Grant Kornman co-founded NCK Capital as an independent sponsor in 2013, then moved to the capital side with Align Collaborate in 2023. Align now manages $600m+ across 2 dedicated funds and writes $10-40m equity checks into sponsor-led LMM deals. Grant has watched the independent sponsor market evolve from both sides.

References and how to contact today's guest:
Grant Kornman | LinkedIn

Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

Connect with Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas James
• Visit Minds Capital

Credits:

• Edited by Anton Rohozov

Greg Brown is a Professor of Finance at UNC Kenan-Flagler and Founder of the Institute for Private Capital. On July 15, 2026, he published the first large-scale study of independent sponsor performance, covering 815 deals. Investor-reported transactions generated a 2.86x average gross TVPI and 29.3% gross IRR, outperforming matched non-IS PE deals by 0.73x TVPI and 11.4% IRR on average, with no statistically significant increase in downside risk.

References and how to contact today's guest:
Greg Brown | LinkedIn

Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

Connect with Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas James
• Visit Minds Capital

Credits:

• Edited by Anton Rohozov

Sequoya Borgman is the first repeat guest on the Minds Capital Podcast. Since his last appearance, Borgman Capital has exited 1 company (4x+ net MOIC) and acquired 2 more (Minds Capital invested in the latest one, PCCD). Those 2 acquisitions were 3x and 2x oversubscribed respectively. Borgman has now acquired 13 platforms since 2017, owns 9 today, and is currently exploring 2 more exits.

References and how to contact today's guest:
Sequoya Borgman | LinkedIn

Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

Connect with Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas James
• Visit Minds Capital

Credits:

• Edited by Anton Rohozov

Ben Tiggelaar started his career in PE before acquiring healthcare business Enable Dental in 2017. He ran it searcher-style for 5 years, exited in 2022, took 10 months off, and then bought Datatel with his own capital. The 2nd deal has evolved from a $6m revenue MSP with 55-60% recurring revenue in 2023 into a ~$8m business with ~90% recurring revenue.

References and how to contact today's guest:
Ben Tiggelaar | LinkedIn

Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

Connect with Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas James
• Visit Minds Capital

Credits:

• Edited by Anton Rohozov

Ziv Bendor co-founded Pinewell Capital in Scottsdale in 2016 after working across consulting and operating roles. Pinewell is now working on its 5th platform and 10th acquisition across an eclectic mix of B2B & B2C businesses. One of its more unusual strategies involved rolling up 4 businesses averaging less than $500k of EBITDA into one platform now generating ~$7m of EBITDA.

References and how to contact today's guest:
Ziv Bendor | LinkedIn

Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

Connect with Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas James
• Visit Minds Capital

Credits:

• Edited by Anton Rohozov

Chad Scripps started Black Lake Capital in 2013 after working at McKinsey, HIG, and several hedge funds. Based in Denver, Black Lake is an unapologetic “fundless sponsor” doing 1-2 deals per year. They focus on tech-enabled businesses, although Chad jokes that “if you’ve got email, we’ll call you tech enabled.” The approach is opportunistic & valuation-driven. Black Lake reviews roughly 2,500 opportunities per year to find those 1-2 acquisitions.

References and how to contact today's guest:
Chad Scripps | LinkedIn

Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

Connect with Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas James
• Visit Minds Capital

Credits:

• Edited by Anton Rohozov

Dr. Lisa Piercey went from pediatrician to hospital executive, Tennessee Commissioner of Health during COVID, and now independent sponsor preparing to close her 5th healthcare platform. Her edge is deep healthcare operating & policy expertise, particularly around reimbursement, aging, chronic disease, Medicaid, and value-based care.

References and how to contact today's guest:
Lisa Piercey | LinkedIn

Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

Connect with Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas James
• Visit Minds Capital

Credits:

• Edited by Anton Rohozov

Drew Bagin and his partner raised $2m in seed capital for the General Partnership before doing their first deal as an independent sponsor. Then they built a tightly regional strategy focused on Maine and New England. 5 platforms later, the regional focus manifests in a differentiated sourcing network & value creation, and a fire protection platform approaching exit.

References and how to contact today's guest:
Drew Bagin | LinkedIn

Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

Connect with Minds:

• See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
• Connect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas James
• Visit Minds Capital

Credits:

• Edited by Anton Rohozov