2024 RETREAT GUESTS

Brett Cunningham is a business development director for Colorado and the leader of the private equity industry's business development function for Eide Bailly nationally.  Outside of work, you can find Brett skiing, mountain biking, golfing and finding new recipes to whip up. Brett also serves on the board of the Association for Corporate Growth Denver Chapter.

Tori is a Denver native and attorney whose practice focuses on M&A, Securities, and licensing. She works with companies, founders and executive teams in multiple industries, but a large number of her clients are in business services and technology.  She worked at a few national firms throughout her career and also served as an operating general counsel for a venture capital and then PE backed technology company, and for a separate large business services company in the hospitality industry.

Matt Fargo is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Kurtz Fargo LLP, a Colorado-based public accounting firm specializing in assurance, tax, and advisory services for growing businesses and individuals. Active in the Boulder entrepreneurial community, he mentors for TechStars and BoomTown and has worked with top Colorado startups. He served on the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship board and as Treasurer for Impact on Education.

Jim's legal practice consists of advising clients on a broad range of business and corporate matters, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions.

 Kevin is a corporate attorney whose practice is focused on the representation of emerging growth companies, as well as leading angel and venture capital funds in their investments in public and private companies. Kevin’s practice includes representing entrepreneurs as they form businesses, counseling young companies through rounds of equity and debt financing, executing M&A and other sale transactions and providing general corporate governance, executive compensation & securities law guidance.

Sarah is a CPA/Tax person here in Denver. She sold her firm in 2013 but still does limited tax consulting and individual tax work.  Her primary focus is in the multi-family/hotel ownership/development space with Blueline Equity Partners.

Rahul is the CEO of Everest Mechanical, a Colorado based HVAC and Plumbing contractor.  We cover a geographic area from Denver to Ft Collins and Firestone to Estes Park.  We are focused on service and construction both residential and and commercial across this geography.

Dan joined National in 2020 after serving as its outside legal counsel since its inception. He oversees the company’s legal affairs, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic initiatives. Before joining National, Dan was a partner at Womble Bond Dickinson for nearly 20 years, where he served in a variety of roles including Office Managing Partner and member of the firm’s management committee. 

Ali Metzl advises private equity funds, financial sponsors, and entrepreneurs on transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, investments, and reorganizations. She specializes in consumer products and works with women-founded businesses and investors aligned with that focus.

Tom Rafferty is Co-CEO and Co-Founder of OPTX, an AI and operations software platform for the gaming industry. He is also the Former General Counsel of Interblock Gaming, Deputy General Counsel of Light and Wonder and Chief IP Counsel of Worldpay.

Amanda started her career at LaSalle Bank in Chicago, went on to an alternative debt fund before leaving to help build RedRidge in 2009.  RedRidge sold to IMA Financial Group in October of '23, but continues to do business as RedRidge.  She is an Executive Vice President of Business Development at RedRidge, which  offers financial due diligence services to corporates, private equity, hedge funds and lenders.

Jennifer Rosenthal is a corporate partner in the Boulder office of KO Law. Jennifer’s practice focuses on corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity investments, and company formations. She also serves as outside general counsel for many of her clients, acting as their first point of contact for legal assistance. Jennifer works with clients ranging from startups to public companies with industry focuses on consumer products and technology.

Parker has worked in corporate finance, and consulting for over 14 years.  His expertise lies in strategic consulting, creative problem solving and incorporating technology to streamline business operations.  Previously, Parker worked for MolsonCoors, MillerCoors the Denver International Airport and PlanSource. Parker is or has been involved in Volunteers of America, The Cancer League of Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain Children's Law Center. 

Jenna Schlageter is a Director on Bow River Capital’s Private Equity team, leading business development and deal origination. She joined the firm in 2020 after 14 years in banking, including roles at BMO Harris Bank and National Bank Holdings, where she specialized in financing solutions for middle market businesses. Jenna holds a B.S. from Miami University in Ohio.

Mr. Sparks is a corporate attorney with about 50% of his practice in mergers and acquisitions. He joined Sparks Willson in 1994 after four years in Silicon Valley at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Sparks Willson is a 17 lawyer firm in Colorado Springs.  Mr. Sparks is a native Coloradan and also Chairman of the Joseph Henry Edmondson Foundation.

James Stewart is a Founding Partner of Entertainment Leisure Management, a $500 million fund focused on North American casino real estate. Formerly CEO of MGM Growth Properties, he led its $17.2 billion sale in 2022. He has over 20 years in investment banking and holds an MBA from Dartmouth and a B.Comm. from the University of Calgary.

