About Us
Equality is a growth-oriented private equity firm.
At Equality, we are value-added partners with deep sector expertise in technology and healthcare, and a passion for helping to build exceptional growth companies.
We are committed to aligning the interests of our limited partners, our management teams, and the employees and partners of Equality. With this focus and with discipline, Equality can have a lasting and positive impact on the companies we serve.
Thomas S. Roberts
Founder and CEO
Our Focus
At Equality, our focus is Tech and Tech-enabled healthcare.
Equality provides tailored capital solutions and strategic and operating support to companies with longer term growth potential. We typically invest $25M to $150M of capital per company for growth equity or to support shareholder transitions.
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Technology
Applications and infrastructure software, data and information services, and other tech-enabled growth businesses.
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Healthcare
Services and technology serving the healthcare and life sciences industries.
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Our Experience
We have earned our reputation for being a steadfast partner to CEOs over many years.
Collectively, our investment team has more than ninety years of investment and operating experience in global growth companies.
In addition to working side by side with Founders and CEOs, our team has served on the Board of Directors of over fifty private companies and ten public companies in the technology and healthcare sectors.
Our Companies
At Equality, we help exceptional companies grow.
Our Team
The Equality team is known for creating value and forging lasting relationships with Founders and CEOs of market-leading companies.
Wendy Cebula
Read BioTara Ciongoli
Read BioJeff Del Papa
Read BioGabriel Gomez
Read BioMatt Giegerich
Read BioOscar Loynaz
Read BioShawn McGowan
Read BioTom Roberts
Read BioMichael Silk
Read BioMichaela Thompson
Read Bio
Wendy Cebula
Wendy is an Operating Partner of Equality.
Why Equality
I have a passion for helping to develop people, process and technology to create amazing value for customers and to drive growth for companies, employees and investors. Equality has a focused investment strategy, strong and diverse team and a true partnership approach. At Equality, operating partners begin engaging during the diligence process and work side-by-side with deal team members to create an investment thesis and share ownership for it. This allows us to develop a deep understanding of the businesses we support and to develop trusted relationships with management early in the process.
Prior Experience
Wendy has more than twenty years of operating experience in high growth technology enabled businesses, both public and private. She has also served on Boards for Private Equity backed companies.
Prior Firms
• edX
• Vistaprint (Cimpress)
• MotherNature.com
• Partners First
Education
• Rochester Institute of Technology
Tara Ciongoli
Tara is a Senior Advisor of Equality.
Why Equality
Equality’s mission, to build a world class private equity firm that partners with CEOs to build a small number of exceptional companies for the long-term spoke compellingly to me, and brought me back to what I loved most about my past professional experiences, specifically helping companies grow and thrive. Helping to build a team of exceptionally talented and diverse individuals similarly inspired by that mission has been the best part.
Prior Experience
Prior to co-founding Equality, Tara spent a decade in management consulting, business development, and professional development. Tara began her career at McKinsey & Company, where she worked for eight years, focusing on strategy and organization work for primarily financial services clients. Previously, Tara worked at Time Inc. Interactive, and with two investment firms as a Summer Associate, Lone Pine Capital and Venturehouse Group.
Prior Firms
• McKinsey & Company
• Venturehouse Group
• Lone Pine Capital
• Time Warner/ Time Inc.
Education
• Harvard Business School
• Princeton University
Jeff Del Papa
Jeff is Co-Founder and Managing Director at Equality.
Why Equality
At Equality, we have assembled a very strong team of experienced investors and former operating professionals with an exceptional track record of supporting high potential, market leading companies. We have an exciting opportunity to form long term partnerships with management teams and have built a firm that brings resources and the alignment to support long term growth.
Prior Experience
Jeff has twenty years of private equity experience and has partnered with management teams to complete buyout, growth equity, carve out and take private transactions.
Prior Firms
• TA Associates
• Thoma Bravo
• Summit Partners
Education
• Harvard Business School
• Babson College
Gabriel Gomez
Gabriel is a Managing Director of Equality, and leads origination.
Why Equality
Co-founding and starting a premier private equity firm with former colleagues that share the same vision and values is a dream come true. Equality’s unique strategy of truly investing for the long-term and partnering with management teams and companies in a collaborative manner is what I enjoy most. In addition, helping Equality build a strong commitment to diversity and collegial teamwork culture has been my passion since my time in the U.S. Navy.
