The 2023 HBS ETA Conference is Sold Out!

The conference will take place in-person on the HBS campus, with breakfast beginning at 8am and the conference kicking off at 9am on Saturday, October 28th. Please plan to arrive by 800am so we can begin on time. Check-in is in Klarman Hall

Similar to previous conferences, there will be a networking reception from 6:00 to 8:00pm on Friday, October 27th in the Williams Room in the Spangler Center for those who can attend. Tickets for this reception are currently sold out.

Please Note: There are separate tickets for the conference and the networking reception. A ticket for the conference does not grant admittance to the networking reception the evening before.

Wine, beer, and appetizers are included in the price of the networking reception ticket. Breakfast, coffee, soft drinks, snacks, and lunch are included in the price of the conference ticket

2023 Conference Agenda

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM: breakfast

9:00 AM - 9:25 AM: Opening Keynote - Royce Yudkoff

9:25 AM - 9:40 AM: Myths of Search - Jim Sharpe


10:00 AM - 11:00 AM: EARLY Morning Panels

Industry Thesis Thinktank, moderated by Kent Weaver

Panelists: Aaron Perrine, Kevin Oxendine, Sara Rosenthal, Neal Jacobs

Sponsors: Live Oak Bank | Symphony Risk | Broadtree Partners | Mowery & Schoenfeld

Value Creation Strategies, moderated by Jay Davis

Panelists: Caroline Matthews, Mark Anderegg, Mark Agnew, Ryan McCostlin

Sponsors: Goodwin | Bank Prov | ETA Equity | BakerHostetler

Tactical Session: Service Providers - How to Get the Most Out of Your Deal Team, moderated by David Rosner

Panelists: Lisa Forrest, Andy Lock, Zach Duprey, Michael Kidd, Kevin Barton

CEO Deep Dive: Searching and Acquiring Abroad, moderated by Jim Sharpe

Featuring: Juan de Dios Aguilar at Puertas Globales


11:15 AM - 12:15 PM: Late Morning Panels

ETA Investor Perspectives, moderated by Royce Yudkoff

Panelists: Badge Stone, Kurt Leedy, Sandro Mina, Anthony Walker

Sponsors: Parkside | Choate | Baker Newman Noyes | HMB Legal

Getting Started in Search Fund Investing, moderated by Max Artz

Panelists: Hannah Barrett, Nick Qiu, Saumil Jariwala, Vincent Vo

Sponsors: Bank Prov | Symphony Risk | BakerHostetler | Goodwin

Tactical Session: Work/Life Balance and Mental Health as a CEO/Searcher, moderated by Jim Sharpe

Panelists: Tyler Hogan, Katie Laidlaw, Steve Divitkos, Paige Sopcic

Sponsors: ETA Equity | Broadtree Partners | Live Oak Bank | HMB Legal

CEO Deep Dive: Executing a Large Deal and Managing a Complex Services Business, moderated by GJ King and Will Bressman

Featuring: Sam Krieg and Hill Hamrick at CSW

Sponsors: Baker Newman Noyes | Choate | Mowery & Schoenfeld | Parkside


12:15 PM - 1:30 PM: Lunch


1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: Early Afternoon Panels

Structuring a Self-Funded Deal, moderated by Jim Sharpe

Panelists: Rahul Bansal, Anthony Bucci, Sarah Moore, Patrick Dunagan

Attracting Talent in a Small Business, moderated by Jason Pananos

Panelists: Promise Okeke, Diana Sterne, Daryl Lontz

Sponsors: Mowery & Schoenfeld | Bank Prov | ETA Equity | Symphony Risk

Tactical Session: Searching Without Acquiring, moderated by Steve Divitkos

Panelists: Matthew Zucker, Charles Burckmyer, Ramiro Alfaro, Jordan Rose

Sponsors: Baker Newman Noyes | Parkside | Broadtree Partners | Choate

CEO Deep Dive: Building Through Aquisition, moderated by Jay Davis

Featuring: Courtney Ellenbogen and Faraz Karbasi at Aesthetic Partners


3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Late Afternoon Panels

Alternative ETA Strategies (Roll-up, Holdco, Fundless Sponsor, Franchising), moderated by Andrew Saltoun

Panelists: Trish Higgins, Alex de Pfyffer, Justin Vogt, Michael Horowitz

Sponsors: Goodwin | Parkside | Mowery & Schoenfeld | Symphony Risk

Challenges as a First Time CEO and the First 100 Days, moderated by David Dodson

Panelists: Mike Arblaster, Courtney Dunn, Jason Jackson, Anthony Runco

Sponsors: ETA Equity | Broadtree Partners | Baker Newman Noyes | Bank Prov

Tactical Session: Interns, Sourcing, and Outreach, moderated by Lacey Wismer

Panelists: Lori Harrington, Hannah Greenberg, Promise Okeke, Michael Simms

Sponsors: Live Oak Bank | HMB Legal | Choate | BakerHostetler

CEO Deep Dive: Running a Remote Vertical Market SaaS Businsess as a Non-Technical CEO, moderated by Greg Geronemus Featuring: Betsy Harbison at Softtrip

Sponsors: BakerHostetler | HMB Legal | Live Oak Bank | Goodwin


4:10 PM - 5:00 PM: Closing Keynote

Alex Sloane and Matt Perelman, Garnett Station Partners, moderated by Royce Yudkoff