R. Adam Smith

A private partnership dedicated to supporting the corporate, financing, strategic, branding, partnerships, and governance needs of emerging private companies. A wholly owned affiliate of RAS Capital Partners LLC.

www.familyofficeprivateadvisors.com

Sole founder and owner - formed 2012.

One of the most experienced, independent, strategic advisory resource, deal sourcing, and merchant banking partner for Single Family Offices, MFOs, wealthy individuals, holding companies, and their closely-held private holdings. Hundreds of genuine family office relationships.

Emphasis on clients’ private operating holdings, and such holdings’ operational excellence, as well as corporate development activities (strategy, platforms, integrations, direct control-stake and structured equity and mezzanine investments).

(U.S., Europe, MENA, Russia, Latin America)

Projects include only retained engagements; will consider certain deferred M&A deal fees (we do not solicit or accept placement fees). Global mandates considered. Middle market focus. Collaborations with top corporate vendors.

A private partnership dedicated to supporting the corporate, financing, strategic, branding, partnerships, and governance needs of emerging private companies. A wholly owned affiliate of RAS Capital Partners LLC.

www.circlepeakcapital.com

Sole founder (2002) and owner of this investment firm to make equity investments in private companies as a lead or co-owner, including in partnership with other alternative investment firms.

Led complete financings of nine (9) buyouts and 13 total investments w/ $650M+ and $250M+ in total capital and equity capital, respectively (sourced all of these deals).

Focus on unique brands and management-supportive investments across consumer products, CPG, luxury, fashion, beauty, accessories, wellness, e-commerce, digital, media, design, art, real estate, and asset management.

Emphasis on high-growth (eg, sales under $25 million) or high profitability or consolidation potential (eg, sales up to $250 million).

Partnered with, or advised, numerous leading alternative investment organizations, including Carlyle Group, Bain & Company, Credit Suisse, Goode Partners, J.P. Morgan, Quilvest, HBK Investments, Magnetar Capital, Hamilton Lane.

We work on only bespoke, principal opportunities: we do not seek placement fees or investment banking projects. Continuous personal ownership since formation. Middle market focus. Collaborations with top corporate vendors.

A private partnership dedicated to supporting the corporate, financing, strategic, branding, partnerships, and governance needs of emerging private companies. A wholly owned affiliate of RAS Capital Partners LLC.

Sole founder and owner - founded 2013.

Big Sky Partners provides valuable strategic advice to tens of private emerging and venture companies and their founders to help them maximize the value of their brand.

We have raised or invested millions of dollars and served on numerous boards and advisory boards. Recent successful financing projects since 2016 include the initial seed ($1.3M) financing of KOIO Collective, and a secondary venture equity purchase ($6.0M) in a leading, global luxury women's e-commerce brand.

Using its nexus of partners, advisors, and strategic affiliates, the firm provides executive and board resources, product and distribution opportunities, corporate development, strategic partnerships, e-commerce, and capital and M&A affairs to its clients. With insightful brand strategy, impactful access, actionable guidance, and capital partnerships, Big Sky is committed to creating and enhancing growth, profits, commercial reach, and market influence for our entrepreneurial clients, corporate clients, and partners for their own long-term legacies.

We work on bespoke engagements that can be strategic, tactical, creative, and/or capital driven: we do not accept or seek placement fees or investment banking projects. Growth and lower middle market focus. Collaborations with top corporate vendors.

We’re escalating the title of Venture Capitalist to Creative Venturers.

www.bigskypartners.net

(Big Sky Partners LLC is not affiliated with Big Sky Partners venture capital out of Sausalito, CA.)

KOIO Collective is one of the most coveted and successful emerging leather brands in the U.S., founded circa 2014 by two brilliant, determined Wharton grads and good friends. Since initial funding, KOIO raised @ $10 million in funds through summer 2019.

I was fortunate in recent years to have supported the founders as their first strategic advisor / financial consigliere en route to their first institutional seed investment of approximately $1.3 million.

Investors have included Olive Capital, Winklevoss Capital, Acton Capital, Brand Foundry Ventures, and entrepreneurial luminaries, Brian Spaly (Trunk Club), Andy Dunn (Bonobos), and Neil Blumenthal (Warby Parker).

