Searching for a Single Business to Acquire and Operate

John is an operator and entrepreneur with experience across a number of business verticals, including ecommerce, SaaS, business services and tech enabled services. Most recently, John was the Chief Financial Officer of Swell Commerce, an ecommerce platform software business for which he co-led a $20 million Series-A and oversaw the company’s growth to 75 employees. John began his career in financial services as an equity research analyst and a middle-market investment banker, before an encounter with a talented entrepreneur compelled John to try his hand on the operating side of a business. As an operator, John humbly learned that implementation and execution of business strategy presents a unique challenge relative to analyzing a business’s financials and operating history, and that a key to overcoming this challenge is great teams. John is originally from New Orleans, but out of deference to the Louisiana heat and humidity now calls North Carolina home.

Nick is a Navy veteran, fighter pilot, and engineer. As an active duty service member and F-18 test pilot he led diverse teams of aircraft maintenance personnel and engineers in the planning and execution of high-risk flight test events and combat operations. Nick knew he wanted to become an entrepreneur so he departed the Navy after over a decade of service to join a bank that specialized in lending to small businesses. He analyzed companies in a broad variety of industries before joining Swell Commerce. At Swell, Nick worked with the CEO and CFO to develop and implement key performance indicators, sales process, and broad company strategy. He understands that the key to building lasting trust and cohesion in any organization is through humble listening and active, hands-on engagement. Nick holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, an MS in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins, and an MBA from Duke.