With over 20 years in venture capital, private equity, and IT consulting, Vik oversees investments at Cypress and supports portfolio companies. Previously, he worked with the Texas Emerging Technology Fund and Fortune 500 companies. Vik serves on several boards, co-founded Venture Dallas, and frequently lectures on entrepreneurship. He holds an MBA from SMU and a B.S. from UT Dallas.

Bridgepoint is a management consulting firm that solves problems for middle market companies in the areas of finance, accounting, and ERP technology. Trent joined Bridgepoint after serving multiple companies as CFO. His passion is to make life easier for company executives by addressing the most challenging issues they are facing. He is happily married to Deborah (celebrating 33 years in November), has 3 kids (27, 25, and 22), is addicted to golf, and enjoys hiking and skiing.

Dr. Alexei Wagner is an emergency medicine physician, entrepreneur, and founder of Mobius Group, a global firm providing travel medical and emergency services to Fortune 100 leaders and their families. He has held faculty positions at Stanford and Harvard Medical School, with a focus on digital health startups and medical innovation.

Bruce Werner is the Managing Director of Kona Advisors LLC, providing governance and advisory services to middle market businesses. With extensive experience in board formation, strategy, and family business consulting, he has served on numerous boards through growth, restructuring, and crises. Bruce is an author and speaker on middle market governance, recently publishing his second book, "Navigating Private Company Governance."

Jason Werner is of counsel at Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, where his practice has an emphasis on corporate transactions, including corporate finance, M&A, and private equity matters.

Prior to joining Davis Graham, Jason practiced in the Denver office of an international law firm. He led teams handling transactions for private equity funds, independent sponsors, public and private purchasers and sellers, and other buy-side entities in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions. 

Derek specializes in project origination and development with a focus on mining, mineral processing, and service industries.

David is a Managing Director and helps lead GLC Advisors’ Technology Investment Banking practice.  Mr. Bluth is focused on advising middle-market software and technology services companies, and is responsible for cultivating and managing client relationships, providing clients access to an extensive network of private equity and strategic buyer relationships, and leading client M&A and capital raising transactions from the point of engagement through deal negotiations and closing.  

Steve brings more than 25 years of experience advising companies, founders, entrepreneurs and financial sponsors in technology, media and entertainment sectors on a broad range of transactions including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and debt and equity financings. Mr. Cramer’s expertise includes media and entertainment, casino gaming, convenience and route-based gaming, B2B and B2C igaming and online sports betting, and gaming and hospitality software, services and financial technology.

With a professional career spanning more than two decades, Adam has collaborated with entrepreneurs and management teams of numerous middle-market companies, guiding them through the intricacies of mergers and acquisitions as well as capital raising. Adam has showcased a proven ability to generate substantial value for all parties involved. His adeptness in strategically aligning client objectives during transactions has been instrumental in yielding exceptional financial and business outcomes. 

Michael Fleschner joined GLC in 2016 and has completed numerous business services and industrials advisory assignments including sell-side and buy-side M&A, financings, valuations, and fairness opinions. 

Alex Geier joined GLC in 2020 and leads the firm’s Healthcare practice. He has more than 25 years of overall experience across Services, Digital Health/HCIT, Medical Devices and Life Sciences, as well as deep subject matter expertise in the public and private credit markets. Representative transactions at GLC include Carestream Health, Healogics, Invacare, SpineOne and StimWave Technologies. 

Adam Haynes advises technology entrepreneurs and business owners of privately held, middle-market businesses, leading M&A and capital raising transactions with a hands-on, client-first and senior-level approach to deliver outlier results for his clients. Mr. Haynes has more than 25 years of M&A and investment banking experience, and has completed almost 90 mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions with a total value in excess of $16 billion. 

Co-founder and Managing Partner of GLC.  Former leveraged finance and restructuring banker at UBS (US & UK) and Morgan Stanley (UK).

With nearly 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Michael has dedicated his career to advising founders, owners and entrepreneurs on mergers, acquisitions and private debt and equity financings. 

Jennifer Stark is a marketing and communications expert with 20 years of experience in driving customer acquisition and brand loyalty. She specializes in scaling businesses through data-driven, innovative campaigns. Previously, she held senior marketing roles at Holland & Hart and Polsinelli before joining GLC.

Jim Williams is a Managing Director with GLC Advisors, where he helps lead the firm’s Technology investment banking group. He has been advising Software, Internet, and Tech-enabled Services clients and executing M&A and private capital raising transactions for entrepreneurs, founders, and financial sponsors for close to 15 years.