One of the more unique sneaker brands in recent times, KOIO is supported by its passionate clients, celebrities, Italian makers, and accomplished investors.

To support them on this challenging journey, together, I built a talented advisory board and powerful investor base, supporting their strategic plans and growth ramp, including investors and experts across luxury, lifestyle, apparel, e-commerce, retail, and other practices. I am not actively involved at present.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/10/22/koio-the-d2c-luxury-sneaker-brand-raises-6-million/

I am a patron and advisor, with my co-founder and leading global oncology doctor, Dr. Gail Roboz, of this philanthropic fund and 501c3 dedicated to leukemia and related rare blood disorders. Originally, a founder, I now serve in a mentoring and donor ambassador capacity.

Sponsored, managed, and supported by global hospital and research leaders, New York-Presbyterian Hospital (#1 rated hospital in NYC by U.S. News) and its affiliated partner, Weill Cornell.

One of the most successful, long-standing, independent charities focused on rare and important oncology challenges in recent times.

www.leukemia-fighters.org

(I am not in an operating, managing, or official fundraising capacity of the fund, hospital, or charity)

Served as counsel to the founder in 2008 in the initial seeding of this successful emerging hedge fund incubation and seeding platform. A founding advisor, I now serve in a mentoring capacity.

Stride Capital Group is an investment firm that seeks to generate superior returns by forming partnerships with exceptional investment talent. Stride is led by Founder and Managing Partner Don Rogers who brings 15 years of alternative investment and business building experience, most recently as a founding team member and Partner of SkyBridge Capital.

Stride’s team brings over 50 years of investment management industry experience as day one investors, owners and operators of successful alternatives firms managing tens of billions of dollars today.

Stride's founder hails from Skybridge Capital, a leading hedge fund platform of approximately $10B, sponsored by MSD Capital, L.P., the family office of Michael Dell, established 1998, now with over 100 people. https://www.linkedin.com/company/msd-capital/about/

Hamilton Lane is an alternative investment management firm, with over $400 billion in assets under advisement globally, providing innovative private markets services to sophisticated investors. The firm has been dedicated to private markets investing for 27 years and currently has more than 350 employees operating in 15+ offices around the world.  The firm's investors generally include Taft-Hartley pension funds, insurance companies, endowments/foundations and high-net worth individuals.

More broadly, Hamilton Lane has long been an active investor in targeted strategies, including credit-oriented direct investments and co-investments. The firm has managed SBIC credit funds since 2015, including the Hamilton Lane Strategic Opportunities Fund(s) - now in its fourth dedicated vehicle of its kind - an extension of its broader credit platform in existence for nearly 20 years (with@ $20 billion in AUM and supervision). 

I had the fortune of providing various corporate development consulting services to the firm's New York Credit SBIC Fund LP, augmenting its internal deal sourcing resources - responsible for two closed credit transactions.

www.hamiltonlane.com

I had the opportunity to serve as a special advisor to multi-family office, HQ Capital, on a late-stage secondaries venture capital investment.

Our relationship was on the buyside, and to date, is a very successful private investment involving several million dollars.

HQ Capital has been active in global (non U.S.) private equity and in (U.S.) real estate since 1989 (through Auda and Real Estate Capital Partners).

And since 1992, through affiliate Equita, HQ Capital has been acquiring majority stakes in small- and mid-sized companies in mid-Europe. HQ Capital was formed in 2015 by combining independent alternative investment managers Auda, Real Estate Capital Partners and Equita.

Through significant contributions from its anchor investor, the long standing and respected Harald Quandt family (of BMW fame) of Germany, HQ Capital uses a business model that aligns its interests with those of its wealth management and family office clients.

www.hqcapital.com

Our investment collaboration involved online global luxury e-commerce.

Served as lead deal sponsor (sourcing, negotiating, diligencing, financing, documentation, strategy, and board lead) for LBO of this premium manufacturer of branded and private-label baked goods for the grocery trade.

Served as initial Chairman of the Board, and managing member of our investment vehicle.

Selected, and partnered with, leading capital partners, including lender, Fifth Third Bancorp, investor, Quilvest USA, and mezzanine provider, Prism Mezzanine Fund.

