Independent Sponsors Summit Dallas

Michael is a Partner at Align Collaborate and a member of its Investment Committee. Prior to Align Collaborate, Michael co-founded NCK Capital (“NCK”), a boutique independent sponsor that acquired controlling interests in lower-middle market companies, with his business partner, Grant Kornman. NCK was a pioneer in the independent sponsor community, winning numerous awards, and built a successful portfolio of companies in many different industries including environmental services, post-secondary education, wholesale distribution, and building services.

Over the course of Michael’s entrepreneurial and investment career, he has founded, built and ran companies such as QuickfirE Restaurants and ASAP Air Services. Michael’s vision and leadership have guided these companies through many strategic milestones, including securing outside equity and debt financing, obtaining mission-critical regulatory approvals and company recapitalizations and sales.

Mr. Matt London is a Managing Director, Co-Head of Equity Group of Monroe Capital. He is responsible for executing new equity investments, working with existing portfolio company management teams on value creation initiatives and arranging for the disposition of investments.  Mr. London has over 20 years of experience in private equity investing and investment banking.  Prior to Monroe, he was a Principal at Waud Capital Partners, where he focused on partnering with leadership teams and growing companies primarily in the healthcare services market.  Previously, Mr. London was an Analyst within the investment banking groups at Deutsche Bank and Morgan Keegan.  Mr. London earned his B.S.B.A. in Finance and International Business from Washington University in St. Louis.

Mr. Mack joined Crestline in 2015 and serves as a Managing Director in the Credit and Opportunistic Strategies Group.  Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Mack was an Investment Banking Analyst with Barclays Capital, focusing on debt advisory.  He received his BS in Finance from Lehigh University and MBA from University of Virginia.

Mr. Boyd, Principal of RCG, provides deal execution and business development leadership to the Partners of the Firm in the consumer, business services, and healthcare services sectors. Mr. Boyd previously was a Principal at ORIX Private Equity Solutions (and its successor Prolign Capital), the US lower middle-market private equity division of ORIX Corporation, where he provided analytical, execution, and monitoring support as a part of the investment team.   

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.

Nichol Chiarella is a partner and Citrin Cooperman's Mergers and Acquisitions Tax Practice Leader, with over two decades of experience in public accounting. She provides high level tax planning and consulting services related to buy-side, sell-side, and restructuring transactions involving private equity firms, closely-held businesses, business owners, and high net worth individuals within the technology, manufacturing and distribution, wholesale, retail, cannabis, healthcare, real estate, staffing, and professional services industries.

Nichol handles transaction tax matters for private equity funds, independent sponsors, limited liability companies (LLCs), domestic partnerships, corporations, and S corporations. She specializes in buy-side and sell-side tax advisory, including tax due diligence, pre-transaction planning, tax structuring, and modeling, and post-transaction compliance support. She also handles mergers, divestitures, and restructuring matters, in addition to helping privately-held business owners transition to related parties.

Nichol also leads the firm’s global diversity, equity, and inclusion mission, branded as CC EDGE (Empowering Diversity and Gender Equality). In this role, she interfaces regularly with all CC EDGE leads in each of our metro geographies in the United States and in India.

Nichol's specialized tax knowledge and network of professional contacts allows her to act as a resource not only for her clients, but for other professionals seeking solutions for their clients and customers.

Ben started his career at The Richards Group, IPG and Omnicom. He joined T3 as the Director of Mobile in 2009 and became President in 2016. During his 13 years at T3 he evolved the business from a production shop to a leading digital transformation consultancy, greatly expanded EBITDA and led the successful sale to Tailwind Capital. Since the acquisition he has served in a lead role for the new platform, Material+, including multiple acquisitions. Ben is a frequent industry speaker and the author of the recent book, Embracing Irrationality.

Chris White is the Director of Investor Relations for Insight Equity.  He leads Insight Equity’s global fundraising, investor relations and consultant relations efforts.  Chris has over 37 years of experience working with institutional investors and the consultant community.  His prior experience includes BNP Paribas, ABN AMRO Asset Management, Montgomery Asset Management, AllianceBernstein, and Fidelity Investments among others.  Chris holds a BSBA from Southeast Missouri State University.