Electrifying Growth

What shifts when a CFO becomes CEO of an enterprise SaaS company focused on automation and AI? On this episode of Electrifying Growth, Chris Sugden sits down with Kevin Herr , CEO of KnowledgeLake , following Edison Partners' recent $65 million investment. Kevin shares how his journey from founder to financial leader to chief executive is shaping the company's strategy as it scales. With a focus o...

Is your company scaling or just sprinting? Chris Sugden , Managing Partner at Edison Partners , explains the concept of "healthy urgency" and why it's a defining trait in high-growth leadership. In this episode, he reflects on lessons from Edison's recent CEO Summit and outlines how urgency can either drive disciplined execution or spiral into chaos when left unchecked. He shares the patterns he s...

This re-release of Electrifying Growth features host Chris Sugden from Edison Partners in a conversation with Steve Schloss, Founder of ListenForward & Edison Operating Partner. Steve's unique career path spans Fortune 500s, startups, and nonprofits, all unified by a core focus: how leaders show up and build teams that scale. With experience at Citibank, Time Inc., LivePerson, and USGA, Steve brin...

Thinking about bringing in a private equity partner? Chris Sugden , Managing Partner at Edison Partners , zooms in on the critical decisions founders face when considering a private equity deal. In this episode, he highlights the importance of building relationships with investors, understanding the difference between growth equity and traditional private equity, and knowing when it's time to brin...

What does it really take to lead through uncertain times while growing with focus and vision? On this episode of Electrifying Growth, Chris Sugden is joined by Mitch Caplan , a fintech pioneer whose career includes CEO roles at E-Trade and Jefferson National, as well as leadership at Telebank and Yieldstreet . With three decades of financial services experience, Mitch brings a rare perspective on...

Chris Sugden , Managing Partner at Edison Partners , shares what really happens when a founder sells to private equity. Drawing on over 20 years of experience and Edison's approach to backing scale-ready leaders, he walks through what signals a founder is fit to stay in the CEO seat – and what doesn't. This episode maps the most common red flags investors spot, the traits they value in high-perfor...

Ever wonder what separates a good leader from a great one, especially when it comes to scaling companies with purpose and people in mind? In this episode of Electrifying Growth, Chris Sugden sits down with Ray Lane , former President and COO of Oracle, longtime board member at Carnegie Mellon, and a partner at venture firm GreatPoint Ventures . With experience at IBM, Oracle, and Kleiner Perkins,...

Chris Sugden , Managing Partner at Edison Partners , discusses the mindset shift from growth at all costs to profitable expansion. Drawing from real-time boardroom conversations and Edison's Growth Index data, Chris explains how founders are navigating the new cost of capital and adjusting strategies to stay in control. From pricing models to retention metrics, he walks through what defines a dura...

John Hope Bryant , Chairman, and CEO of Operation Hope , brings a powerful vision to Electrifying Growth, shaped by years of championing financial literacy and economic inclusion in America. Recognized by leaders across the nation, John understands the challenges at both the grassroots and boardroom levels that influence opportunity. The conversation highlights America's unique position in the wor...

Chris Sugden , Managing Partner at Edison Partners , shares a clear message for growth-stage CEOs in 2025: focus on what you can control, and build for durability. In this solo episode, Chris breaks down insights from Edison's annual meeting and latest Growth Index report to explain why sustainable, cash-efficient businesses are outperforming those chasing headline valuations. From managing invest...

Cam Doody , co-founder of Brickyard , has built his career by focusing on grit and strategic thinking. His path began with Bellhop, a service that redefined moving, and later evolved into Brickyard, a venture studio dedicated to supporting real builders. Brickyard's model stands apart from most early-stage firms, emphasizing focus, commitment, and the hard work needed to scale sustainably. Cam tal...

Personal brand building isn't just for influencers. It's a reality every founder faces, whether they like it or not. In this episode, Chris Sugden, Managing Partner at Edison Partners, unpacks the relationship between personal branding and company growth. Chris explores what it really means for founders to have a "brand," how it can either support or stunt a business, and why ego often becomes a s...

