Thursday, September 10, 2026
Ellen C Kinney
THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT!
What if you could become a CEO—not by starting a company, but by buying one?
Search Funds and Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) have become one of the most compelling paths to business ownership, attracting a growing number of MBA graduates who want to acquire, lead, and grow an established company.
The Wharton Club of Seattle and the HBS Club of Seattle are pleased to invite you to join Aaron Perrine (Wharton WG ’12), Scott Alderman (HBS ’95), and Roland Yang (HBS ’22) for an evening exploring the search fund model at the Trilogy Search Partners office on Mercer Island.
Hear directly from entrepreneurs in Trilogy’s portfolio as they share the realities of raising capital, searching for the right acquisition, navigating due diligence, and ultimately stepping into the CEO role.
Whether you’re considering launching a search, investing in one, or simply curious why ETA has become one of the fastest-growing career paths among top MBA graduates, this is a rare opportunity to hear candid stories from those who’ve done it.
Date: Thursday, September 10
Time: 5:00–7:00 PM
Cost: $20 Wharton Club Members / $30 Non-Members
Location: Trilogy Search Partners
2856 80th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA
Light Refreshments Served.
Featured speaker biographies
Ben Joers
MANAGING DIRECTOR & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, H CLINICAL
Eddie Hannush
MANAGING DIRECTOR & CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, H CLINICAL
Ben Joers and Eddie Hannush lead H Clinical, a clinical trial site and home visit services provider serving pharmaceutical sponsors and contract organizations’ needs in Latin America. After graduating from Middlebury with a BA in Economics, Ben began his career at Piper Jaffray before moving to private equity at CVC Capital Partners. Eddie is a graduate of Duke with a BA in Political Science and brings enterprise sales experience at Amazon and software operating experience from his time at Eleven Software and CampMinder. Both earned MBAs from Wharton. Learn More.
Collin Hathaway
CHAIRMAN & FOUNDER, FLINT GROUP and SKYLIGHT CAPITAL
Collin Hathaway is Chairman and founder of Flint Group and owner of Guardian Roofing. His entrepreneurial path began at Stanford, where he founded Skylight while in business school, working from a converted pool house near campus. He previously served as chairman of Wrench Group, Bonney Plumbing, and Vulcan Precision Linings. Collin holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BA in Economics from Stanford. He lives in Seattle with his wife and two children and is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization. Learn More.
Kaustubh Deo
PRESIDENT & OWNER, BLOOMA TREE EXPERTS
Kaustubh Deo (“KD”) is President and owner of Blooma Tree Experts, a Seattle-area tree care company he acquired in 2022 after working in investing and business roles in Boston and New York. A Redmond native, KD returned to the Pacific Northwest to pursue small business entrepreneurship and now oversees Blooma’s operations while remaining active in the trade as an ISA-Certified Arborist. Under his leadership, the company has expanded its services and grown, including through the addition of Out On A Limb. He also serves as treasurer of the ISA Pacific Northwest Chapter. Kaustubh is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a BS in Economics from the Wharton School. Learn More.