Our capital group together oversaw sales growth from high teens to over $40 million, earning attractive equity returns.

Created detailed investment strategy, and sourced, managed, and collaborated with senior operational experts from Pepperidge Farms, Acosta, and Country Home Bakers, Inc. Owners further led effective changes in CEO, CFO, and sales roles.

Our primary and sole institutional equity partner was Quilvest Private Equity, the U.S. arm of the Quilvest Group a leading, global, independent wealth manager and private equity investor, with a presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. Quilvest Private Equity (with @ 100 professionals) offers sophisticated independent, and global private equity and real estate solutions to private investors, families, and institutions. Quilvest, with investment of over $5 billion in over 300 private equity and real estate funds, and 150 direct investments, is one of the leading multi-family offices in the world.

Company recently completed a successful sale, led by Quilvest, in 2017, after a decade of profitable private equity ownership, to strategic food company, J&J Snack Foods Corp.

Today, Hill & Valley employs approximately 150 people and is the leading national manufacturer of Sugar Free and No Sugar Added branded items to the In Store Bakery. http://www.hillandvalley.net/

I involved and led professional deal support from industry leaders Kirkland Ellis, KPMG and other vendors.

Participated in a private investment to acquire, and build, in 2010 together with the support of various private investors (several million dollars), a top global vintage and one-of-a-kinds online commerce and content marketplaces, originally formed 2006. Firm grew to peak members of over 65,000 and unique global online visitors of over 200,000.

Supported team of 25 and transformation of global online brand, content, community, and assembled highly talented management, staff, advisors, and board. Partnerships formed with leading online media and luxury brands. Partnership restructured and now dormant.

In 2007, together with institutional capital partners, led a buyout (sourcing, negotiating, diligencing, financing, documentation, strategy, and board lead) of over $30 million from private equity fund, Cortec Group, of a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of highly engineered packaging and material handling equipment, a division of billion-dollar Axia Incorporated. (Cortec Group is a leading $500M+ middle market private equity firm, founded 1984).

Our buyout was supported by our talented operating partner (and later Chairman and CEO), Jeffrey Reed, formerly partners with leading private equity firm, Frontenac Company. Our partnership persevered through the 2008 recession, drove solid earnings growth, ultimately earning over 4x return on our equity capital.

Founded in 1910 and based in Statesville, NC, Fischbein serves a broad range of industries including retail, food, pet foods, agriculture, chemicals, medical/pharmaceutical, parcel/post, and building materials. Over its 100-year history of continuous operations, Fischbein has developed a strong platform in the United States and Europe, and sells packaging products and material handling equipment under multiple brand names.

Circle Peak Capital investor group included an ABL lending solution by PNC Bank, and in 2013, led a successful sale of Fischbein to a larger private equity firm, M South Equity Partners, who later sold to private equity firm, Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC, who later sold to Warburg Pincus in 2017.

Sourced, managed, and collaborated with senior operational experts, and further led effective changes in CEO, CFO, and other plant-level roles.

Original professional deal support from Proskauer Rose and Alvarez & Marsal.

Served the board of directors as one of seven inaugural members following buyout in May 2006.

A Circle Peak Capital investor group acquired the three retailers to form Luxury Optical Holdings Co., on May 2, 2006.

Circle Peak Capital partnered in the transaction with several senior operating executives and lead equity partners, DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Goode Partners. Magnetar Capital Fund LP provided all of the initial debt financing and participated also as an equity co-investor.

LOH was a newly consolidated group with an initial 25 stores, that each offered over 40 high quality fashion eyewear brands, including several lines exclusive to the group, as well as offering the most skilled lens services and are located in premium U.S. retail sites, including New York City, Las Vegas, Boston, Los Angeles and Atlanta.

The platform received total capitalization of over $100 million over time, was previously restructured, and later, exited at the end of 2017 and sold to an institutional investment firm. www.loholdings.com

Served the board of directors as one of seven inaugural members following buyout in December 2005.

For over 30 years, Shari’s has been the largest full-service family restaurant chain in the Pacific Northwest.

The company appointed me to the Board, along with Kerry Kramp (former CEO of Buffets, Inc. (the $1 billion parent company of the family-oriented buffet restaurants known as Old Country Buffet and HomeTown Buffet, with over 350 restaurants in 38 states) along with the Shari’s CEO,and representatives from its capital partners, Carlyle, Falcon and Sankaty.