Dee Choubey , Founder and CEO of MoneyLion , has spent the last 12 years building one of fintech's most recognizable platforms. But his path wasn't linear. It was shaped by market shifts, strategic pivots, and a deep commitment to using technology to empower everyday consumers. What started as a fintech lender became a multi-product platform, offering everything from banking and investing to educa...

Raising capital isn't always the win it seems. In this episode, Chris Sugden, Managing Partner at Edison Partners, challenges the belief that funding fuels innovation. He explores how too much capital can create inefficiencies, dilute focus, and lead to valuation-driven decision-making that hurts more than it helps. Chris shares insights from decades of investing in bootstrapped and capital-effici...

This re-release of Electrifying Growth brings back an essential conversation with host (at) Chris Sugden from Edison Partners and (at) Amy Kadomatsu, Former CEO and Board Member of Comply, a leader in regulatory technology (RegTech) helping firms navigate compliance with confidence. Amy's career journey is a masterclass in resilience, leadership, and transformation. From investment banking to entr...

A well-structured board can be a game-changer for CEOs, but too often, it's an underutilized resource. In this episode, Chris Sugden, Managing Partner at Edison Partners, challenges the conventional thinking around boards and shares how CEOs can turn them into a strategic advantage. Chris breaks down why independent directors often provide more value than investor-heavy boards, how to avoid the co...

Steven Raucher, CEO and Founder of RapidDeploy, knows what it takes to build, scale, and successfully exit a company. But his journey wasn't just about financial success, it was about impact, resilience, and staying true to the mission. 8 years ago, Steven set out to transform public safety technology, determined to make emergency response faster and more effective. He faced the brutal realities o...

Lorne Brown, Edison Director Network Member and Founder of Lenora Health, has built and sold companies, created markets, and now he's tackling one of the biggest problems in the U.S.—corporate healthcare.   A longtime entrepreneur, Lorne founded Operative, a leading digital advertising platform, before selling it to private equity and launching Front Stage Ventures, a venture studio designed to sc...

This re-release of Electrifying Growth brings back an essential conversation with host Chris Sugden from Edison Partners and Megan Glover, co-founder and CEO of 120Water, a trailblazing platform tackling water quality and compliance issues across the U.S. Originally launched in 2016, 120Water started with a simple idea: direct-to-consumer water testing kits to empower households. Under Megan's lea...

2025 is here, and with it comes a mix of cautious optimism and strategic challenges for entrepreneurs and business leaders. In this solo episode, Chris Sugden, Managing Partner at Edison Partners, dives into his perspectives on the evolving business landscape, offering actionable advice for the year ahead. Chris explores the renewed optimism in sectors like FinTech, spurred by regulatory shifts an...

In this episode, Chris Sugden, Managing Partner at Edison Partners, is joined by Jim Dicso, Founder and Managing Partner at Shoreline SAAS Advisory, and Patrick O'Keefe, Founder at Moher Advisory, to share their wisdom on transforming sales into a structured and scalable process. Together, they share their wisdom on how founders and early sales teams can build scalable go-to-market strategies with...

Booms, busts, and the "messy middle" - Chris has seen it all. In this solo episode, host Chris Sugden, Managing Partner at Edison Partners, shares his journey of over 25 years from auditor to operator to investor. His operator-first approach and hands-on perspective have helped countless businesses scale effectively, bridging the gap between financial acumen and the human dynamics of entrepreneurs...

How can limited partners play a more strategic role beyond capital? Michelle McKinnon, a senior portfolio manager in alternative investments at Loews Corporation, sits down with Chris Sugden to share how to think about the role investors can play in helping companies grow.  Together, Chris and Michelle dive into the nuances of being an effective limited partner. From their conversation, you'll und...

Can you drive growth without losing sight of the human side of business? Shane Kim, Founder, Baleon Capital and Fingercheck Board Member, says yes. With over 20 years in growth equity, he's built his investment approach around empathy and connection—putting people first. From his early days as an analyst to co-founding Baleon, Shane has focused on fintech and healthcare, navigating market cycles a...

In this episode of Electrifying Growth, we explore how leadership transitions can amplify growth in founder-led companies. Joel Kohn, founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Fingercheck, shares his journey of bootstrapping his HR and payroll software company. Now, with CEO Dan Kazan on board, Fingercheck is ready to take on its next growth phase with fresh perspectives and a scalable vision. Joel an...