Prior Experience
Prior to co-founding Equality, Gabriel spent over twelve years in private equity at Advent International and Summit Partners in a variety of roles and industries. He also co-founded O2X, an education and training company focused on maximizing human performance. Gabriel also ran for the U.S. Senate in MA where he won the Republican primary in a special election before losing the general election. Additionally, Gabriel worked in mergers and acquisitions at Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co. Before business school, Gabriel spent almost nine years in the U.S. Navy as an aircraft carrier pilot and Navy SEAL platoon commander.
Prior Firms
• O2X
• Advent International
• Summit Partners
• Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co.
• U.S Navy (aircraft carrier pilot and Navy SEAL)
Education
• Harvard Business School
• U.S. Naval Academy
Matt Giegerich
Matt is an Associate on Equality’s Healthcare Team.
Why Equality
I joined Equality because I was excited by the prospect of investing in a select group of leading companies. The opportunity to establish meaningful, long-term relationships with the companies with which we partner is rewarding and motivating.
Prior Experience
Matt began his career at Aeris Partners, as an analyst.
Prior Firms
Aeris Partners
Education
Dartmouth College
Oscar Loynaz
Oscar is a Principal on Equality’s Technology team.
Why Equality
I joined Equality because it afforded me the opportunity to pursue a differentiated approach to private equity investing with a team that I am humbled to be a part of. Equality’s focus on a small number of longer-term investments provides a platform for the Equality team to establish deep relationships with management teams. Building these relationships with a group of investors and operating professionals that I can learn from and grow with over time is extremely exciting to me.
Prior Experience
Prior to joining Equality, Oscar had three years of private equity investing experience focusing on companies in the growth and buyout stages. Prior to private equity, Oscar had two years of investment banking experience.
Prior Firms
• TA Associates
• J.P. Morgan
Education
• Harvard Business School
• Princeton University
Shawn McGowan
Shawn is an Operating Partner of Equality.
Why Equality
As a passionate operator and technologist at heart, I was inspired by the idea of working with a collection of diverse and talented companies. I believe companies excel when they balance their focus on platform and product, operations, commercials, and culture. I look forward to helping shape and promote this balance across the Equality portfolio, creating value for team members, customers and investors.
Prior Experience
Shawn has more than twenty years of operating experience and has extensive experience in software and tech enabled service companies. Shawn has had roles as CTO, COO and CEO. Shawn was most recently CEO of Scribe Software.
Prior Companies
• TIBCO
• Scribe Software
• Amadeus Hospitality
• Newmarket International
• ManagedOps.com
• Elderhostel
Education
• Northeastern University Business School (MBA)
• Northeastern University (State of the Art, Computer Science)
• Plymouth State College
Tom Roberts
Tom is the Founder and CEO of Equality, and co-leads Equality’s healthcare team.
Before founding Equality, Tom served as Managing Partner and Managing Director for Summit Partners, a top global private equity firm with over $15 billion in assets. During Tom’s 28-year career at Summit, in addition to Managing Partner and Managing Director, Tom served as Summit Partners Board Member, Executive Committee Member, Investment Committee Member, and Operating Committee Member. Tom also created and led Summit’s Portfolio Performance Group and co-founded Summit’s Credit Business. During his tenure, Tom led Summit with a strong track record in both firm-building and investing.
Prior to Equality and Summit, Tom received an AB in Economics from Princeton University, magna cum laude, and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar. Tom currently serves as a Trustee of Princeton University, and is a Trustee Emeritus of The Fessenden School in West Newton, MA. Previously Tom served three years as President of the New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA). Tom and his wife Kristen have four children and live in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Michael Silk
Michael is an Associate on Equality’s Technology Team.
Why Equality
I joined Equality because I believe in Equality’s diligent approach of investing in a select number of companies and aligning with management teams in order to help them achieve their goals. The opportunity to partner with and learn from leaders in their respective fields while working alongside a talented, grounded team of investors and operating professionals is one that is both humbling and exciting.
Prior Experience
Michael began his career at Jefferies, as an analyst in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group.
Prior Firms
Jefferies Group
Education
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Michaela Thompson
Michaela is an Analyst.
