Where are you based? Charlotte, North Carolina. I run Token Capital Group from here and look at opportunities primarily across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. What is your background? I've spent 19 years in institutional private equity and private credit in the lower middle market. Over that time I originated, structured, and closed 42 platform transactions representing more than $2.7 billion in enterprise value. One thing that may be useful to this group: I've been on both sides of the table. I've led control buyouts as a principal, and I've also been the institutional capital provider funding independent sponsors' deals, underwriting their theses and sitting in their capital stacks. What is your search type (self-funded, traditional, independent sponsor, holdco, etc.)? Independent sponsor. Are you solo, partnered, or looking for a partner? I'm a solo principal at the firm level, and that's largely by design; the AI-native operating model lets me cover a lot of ground without a large team. Where I am actively looking is operating talent. I want to build relationships now with executives and operators who know a specific industry and would want to run or help run a business we acquire in that space. If you're an operator in an essential, asset-driven business and you've thought about ownership or a leadership seat in one, please reach-out. What's your buy box? I target essential, demand-resilient businesses in the lower middle market: companies where the physical world still requires physical products, physical movement, and physical work. That spans services, manufacturing, distribution, and transportation and logistics. Financially, the box is roughly $10 million to $50 million in enterprise value, generally with $2 million or more of EBITDA, across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Have you acquired yet? Not yet under Token Capital Group. The firm is newly launched and I'm actively in market, building pipeline and working toward my first platform acquisition. Where do you need the most help right now? Operating partners. I'm building a bench of executives and operators in my target sectors, so if you run or have run one of these businesses and want to be part of the next one, I'd like to connect. Where can you provide help to others? Deal structuring and capital formation are where I can add the most value. I can also give you a read on how institutional capital providers may underwrite your deal. I'm also happy to compare notes on the practical side of AI: how to actually deploy automation inside a small business, or inside your own sourcing and diligence operation, rather than the abstract version of that conversation. I've built a fair amount of it myself and can share what has and hasn't worked. Anything else on your mind? Mostly, I'm glad to be here and looking forward to being part of the Carolinas group. If you're a searcher, operator, broker, or investor in the region, I'd genuinely enjoy trading notes.

Where are you based? I’m based in Wilmington, North Carolina, and am focused primarily on opportunities throughout the Carolinas and the broader Southeast. What is your background? I’m a 2025 NYU graduate and most recently served as CEO of Five Oaks Nursery & Tree Farm, a three-location wholesale and retail nursery business. During my tenure, I helped grow monthly revenue from roughly $60,000 to more than $260,000, scaled the team from 9 to 25 employees, implemented the company’s operating and technology infrastructure, and helped move the business from a six-figure first-month loss to profitability by month five. Before Five Oaks, I supported private equity firms' research at AlphaSights and in business development roles across the U.S. and Latin America. What is your search type—self-funded, traditional, independent sponsor, holdco, etc.? I am open to a range of structures that would allow me to take on a hands-on role in sourcing, acquiring, and operating a business, including self-funded, independent sponsor, or traditional search models. Are you solo, partnered, or looking for a partner? I am currently searching solo, but I am open to meeting potential partners whose skills, values, and long-term goals are complementary. I also have verbal commitment from a large and successful capital partner given I bring the right deal to the table ($3M-$10M in EBITDA). What’s your buy box? I am generally targeting established businesses producing approximately $1.5 million to $2 million in EBITDA, with enterprise values of roughly $7.5 million to $14 million -- however I am open to larger projects. I am interested in recurring or highly predictable businesses (e.g. landscape and hardscape supply, specialty industrial distribution, construction materials, senior services, and other fragmented, operationally intensive industries); most importantly I am interested in a business where the qualitative metrics are just as strong, if not stronger than the financials. I place a strong emphasis on culture, a genuinely passionate workforce, customer loyalty, and opportunities for operational improvement. Have you acquired yet? Not yet. I have supported acquisition diligence, financial projections, closing preparation, and a post-close transition, and I have since operated an acquired business as CEO. Where do you need the most help right now? I would most value help with proprietary deal sourcing, lender and investor introductions, evaluating search structures. Where can you provide help to others? I’m happy to help with operational diligence, financial modeling, acquisition transitions, technology implementation, recruiting, and anything related to nursery, landscape supply, or small-business operations. Anything else on your mind? I’m always glad to compare notes with other searchers, investors, brokers, and operators in the region. I’m especially interested in learning from people who have acquired and operated businesses in the Carolinas.