For the last two decades, Brian Stephens has had the pleasure of working in a business that brings him joy and satisfaction. Every day is exciting. He helps business owners when they start to ask; Can I sell my business? What is my business worth - really? And how can I fully defend that price to business buyers? How does the whole business selling
process work? How do I find the right buyer for my business and NOT let my employees know it is for sale?
Nataliya Kalava is the founder and president of American Valuations. Nataliya has over ten years of experience in the field of finance. Nataliya began her valuation career in 2010. She has prepared, overseen, or contributed to hundreds of valuations for purposes related to gift and estate tax planning, ESOPs, buy-sell agreements, financial reporting, and litigation, among others. In addition, she has served on the board of directors for a not-for-profit organization.
Thomas Light has 12+ years of lower middle market private equity, investment banking and operating experience within the Southeast. He joined A111 Capital, a Tampa-based private investment firm, in 2020. Prior to A111 Capital, Thomas served as CFO of a growth-stage industrial technology business and as an Associate at MSouth Equity Partners, a lower middle-market private equity firm with over $2 billion of
capital. Thomas grew up around entrepreneurial and family-owned businesses, primarily with this grandfather’s forestry products and timber business. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the business. Originally from Hilton Head, SC, Thomas holds a B.S. / M.B.A. from University of Virginia and lives in Tampa with his wife Kate, daughter Louisa and dog Bali.
Meet Our Moderator
A seasoned behavioral scientist, Dr. Collura has owned and operated companies domestically and abroad with a keen focus on bridging the gap between service/product developers, marketplace demands and internal communications.
Through his doctoral expertise in neuroanthropology (a fusion of neuroscience, psychology, and biological/cultural anthropology) as well as business acumen, he has garnered a reputation for being a "go-to" for "C" suite professionals when it comes to navigating the waters of employee engagement, company leadership, team empowerment, as well as internal/external relationship management. Dr. Collura is an accomplished motivational speaker and has had the privilege of speaking to business owners, empowerment groups, professional associations and students across the globe.
He is a peer reviewed published author and has recently released his first book, The 7 Layers of Successful Relationships.