Why Equality
I have always loved the process of diving into an industry – gaining an insight around the tech defining the field, understanding tailwinds driving growth, and developing a conviction around the full potential of a space – as a means of identifying compelling investments. Equality’s approach of investing in a select group of market leading companies allows for our team to gain keen conviction around the industries our investments reside in, while leveraging our team’s domain experience to bolster growth. The opportunity to work alongside management teams and develop long-lasting relationships is incredibly rewarding!
Prior Experience
Michaela began her career specializing in industry research in a variety of software sectors with direct responsibility for origination and execution of buyout investments.
Education
Boston College – Carroll School of Management
Our Advisory Board
Our Advisory Board members provide diversity of thought, disciplines, industries, and backgrounds.
José Alvarez
Read BioKim Goodwin
Read BioBrent Henry
Read BioJay McGonigle
Read BioSusie Mulder
Read Bio
José Alvarez
José Alvarez is a leading expert in supply chain management logistics, marketing, and retail strategy. He is currently a member of the faculty at Harvard Business School. José most recently served as President and CEO of Stop & Shop, a subsidiary of Royal Ahold. Previously, he worked with Shaw’s Supermarkets, American Stores Company and Jewel Food Stores. José also served as a Board Director of TJX Companies for eleven years. José serves on the Board of Trustees of Princeton University and Daily Table and is Chairman of the Board of the Joyce Foundation. José earned an MBA from the University of Chicago, and an AB degree in History from Princeton University.
José most recently served as President and CEO of Stop & Shop, a subsidiary of Royal Ahold, NV. Previously, he worked with Shaw’s Supermarkets, as Vice President of Grocery Merchandising, and with American Stores Company and its subsidiary Jewel Food Stores, where he was Director of Market Research, Manager of Supply Chain Engineering, and Produce Category Manager. In his nearly 20-year career in the supermarket industry, José led across nearly every functional area of retail management.
José served as a Board Director of TJX Companies, the world’s premier off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions, from 2007 until 2018. He also currently serves as a Director at United Rentals, the largest equipment rental company in North America, where he is chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. José also serves on the Board of Trustees of Princeton University and Daily Table and is chairman of the board of the Joyce Foundation.
José earned an AB degree in History from Princeton University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Kim Goodwin
C. Kim Goodwin is a highly accomplished and sought-after CEO, CIO, portfolio manager, and Board Director. Kim currently serves as CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Avanico Holdings in Puerto Rico. Previously Kim served as the Global Head of Equities for Asset Management at Credit Suisse Group, and as Chief Investment Officer of Equities and Managing Director of State Street Research. She also served as the CIO of U.S. Growth Equities at American Century Investment Management, and SVP and Portfolio Manager of Putnam Investment Management, and as VP and Portfolio Manager of Prudential Investments.
Kim has served in numerous Board Director roles and is currently a Non-Executive Director of PineBridge Investments, and an Independent Director of Popular Inc (BPOP) based in Puerto Rico. Previously, Kim served for many years on the board of Akamai Technologies Inc, along with CheckFree Corporation (acquired by FiServ in 2005), and as Director of various equity funds within the Allianz Global Investors family of funds. Kim also serves on the Board of Trustees and on the PRINCO endowment board of Princeton University.
Kim holds two Master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin: an M.B.A. degree in Finance from The McCombs School of Business and a Master of Public Affairs from The Lyndon B. Johnson School. Kim graduated with an AB cum laude in Politics from Princeton University.
Brent Henry
Brent has spent over thirty years advising health care clients on complex strategic, legal, and regulatory issues. Brent is a member in the law firm of Mintz Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo P.C., and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Princeton University Board of Trustees.
Previously, Brent was Vice President and General Counsel of Partners HealthCare, the largest hospital network in New England, with more than 70,000 employees and $12 billion in annual revenue. In that capacity, Brent oversaw the legal, internal audit, corporate compliance, and business ethics departments. Previously, he was Vice President and General Counsel at MedStar Health, a hospital system serving the Baltimore and Washington DC area. While at MedStar, Brent also taught health care law at both Howard University and the University of Maryland. Previously, Brent served as President of the American Health Lawyers Association, as Board member of Fiduciary Trust Company, and as Board Member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Brent earned his AB from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, his J.D. degree from Yale Law School, and a Master of Urban Studies from the Yale School of Art and Architecture.
