how acquisition financing actually gets structured (senior debt, seller notes, equity) and negotiated. The opportunity to represent the firm directly to capital partners, building your own network in the process. The chance to continue with the firm beyond the internship based on performance. WHO I'M LOOKING FOR MBA students, law students, recent grads, or working professionals who want real exposure to capital markets, lending, or investor relations. No prior M&A or banking experience required, but you need to be someone who can walk into a room with bankers and investors and hold your own. If you're persistent, relationship-oriented, and comfortable representing something bigger than yourself, that matters more here than your resume. PROGRAM DETAILS Remote Unpaid internship Start Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2026 through October 30, 2026 Rolling interviews begin immediately Approximately 20 to 24 hours per week Hiring 5 Investor & Banking Relationships Manager interns Opportunity to stay on with the firm beyond the internship based on performance This role is remote, but if you're based in Orange County, California, you're welcome to come work alongside me in the office as well. More on the firm: Gardner Acquisitions & Closings, redacted TO APPLY DM me directly with your resume and answers to: 1. A time you had to build a relationship with someone who didn't have a reason to take you seriously at first. What did you do. 2. Why you want exposure to capital markets, lending, or investor relations specifically. 3. Your actual availability for the full run. Be honest, not aspirational. Please include your resume and answer all three questions. How clearly and quickly you respond tells me more than a bullet-point history will, but I need both. Looking forward to hearing from you.