Circle Peak, along with senior management and junior capital partners Carlyle Mezzanine Partners LP, Falcon Investment Advisors LLC, and Sankaty Advisors LLC, and senior capital partners, Capital Source Finance LLC, Magnetar Capital LLC (also an equity co-investor), and Wells Fargo Foothill, acquired the company on December 28, 2005.

The platform received total capitalization of approximately $100 million over time, was later restructured, and exited to institutional capital investors in 2016.

www.sharis.com

Recruited from private equity to lead projects for both private equity and M&A department, and revitalize middle market financial sponsor coverage.

Led related revitalized buy and sell side idea-ation sponsor efforts for the investment bank across middle market sponsors.

Last tour of duty in investment banking ended prematurely by the 9-11 crisis. (Last lateral hire in IB prior to 9-11).

Subsequently, and immediately, launched de novo private investment firm previously in planning prior to joining Lehman .... original professional support from global law firm, Ropes & Gray LLP (and several wealthy and helpful angels)

Leading middle market private investment firm, founded in the early 1990s in exclusive partnership with Caxton Associates, and then managing over $2 billion in equity capital, focused on leveraged buyouts of consumer, media, retail, and service-businesses, and entrepreneur partnerships in over 25 private companies.

Closed several direct control investments and corporate add ons.

Since inception, the investment firm (and its affiliates) have made over 350 acquisitions presenting over $10 billion in enterprise value.

Formerly, an in-house private equity affiliate of the leading alternative investment firm, Caxton Associates, founded 1983 by legendary investor, Bruce Kovner (now managing a successful, successor family office, and serves as Chairman of the Board of The Juilliard School, Vice Chairman of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and also on the Boards of the Metropolitan Opera, and American Enterprise Institute.)

Initial employee of Matrix Global Investments Inc, a value-added, multi-strategy asset management newco formed, wholly owned and funded by @ $50 million of private capital by Castle Harlan Inc., a leading investment firm (founded 1987) and based in New York, NY with approximately $2 billion of equity under management.

http://www.castleharlan.com/

Castle Harlan was co founded by legendary investors, Leonard Harlan, real estate icon, and John K. Castle - former Chairman of Sprout Group venture capital, president and CEO of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Inc., director of Equitable Life Assurance Society; Life Member Emeritus of the MIT Corporation, and previously, served for 22 years as a Trustee of New York Medical College, including half as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Castle now also manages a single family office.

Led and oversaw development of all deal sourcing, analysis, negotiations and investment proposals to our private equity partnership. Sourced and/or managed deal flow for hundreds of asset management related private companies (institutional, mutual funds, wealth management, hedge funds). Led diligence, modeling, deal tracking and investment banker relationships.

Assisted and managed matters for the board of directors. Became minor equity member. Closed several deals.

Initial hire and associate of startup, and ultimately, this premier global emerging markets fixed income hedge fund investment firm (peak of @ $500 million in discretionary assets under management).

Founded by legendary emerging markets experts and ex-partners of Merrill Lynch. Raised almost $100 million in inaugural first year. Exceptional returns, at times, as one of the world’s leading EMFI hedge funds products.

Formation, fundraising, reporting, structuring, monitoring, investor relations (role pre-set for one year - deferred previous acceptance a year, approved by the Dean, by graduate school CBSGSB after previous two-year IB analyst tour, to fulfill this full time role)

Financial Analyst, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Institutions Group.

Covered depository, asset management, diversified, financial companies in the U.S. and LATAM, with primary engagement with large-cap FIG, and several financial sponsors (Eg KKR) and family offices (Fernando Chico).

Reinvigorated Latin American platform for Wall Street's then-leading global financial institutions M&A franchise as lead analyst in effort. Reported directly to SVP in global financial institutions, and worked closely with all senior executives in U.S. and LATAM financial institutions, as well as equity research, and capital markets.

Elected for third year to expand Mexico (FIG) office (passed for hedge fund startup above). Closed numerous deals across equity and debt capital markets, structured products, and M&A.

Co-authored pioneering global institutional equity research report.