Jay McGonigle
Jay has a thirty-year plus track record of leading, advising, and growing successful companies. Jay is the Lead Outside Director of FactSet Research Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: FDS) a provider of software and information to the financial services industry, where he has served for fifteen years. Before joining FactSet, Jay served as Chairman and CEO of the Corporate Executive Board Co. (NASDAQ: EXBD), a leading provider of best practices research and analysis, focusing on corporate strategy, operations, and general management issues, which he led through its spin-out in 1997 and IPO in 1999. Previously, Jay served as a consultant for McKinsey & Company in New York.
Jay has served as board member, angel investor, and senior advisor to numerous top information services companies. Jay served as a Board Member for SNL Financial, a provider of software and information services to the banking, real-estate, energy and media industries. Jay also serves as Advisory Board member at Motista, Inc. a provider of real-time information on customer “emotional connection” to marketers and brand managers in several industries. Jay also served as a Board Member of Ogone, a Brussels, Belgium-based online payments processing company serving retailers across Europe, and as a Director at Payscale, a company collecting, processing and disseminating compensation-benchmarking information through a SAAS model. Jay has served as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, and a Visiting Professor at ESADE Business and Law School in Barcelona.
Jay earned an AB from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Susie Mulder
Susie has been both a CEO and a counselor to CEOs, for over twenty years. Susie is known as an exceptional growth-leader, people-leader, and creative thinker both with CEOs and her teams.
Susie is currently the Chief Executive Officer of NIC+ZOE, a privately-held woman’s apparel company, a role she has held since April 2012. Under Susie’s leadership, the NIC+ZOE brand has grown its wholesale footprint, has introduced and expanded the e-Commerce platform, opened multiple new NIC+ZOE branded retail locations, and diversified the product lines. Prior to joining NIC+ZOE, Susie was a Senior Partner with McKinsey & Company where she was a leader in the retail and consumer practice for fifteen years, specializing in marketing and organization. Well-known as one of the top mentors in the Firm, she led many of the Firm’s most successful recruiting efforts. Currently, Susie also serves on the Board of Directors of Sally Beauty, the world’s largest distributor of professional beauty supplies, where she serves on both the Compensation and Governance committees. Susie is also a member of the Board of Overseers of Boston Children’s Hospital.
Susie received her MBA from the Harvard Business School with distinction, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with great distinction from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
Recent News
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Evention Announces Strategic Growth Investment from Equality Asset Management
Evention Announces Strategic Growth Investment from Equality Asset Management
Investment Will Support Evention’s Domestic and International Growth
CHICAGO, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Evention LLC (“Evention”), a leading provider of software to hotels, restaurants, and retailers, announced today that it has secured an investment from Equality Asset Management (“Equality”), a Boston-based growth equity firm. Evention will continue to be led by its founders and Co-Managing Partners, Mike Baldinger, Erik Nejman, and Brian Roth. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“Evention has been providing financial automation software that improves accuracy, reduces operating costs, and enables compliance for more than 15 years,” said Mike Baldinger, Evention Co-Founder and Managing Partner. “We’re experiencing rapid growth fueled by new products, market expansion, and the macro shift to improve and automate financial processes.”
“This partnership allows Evention to continue its mission of empowering our customers with financial and back-office automation,” added Erik Nejman, Co-Founder and Managing Partner. “Equality has tremendous experience supporting growth software companies like Evention and we’re excited to welcome them as a partner to our company and to our amazing customers across the globe.”
“Mike, Erik and I are thrilled about Evention’s next chapter of growth and continuing to build upon our long track record of success,” noted Brian Roth, Co-Founder and Managing Partner.
Evention was founded in 2004 to solve the data and payroll complexities associated with tips and gratuity calculations. Initial customers were single-location hotels, but management companies and global hospitality and retail brands followed. Today, the Company has thousands of customers across verticals utilizing its cloud-based automation solutions for accounting, payroll, and other financial transactions, reducing administrative time, and increasing profitability. Evention’s growing product portfolio, as well as international presence, positions it as a trusted partner to some of the biggest names in hospitality, restaurants, and retail.
“Finance and accounting offices are undergoing a modernization that is driving demand for software products that provide clear ROI,” said Oscar Loynaz, Principal at Equality. “Evention streamlines mid and back-office processes while improving transparency and employee engagement. We’re excited to partner with Mike, Erik, Brian and the team at Evention to support their continued success and accelerating growth.”
