BluWave's Karma School of Business

We're joined by Cici Zheng, a Partner from ParkerGale Capital to give her operations-focused perspective on many different private equity topics. Listen to the conversation as we discuss: 2:30 - Cici's path to private equity 8:19 - What traits show a company has potential 13:06 - Focusing on all facets of a company 17:18 - The strategy behind working with portco management teams 20:31 - Navigating...

We're joined by David Hellier, a partner at Bertram Capital, to discuss: 1:31 - His background and what brought him to private equity 5:40 - How private equity is evolving  9:18 - David's story about throwing out the first pitch 11:09 - Overcoming adversity and being differentiated 16:23 - Running private equity like a business 22:37 - How data and AI will impact productivity 27:50 - Finding oppor...

In this captivating episode, we delve into the history of private equity, exploring its origins, confronting industry stigmas, and witnessing its evolution into a dynamic force. Join us as we: (0:54) Uncover the ideas that gave birth to the first private equity firms, laying the groundwork for an industry that would reshape the business landscape. (5:37) Challenge the prevailing stigma personified...

A managing partner from Compass Group Equity Partners, John Huhn, joins the Karma School of Business Podcast to discuss: 1:04 - John's background and path to private equity 9:28 - The most important traits to look for when evaluating a potential investment 13:50 - What makes Compass unique and how they approach value creation 21:34 - Advice to successfully manage a rocky economic period 26:52 - Im...

Brian Adams, Founder and President of Excelsior Capital, joins the Karma School of Business podcast to discuss real estate investing and compares it to private equity investing. Brian dives into a broad scope of topics, including: 1:44 His path to real estate investing 5:55 Advantages and benefits to real estate investing 10:36 How to evaluate a good investment 17:39 How the current economic lands...

The Karma School of Business is joined by Bain and Company Global Head of Performance and Improvement, Harnan Saenz to take a deep dive on the future of the economy as it relates to sustainability, viewed through the lens of private equity. The conversation topics include:  2:30 "Remanufacturing" and forces applying pressure to traditional operations 5:21 What is the circular economy? 13:13 The cu...

We share top private equity insights from our Q1 2023 Insights Report where we evaluate proprietary data from over 500 leading private equity firms across thousands of projects. We compare year over year activity from the BluWave Activity Index to share how private equity is reacting to the current economic state. Join BluWave Founder and CEO, Sean Mooney, as he discusses: 1:07 - Comparing the eco...

Private equity insights from Charlie Gifford, a senior partner at New Heritage Partner, in this episode relate to how PE firms can differentiate themselves from the competitors to win more often. Charlie speaks to BluWave Founder and CEO, Sean Mooney, about the following topics: 1:45 Charlie's background 7:00 Why did he get into private equity 9:02 How private equity reacts to change 13:22 The evo...

The Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapses of March 2023 are top of mind for many investors and business leaders. In this episode, Sean Mooney explains what happened and how if affects the private equity industry. Additionally, Sean predicts how private equity will react to the crisis and gives advice on how to turn the situation into an opportunity for growth, rather than a setback. For...

Doug Horn and Mohit Kansal from Clairvest, a private equity firm based out of Toronto, join the Karma School of Business podcast to discuss: 0:42 Clairvest's history and focus 3:27 How Clairvest works to collaborate with entrepreneurs 5:43 Valuable traits that Clairvest considers before making investments 8:17 Mohit's approach to high-stress times 11:52 Advice to business owners on how to tackle e...

In this episode, host Sean Mooney chats with Demetrios Dounis, a partner at Heartwood Partners, to discuss his path to private equity, and his unique approach to business building. 0:55 Demetrios' path to private equity 3:04 Demetrios' upbringing 4:39 What to look for in a prospective investment 8:44 Lessons to learn from change 12:24 How Heartwood approaches value creation 16:32 How business lead...

Host Sean Mooney sits down with Marshall Phelps, a Managing Director at MidOcean Partners, to discuss his unique path to the private equity industry. Marshall also provides insight on value creation as it relates to business growth. 1:40 Marshall's story 7:27 Investment banking to PE 13:46 Unique perspective on driving value 18:52 How do PE Firms standout in the M&A process 23:05 A seller's perspe...

In this episode, Sean Mooney shares an update on 2022 private equity activity from BluWave's proprietary data. Learn the top takeaways on due diligence trends and value creation focuses from over 500 private equity firms in 2022. 1:14 - Private Equity does best when times are worst 2:04 - Due Diligence and Value Creation mix 3:35 - Functional area focus: Human Capital 5:45 - Functional area focus:...

In this episode, BluWave founder and CEO, Sean Mooney shares data-backed private equity predictions for 2023 including: The 2023 economy (0:57) The VC bubble is going to burst (5:30) In-person work will make a return (7:20) Brands will be become evermore important in PE (10:14) The rise of AI and analytics in mainstream business (11:45) To learn more, visit:  https://bit.ly/3CfZxmZ

It was in interesting year for private equity. In this episode, BluWave Founder and CEO Sean Mooney, breaks down what he's identified as the top 5 trends of 2022: Private equity firms run toward the (economic) storm The rise of human capital Digitization & data ESG Fundraising BluWave supports hundreds of PE firms and their portcos, giving us a unique bird's-eye view of what's happening in the bus...

In this episode, host Sean Mooney shares an update on Q3 private equity activity from BluWave's proprietary data. Learn the top takeaways on due diligence trends and informed value creation focuses from over 500 top private equity firms in Q3. To learn more, visit:  https://bit.ly/3CfZxmZ

ParkerGale's Partner, Devin Mathews, joins host Sean Mooney to discuss the value of culture, the importance of mental health, the economy's impact on fundraising, tips to weather the economic storm, the benefits of being yourself and more. To learn more, visit: https://bit.ly/3CfZxmZ

Brian Bank, Strategy and Client Relations, Investment Funds at Kirkland & Ellis, joins host Sean mooney to discuss what LPs are looking for, investment trends and other things every GP should know. To learn more, visit: https://bit.ly/3CfZxmZ

In this episode, BluWave Founder and CEO, Sean Mooney, describes the importance of a great CFO for both PE-backed companies and independent companies alike. Hear the benefits that a PE-grade CFO can have on your organization.

Host Sean Mooney sits down with HCI Equity Partners Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Doug McCormick, to discuss building world-class teams, how to scale your leadership along with your business and company culture, how HCI Equity Partners helps entrepreneurs realize their vision, and more. At the end of the day, good values and work ethic win. To learn more, visit: https://bit.ly/3CfZxmZ

In this episode, host Sean Mooney talks about how he gave up his private-equity career in New York to build BluWave down south. Growing up in a large, entrepreneurial family in Texas, Sean followed an unquestioned path that led him to study in D.C, then to investment banking in New York, and finally to a nearly 20-year career in private equity. Learn why he left that all behind to move to Nashvill...

Host Sean Mooney shares what the Karma School of Business means and how he developed this philosophy over the years. He learned that if you make life simple, it becomes simpler. Sean explains why and how this approach yields the highest percentage chance of long-term success in his experience. Whether you're in private equity, or a company that's PE-owned, private or public, this is for you. To le...

Welcome to BluWave's Karma School of Business, hosted by Sean Mooney, the Founder & CEO of BluWave, an intelligent B2B marketplace serving the world's top business builders. As you listen, you'll learn insights and best practices from leading and influential private equity professionals, visionary business executives, and one-of-a-kind industry thought leaders who will help you take meaningful act...