GEC Entrepreneurship Through Acquistion - Panel Discussion

Alfonso Blohm

Partner

Archipelago Capital Partners

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfonso-blohm-084a3321/

Alfonso Blohm is a serial Search Fund investor with 13 years of M&A deal experience. Alfonso made his first inroads into the search fund community in 2016 and has been dedicated to it ever since. In 2017 Alfonso joined Relay Investments as Senior VP and Member of the Investment Committee. Alfonso subsequently became an independent private investor in 2020.

Since 2016 Alfonso has been involved in 50+ search fund acquisitions, and 200+ post-LOI due diligence efforts have evaluated 400+ search funds, worked with 100+ search funds, and served on the board of 4 search fund-acquired companies. Alfonso currently serves on the board of Atlantic Duct Cleaning.

Prior to joining the Search Fund Community, Alfonso graduated from MIT Sloan (MBA ’17) and was a consultant at Bain & Co. Alfonso holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University.

Daniel Bochner

Associate

Liberty Search Ventures

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-bochner-27ab6652/overlay/photo/

Dan has broad experience in accounting and financial analysis from Angelo Gordon & Co., CoreCommodity Management LLC, and BDO USA LLP. With six years of experience in the alternative investment space, Dan brings hands-on knowledge in both public and private securities across multiple asset classes. Dan has a BS in Accounting from Yeshiva University, a CPA, and is a Level III CFA Candidate.

Macon Carroll

Partner & Co-Founder

WSC

https://www.linkedin.com/in/macon-carroll-195b56b6/

Prior to joining WSC & Company, Macon served as VP of Operations at Griffin Brothers Companies, a diversified family of companies with operations throughout the Carolinas. Griffin Brothers Companies’ core businesses are in the construction and demolition landfilling, real estate development, hospitality management, tire and automotive repair industries. Macon focused on the C&D landfilling and the property and hospitality divisions, where he was tasked with implementing operational efficiencies in addition to business development.In addition to his role at Griffin Brothers Companies, Macon managed a closely held private investment fund, CFH, LLC. As a managing principal of CFH, LLC the fund invested in a broad range of asset classes including, financial services, cloud computing technology, healthcare services, self-storage, commercial and healthcare real estate. Prior to Griffin Brothers Companies, Macon worked as an investment banking analyst for Bank of America Merrill Lynch in the Financial Institutions Group. While at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Macon focused on business development companies, asset management firms and closed end funds. Macon holds a B.A. in Global Studies with a concentration in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.B.A. from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Brenden Van Buren (MBA '17)

President (Pro Max), Co-Founder & Principal (GTE)

Pro Max Fence Systems & GT Entrepreneurs

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendenvanburen/

Brenden Van Buren is the President and CEO of Reading, Pennsylvania-based fencing company Pro Max Fence Systems. Prior to acquiring Pro Max Fence Systems, Brenden served as a project manager for two family-owned and operated businesses New Enterprise Lime & Stone and PennStress. Brenden is a co-founder of GT Entrepreneurs, which he started while enrolled in Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business' full-time MBA program.