“Evention’s focus on building highly valuable automation software that meets the needs of complex operating environments has enabled the Company to serve global brands with very high customer satisfaction” said Jeff Del Papa, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Equality. “With a broadening product portfolio, deep domain expertise, and global footprint, Evention is very well positioned to support customers as they seek the benefits of automation. ”
McDonald Hopkins acted as legal advisor to Evention. Goodwin Procter LLP acted as legal advisor to Equality.
About Evention LLC
Based in Chicago, IL, Evention leverages automation to reinvent legacy accounting processes. Evention’s Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions simplify back-office processes for various verticals – from retail to restaurant to grocery, hospitality, casino, and others. By streamlining the management of cash, credit card reconciliation, tips and gratuities, and group billing processes, Evention’s automated solution suite decreases costs and increases efficiency. With robust controls and comprehensive reporting capabilities, Evention’s solutions guarantee financial transparency and security. Evention serves thousands of customers across the globe.
About Equality Asset Management
Equality Asset Management is a growth-focused private equity firm. Equality provides equity capital and strategic and operating support to growth companies in the technology and tech-enabled services sectors. With decades of investment experience and operating experience, the firm has earned a reputation for value-creation, serving as steadfast partners to Founders and CEOs. Equality is based in Boston. For more information, please visit https://www.equalityassetmanagement.com.
Evention
Brian Gosizk (brian.gosizk@eventionllc.com) – 312.953.4600Equality Asset Management
Andrew Chironna (achironna@prosek.com) – 646.818.9047 -
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SaaS Ecommerce Provider Miva Announces Strategic Growth Investment from Equality Asset Management
SaaS Ecommerce Provider Miva Announces Strategic Growth Investment from Equality Asset Management
Investment will Support the Growth and Expansion of Miva’s Customer Base and Products
November 18, 2021 – San Diego, CA – Miva, Inc., a leading mid-market and enterprise ecommerce platform announced it has secured a significant equity investment from Boston-based growth equity firm, Equality Asset Management. The company will continue to be led by CEO, Rick Wilson. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Emerging from the pandemic, the ecommerce industry is well positioned for growth as more merchants diversify their revenue sources and reevaluate customer engagement online,” said Rick Wilson, CEO of Miva. “As we double down on the things that continue to differentiate us in the market and focus on our growth, we are thrilled to partner with Equality Asset Management to enter the next phase in our evolution.”
For more than twenty years, Miva has provided a flexible and modern ecommerce platform to retailers, wholesalers and distributors, equipping them with the tools and capabilities needed to scale their ecommerce operations.
The company creates more agility for its B2B and D2C customers at every step of the sales journey. Whether integrating with existing systems, delivering curated shopping experiences, or creating a customizable online store for direct sales, the platform’s rich functionality, ease of use and customizable nature have positioned it as a technology of choice for thousands of companies globally. Miva’s low total cost of ownership and high customer satisfaction ratings also continue to receive industry recognition, as customers unlock new sources of revenue on the platform.
“For both mid-market and enterprise businesses alike, the requirements to manage back-end systems and supply chains have become increasingly complex due to the intricacy of product catalogs, price books and multiple customer touch points,” said Jeff Del Papa, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Equality. “Miva was early in recognizing the need to introduce affordable and configurable solutions that drive automation and reduce operating costs. We are pleased to partner with Rick and the team at Miva to support their future growth and success.”
“Miva has made significant investments in its software and is poised to grow organically and through strategic acquisitions. We are excited to support this strategy for expansion, in partnership with Miva’s management team,” added Oscar Loynaz, Vice President at Equality.
First Analysis acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Miva for the transaction. Sheppard Mullin LLP acted as legal advisor to Miva. Goodwin Procter LLP acted as legal advisor to Equality.
About Miva, Inc.
Miva offers a flexible, adaptable and scalable ecommerce platform that allows businesses to drive sales, maximize average order value, cut overhead costs, and increase revenue. Miva has been helping businesses realize their potential for over 20 years by empowering retail, wholesale, and direct-to-consumer sellers across all industries to transform their business through ecommerce. Learn more at www.miva.com.
