Friday, October 16 - From Search to Valuation: Building the Acquisition Thesis

8:30 AM - Opening Breakfast

9:00 AM - Program Orientation: The ETA Playbook

9:30 AM - Designing Your Search Strategy

How disciplined buyers define what they are looking for—and why—before ever seeing a deal.

10:30 AM - Break

10:45 AM - Due Diligence as Risk Management (Part I)

Understanding diligence as a decision-making tool, not a checklist.

12:15 PM - Lunch

1:15 PM - Due Diligence as Risk Management (Part II)

Deepening diligence to uncover hidden liabilities and assess deal quality.

2:15 PM - Lessons from the Search and Acquisition Journey

A candid discussion with an entrepreneur who has navigated the ETA process, highlighting real tradeoffs, surprises, and mistakes.

3:00 PM - Break

3:15 PM - Valuation in the Real World

Moving beyond formulas to understand how buyers and sellers actually arrive at price.

4:15 PM - Expert Panel: Interpreting Value Under Uncertainty

Practitioners discuss how valuation, risk, and deal structure intersect in live transactions.

5:00 PM - Evening Reception

Informal networking and continued discussion.

Saturday, October 17 - From Deal Structuring to Ownership and Growth

8:30 AM - Opening Breakfast

9:00 AM - Assembling the Deal

How transactions come together—and where they most often fall apart.

10:30 AM - Break

10:45 AM - Financing the Acquisition

Evaluating capital structures that align incentives and manage downside risk.

12:00 PM - Lunch

An applied discussion focused on capital, control, and early ownership decisions.

1:00 PM - Creating Value After the Close

Shifting from buyer to operator

2:00 PM - Transition Management: From Owner to Leader

A practitioner’s view on taking control of an existing organization.

2:30 PM - Break

2:45 PM - Legal & Accounting Roundtable

A practical discussion of transaction mechanics and post-close realities.

4:00 PM - Synthesis and Closing Discussion