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September 15, 2023 @ 7:30 am - 9:00 am
The Center for Free Enterprise is kicking of a new season of events! First up, we will focus on one of our favorite topics: buying a business.
The discussion will be moderated by CFE Co-founder Ben Calkins of the Calkins Law Firm, Ltd. The panel includes:
- Mathew Hanson of Emprise Partners
- Rudy Sangari of Pars Capital Partners, LLC
- Jill Arena of Arena Enterprises
- Elias Ladon of Enterprise Development Resources, Inc.
About Ben Calkins
CFE co-founder Ben Calkins is an honors graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School. His “new model” law firm, The Calkins Law Firm, Ltd. is a premier boutique law firm that specializes in business law and focuses on business transactions and business disputes. He maintains a perfect 10 “Superb” rating from Avvo.com and was presented the Client Distinction Award by Martindale Hubbell. Ben is the former President of both the Harvard Club of Northeast Ohio and Ohio Venture Association. Mr. Calkins co-founded the North Coast Angel Fund, one of the largest angel funds in America, as well as the Center for Free Enterprise.
About Mathew Hanson:
Mathew Hanson is the Managing Director at Emprise Partners, a merchant banking firm specializing in transactions with lower middle market – companies in the range of $5-$25M in sales volume. Since 1989, Mathew has completed both buy-side and sell-side transactions with a unique combination of financial and operating experience.
Early in his career, Mathew identified an investment opportunity in the collision repair industry, ultimately becoming the majority owner of a collision repair company. In a fragmented and evolving market, Mathew built the business with nine direct repair – insurance company – relationships and eventually sold it to a large and well-capitalized industry consolidator.
Previously he was a Vice President at a regional investment banking and brokerage firm in Cleveland, OH. As an investment banker, Mathew oversaw public stock offerings, issuance of high yield bonds and managed mergers and acquisitions of privately-held companies.
After graduating from Case Western Reserve University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting he worked in the tax department for a Big Eight accounting firm in Cleveland, including a tour in the London Office to assist in the preparation of expatriate tax returns. He is a Certified Public Accountant, Inactive.
Mathew is a former President of the Association for Corporate Growth-Cleveland Chapter and recipient of a Deal Maker of the Year Award.
About Rudy Sangari:
Mr. Sangari is the founder and Managing Partner of Pars Capital Partners, LLC. Mr. Sangari has over 20 years experience in LifeSciences space beginning in Medical Devices at Siemens. Prior to founding Pars Capital, he served as a Managing Director at BrokerBank Securities, LLC a FINRA registered Investment Bank focusing on capital formation projects in the Biotech. Mr. Sangari also has extensive experience in shale and heavy crude, underwriting over $500 million in North American shale. Prior to BrokerBank Securities, Mr. Sangari served as an Advisor at Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley.
Mr. Sangari is a Previously Registered Investment Advisor and holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 licenses.
About Jill Arena:
Jill Arena, owner of Arena Enterprises. She and her team help Strategic Buyers, Individuals and Private Equity Groups find companies to acquire. They also design and implement marketing campaigns to help companies grow organically.
Jill is an accomplished Business Development Expert and Mergers and Acquisition Intermediary who has enjoyed an award-winning Business Development career for more than 30 years. Her extensive experience working with small to medium-sized businesses as well as large corporations has enabled her to assist executives and business owners reach their respective organic and acquisition goals.
Arena is adept at consultative selling, an expert on strategic alliance development, prospecting, turn-around projects and business brokering. She has recruited sales professionals, built top-producing sales teams, helped organizations pioneer new areas for revenue generation, and trained sales professionals on her branded sales methodology. In 2011 Arena added Buy-Side Intermediary services to her offerings, providing research, search, analysis and deal structure services to regional and national buyers. Jill Arena is a 2011 recipient of the SMEI Distinguished Sales & Marketing Award®. She was recognized as an outstanding sales and marketing professional with unparalleled standards of sophistication and skill in her industry.
Born in Rochester New York, Arena moved to Cleveland in 1994. She is married and has two great kids, Nate, a senior at Ohio University and Lauren, a graduate from Kent State. Arena is passionate about “all things Cleveland” and facilitating economic growth in this region. She is a self-proclaimed aficionado on museum-quality fine art, the New York State Finger Lakes region and pilates. Arena is a board member at Kent State Hillel, Breakthrough Schools, Friends of Breakthrough board and a volunteer with Greyhound Adoption of Ohio.”
About Elias Ladon:
Elias is a Business Intermediary and Business Appraiser servicing Sellers and Buyers of small and low-end-medium size companies with their transactional and/or business development needs. He is the principal of Enterprise Development Resources, Inc. (www.EnterpriseDR.com ).
He is providing such services by relying on his diverse experience and training both in the corporate and small business world (has worked for large companies (Battelle Memorial Institute, BP Amoco, Kraft General Foods and W. R. Grace & Co.) and a small company of his own (acquired a specialty chemical company, Chemitron, Inc. and after turning it around and expanding it, sold it to McGean-Rohco Inc. of Cleveland, OH). Elias has also invested in a couple of small technology based businesses.
In addition to his sales, corporate financial and management skills, Elias has diverse experience in Manufacturing, Technology Management and Commercialization. Elias’ experience is founded on a diverse business and Science education at the graduate and postgraduate. He has further enhanced his skills with continued education as part of Certification programs in Business Brokering and Appraisal as well State and U.S. Government required licensing (securities and real estate licensing).
Elias is a registered investment banker with Colorado Financial Service Corporation, a FINRA Broker-Dealer.