About Equality Asset Management
Equality Asset Management is a growth-focused private equity firm. Equality provides equity capital and strategic and operating support to companies with long-term growth potential in the technology and tech-enabled services sectors. With decades of investment experience and operating experience, the firm has earned a reputation for value-creation, serving as steadfast partners to Founders and CEOs. Equality is based in Boston. For more information, please visit www.equalityassetmanagement.com.Media Contacts:
Miva
Marissa Pasillas (miva@walkersands.com) – 815.721.3086
Equality Asset Management
Beatrice Broderick (bbroderick@prosek.com) – 857.301.6949
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The Art and Science of Scaling with Wendy Cebula
The Art and Science of Scaling with Wendy Cebula
Wendy is an Operating Partner at Equality Asset Management. She has more than twenty years of operating experience in high growth technology enabled businesses, both public and private. Her prior firms include edX, Vistaprint, MotherNature.com and Partners First.
Equality Asset Management is a growth-focused private equity firm. Equality provides equity capital and strategic and operating support to companies in the technology and tech-enabled service sectors. For more information, please visit www.equalityassetmanagement.com.
Chris Keller of Archean Capital: Your experience was heavily influenced by your time at VistaPrint which you joined when it had $1 million of revenue and helped scale to over $1 billion; what were some of the key decisions in that growth?
Wendy: Vistaprint’s founder and CEO had audacious ambitions for the company and for the customer value proposition. As an operator that meant constantly reassessing what we were doing well and what we needed to do better. The most impactful decisions came from challenging the status quo. For example, at certain periods in our growth, we needed smart, well-rounded employees who could quickly get up to speed on any domain. At other times, we’d recruit individuals with deep domain expertise. The profile of the person who figured out how to land our first channel partnership was different than that of the person who scaled sales and marketing globally. Constantly growing talent from within while recognizing when we needed outside perspective matched our talent with our business requirements.
We also were deliberate about building scalable capabilities. An example was our approach to customer support. We piloted our approach from our corporate office. They identified customer needs and tested processes and tools. To scale, we ran a global site selection project and chose Jamaica which had an education system centered around hospitality and an enthusiastic labor pool. We identified the right balance between local leadership and ex-pats who knew the Vistaprint way. Our Montego Bay location grew to hundreds of team members and became an employer of choice while giving Vistaprint a cost and service advantage. We had many interesting 8:00am flights, working on our laptops among a plane full of vacation bound passengers enjoying free champagne.
Chris: Can you discuss a decision that, looking back, was a pivotal one to Vistaprint’s success?
Wendy: Early in Vistaprint’s lifecycle, one of our funding rounds fell through. We had just launched 2 new products which we were very excited about but that weren’t yet profitable. We knew we needed to cut our burn rate and we had heated discussions about whether to make big changes or to take a more measured approach. We made the difficult decision to cut resources to the bone, including turning off the new products to focus our resources on profitably growing our core. Later, we re-launched the products and began rebuilding our team with a clearer view. The decision didn’t just save the company. It helped us to appreciate the benefits of being bold and decisive, and identifying, prioritizing, and focusing on what is most important, and deprioritizing what isn’t.
Chris: What, if any, mistakes were made along the way and how do you help management teams learn from your mistakes as opposed to learning by making their own?
Wendy: I’ve certainly made too many mistakes to count. Shawn McGowan, also an Equality operating partner, and I have each held roles at several growth-stage companies and have been board members or advisors to others. While a given team might encounter a situation once or twice, Shawn and I may have collectively observed a similar situation many times. Our approach is to add these additional real-world data points and perspective to the pool of information available as management makes the decision.
For example, we often talk to founders with a great product. Their growth plans now require them to successfully build out a sales and marketing team to accelerate growth, but they have little or no experience doing so successfully. Shawn and I have collectively vetted many sales and marketing leaders. We are available as thinking partners on the profile and interview approaches and as members of the interview team. In fact, we just leaned into a process to recruit a new CRO to one of our portfolio companies. While our participation doesn’t guarantee every hire will be a fit, it increases the probability of success.
Chris: I’m glad you mentioned recruiting. One of your skills is human capital assessment. How does your expertise help Equality pre or post investment?
Wendy: Shawn and I have experience building high performing teams. The fact that we are included in the deal process from day one affords us a real opportunity to get to know and evaluate teams pre-close.
