Private Equity Fast Pitch

Omar Jaffrey, founder and managing partner of Palistar Capital with decades in TMT investing, tells stories from building digital infrastructure platforms. He discusses investing in towers, fiber, data centers and spectrum. He explains off-balance capital solutions, origination through partnerships instead of auctions, hands-on asset management, and typical hold periods and return targets.

Daphne Dufresne is the Founder and Managing Partner of Awani Capital. She leads the firm's strategic direction, investment decisions, and value creation initiatives across the portfolio. With over 25 years of private equity experience, Daphne has a long-standing track record of building scalable businesses in the business and industrial services sectors. She plays an active role in all phases of the investment process—from deal sourcing and thesis development to portfolio company growth and exit strategy. Before founding Awani, Daphne was a Managing Partner at GenNx360, a $2.2 billion middle-market private equity firm based in New York. She served on the investment, valuation, and exit committees, and led direct investments in GenServe, Precision Aviation Group, Aero 3, and Whitsons Culinary Group, completing 31 add-on acquisitions across these platforms. Daphne was also a founding Managing Director at RLJ Equity Partners. Earlier in her career, she also held senior roles at Parish Capital Advisors, Weston Presidio, and the Bank of Scotland's Structured Finance group, and began her career at Accenture. Daphne is on the board of directors of NYSE (UNFI) where she chairs the Compensation Committee. Daphne earned a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Caroline Stevens, investor at MPK Equity Partners, urges taking stretch roles to build resilience. Neha Markle, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, pushes for early reps and strong training grounds. Shannon Zoller, founder of Tephra Advisors, emphasizes professionalism, reputation protection, and choosing reliable partners. They discuss career growth strategies, skill-building, and reputation management in short, practical advice.

Suzanne Yoon is the Founder and Managing Partner of Kinzie Capital Partners, a Chicago- based private equity firm redefining the lower middle market. With over 25 years of experience, Suzanne founded Kinzie on the conviction that sustainable value is unlocked by integrating people and operational innovation with technology. Under her leadership, Kinzie specializes in founder transitions across the manufacturing, business services, and consumer sectors. Suzanne and her team move beyond traditional oversight to serve as hands-on partners, utilizing tech-driven efficiencies to scale established businesses while honoring their heritage. A recognized industry trailblazer, Suzanne has been honored by The Wall Street Journal as a Top Female Deal Maker and by Mergers & Acquisitions as a leading voice in Mid-Market M&A. Beyond the firm, she serves on the board of NYSE-listed ADT and the Chicago Bears Women's Advisory Board. An avid outdoorswoman and proud University of Iowa alumna, Suzanne enjoys golfing and fishing with her husband and three children.

Andy Unanue, founder and managing partner of AUA Private Equity and former COO at Goya Foods, shares stories from his family business roots. He discusses professionalizing family firms, building an ops-driven PE shop, targeting multicultural consumer and co-manufacturing plays. He also covers succession, philanthropy in investments, and practical hiring and leadership advice.

Eric Wiklendt is a Managing Director at Speyside Equity, where he is responsible for sourcing, executing, managing, and exiting investments. Eric has previously held senior leadership and operational roles, and he currently serves on the Boards of several portfolio companies. Before joining Speyside Equity, Eric was President & CEO of Kelix Heat Transfer Systems. Prior to that, he held leadership roles at Eaton and Hilti Corporation, where he oversaw M&A activities, established a manufacturing plant in Mexico, managed a large marketing team, and directed industrial sales operations. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Eric obtained his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Sam Gaynor, Managing Director at Altamont Capital Partners who builds financial services platforms like Accelerant. He discusses InsurTech’s shift to enabling incumbents. He explains Altamont’s hybrid investing and platform incubation approach. He covers data-first underwriting, AI’s role in claims, and how the firm partners with founders to scale businesses.

Leaders in private equity share powerful insights through personal quotes and mottos. They emphasize the importance of taking action, valuing execution over perfection, and knowing one’s limits. Growth often comes from discomfort, and maintaining a long-term perspective is crucial. Empathy and perspective are key in leadership, as is clarity in decision-making. The discussions also highlight the significance of presence, service, and adaptability in navigating change. Through simple yet impactful guidance, these voices shape future leadership.

Eliot serves as Managing Partner of Broadwing Capital, which he co-founded after 20 years of operational private equity experience. He is responsible for overall direction of the firm and ensuring Broadwing achieves its investment objectives in a manner consistent with the firm's mission and core values. He originates and leads investment opportunities, partners with management post-acquisition to achieve transformative results, and serves as primary contact at the firm for investors. Eliot has been a private equity investor since 2000, and has significant expertise in mergers and acquisitions, corporate strategy, performance improvement, and realizations through sales, public offerings and dividend recapitalizations. Prior to founding Broadwing in 2022, Eliot was a Managing Partner of Insight Equity, a private equity firm with $1.4 billion under management. During his 17 years at Insight, Eliot led numerous investments and exits, working with management teams to create significant value across pre-fund investments, three equity funds and one mezzanine vehicle. He was responsible for all stages of the investment process, collaborating closely with management to identify and implement strategic and tactical improvement opportunities. Eliot served as Director and Chairman of multiple portfolio company boards, acted as Chief Restructuring Officer at a portfolio company during the great recession, and led acquisitions and greenfield expansion efforts throughout the United States and in seven countries. Before joining Insight, Eliot acted as turnaround manager for Bay State Paper Company. Earlier in his career, Eliot worked for three years at Jupiter Partners, a New York-based private equity fund focused on domestic manufacturing, distribution and services companies. Previously, Eliot worked as an investment banker in Merrill Lynch's Global Communications Group advising public and private companies on corporate mergers, public offerings and bond offerings. Eliot enjoys investing in the lives of his three sons and daughter and his local community. He co-founded and serves as Chairman of Casa Del Lago, an outreach to the Bachman Lake community in Dallas. In addition, Eliot previously served as a long-time board member of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program and other non-profit boards, Director and Chairman of a school board, English as a Second Language teacher, Assistant Scoutmaster, and coach of multiple soccer teams. Eliot co-founded a national impact angel network that invests in young companies and provides advice to their founders. Active in professional circles as well, Eliot was the Chairman of the DFW Private Equity Forum and Director – Private Equity with the DFW Association for Corporate Growth. Originally from Ft. Worth, Eliot roots for the Aggies, enjoys the outdoors, took up tennis to protect his knees from soccer injuries, and can play tunes on several stringed instruments. He lives in Dallas with his wife and their four children. Eliot holds an M.B.A. with distinction from Harvard Business School, and a B.B.A. in Finance with honors from Texas A&M University.

Michael Psaros, co-founder and co-managing partner of KPS Capital Partners, is a manufacturing and industrial turnaround specialist. He recounts formative deals like Weirton Steel and explains KPS’s carve-out playbook. He discusses managing unions and plant safety, scaling globally with local leadership, and the firm’s hands-on operations culture and philanthropic ethos.