First, we ask the CEO to walk us through their organization design and team. We then ask each functional leader to do the same. In all diligence meetings we observe interpersonal dynamics, how challenging questions are handled, and each individual’s command of their metrics and domain. We form hypothesis to test throughout the diligence process. Are roles, responsibilities, and goals clearly defined and aligned with incentives? Is decision making appropriately distributed? Does the team have the mix of experience and skills to execute on their strategy? Is the team diverse and inclusive? What is the company culture?
We do a lot of work with founders. The brilliance of a founder is often their vision, passion and commitment to their teams and ideas. This can produce very high-quality products and financial results, but it very often results in leadership teams and organizations that are non-traditional when compared to larger businesses. Fully assessing the capabilities of a team, identifying gaps, and helping leaders to focus on areas where they have a superpower is very important for achieving a long-term scalable organization and ultimately for driving growth and margins. Our approach gives us clear visibility into team strengths and weaknesses and provides a data driven approach to making team and organizational decisions.
Chris: What’s been the greatest lesson you’ve learned as it relates to people & talent?
Wendy: My greatest learning is the power in identifying someone’s superpower and finding a way to get them into a role that takes full advantage of those strengths.
Chris: What do you like most about being an operating partner at Equality?
Wendy: I get a lot of satisfaction from supporting individuals and teams. Moments where my advice or partnership have a positive impact on someone else’s success are very rewarding.
At Equality, we are entrepreneurs at heart, and we apply that passion to supporting the entrepreneurs in which we invest. We use an operator-to-operator approach which means the operating partners participate in all aspects of the investment process. By the time a deal closes we have relationships with management, an understanding of the company’s strategy, areas of operating strength and opportunity, and are aligned both internally and with management on the post-close plan. We can do all of this with empathy, humility, and perspective, having spent many years in the shoes of the management team. Several founder/CEOs have shared feedback that they selected Equality as their partner in part because of the differentiated value our operating partners could bring. It is fun to be part of a team that values and benefits from our experience.
Chris: What do you like to do outside of work?
Wendy: At home I have a husband and two teenage girls. They would each be quick to tell you I run our household much like I’d run a business. We maintain a backlog of chores and graph our expenses to visualize year on year trends and variance to budget. We maintain a strong culture of transparency, accountability and 360 feedback. In my downtime I enjoy watching sports, working out at Orange Theory, taking our dogs for walks and reading.
Chris: Classic! I can imagine family dinners with PowerPoint. Thanks for your time. I enjoyed it.
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LEADING INSURANCE SOFTWARE COMPANY PCMI ANNOUNCES INVESTMENT FROM EQUALITY
Investment will Support Product Expansion and Client Acquisition
January 19, 2021 – Park Ridge, IL– PCMI (Policy Claims Management International), a leading provider of administration software for the automotive, consumer and industrial warranty and service management markets announced its first equity investment from Boston-based growth equity firm, Equality Asset Management, and Chicago-based, First Analysis. Financial terms were not disclosed.
PCMI offers a modern suite of software solutions for policy administration, claims management, risk management and the financial management of insurance products. PCMI’s customers include leading original equipment manufacturers, third party administrators, self-administrators and insurers who offer and manage warranties, service contracts and other finance and insurance products. Since inception, PCMI’s software has been used to administer more than 50 million policies and process more than 23 million claims.
“In 2012, I saw the opportunity to introduce a modern, purpose-built software to a market that was underserved. Since then, we have worked tirelessly on our mission to build the most comprehensive administration platform in the market. Our passion for technology and commitment to continuous improvement has led us to become a leader in our industry” said Mark Nagelvoort, President & CEO of PCMI. “Equality Asset Management has a track record of investing in SaaS based companies within high growth markets and can provide operational expertise that will allow us to accelerate our growth initiatives. Their support will be invaluable as we continue to make innovations on our platform and expand product capabilities to meet the evolving business needs of our customers. I’m thrilled we have them as a trusted partner as we enter this exciting new phase of our journey.”
“Mark and the leadership team and employees of PCMI have built a remarkable company. Their focus on product, deep understanding of their customers and markets and culture of innovation have been core to their success.” said Jeff Del Papa, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Equality Asset Management. “The market for warranty administration software is in an attractive upgrade cycle and PCMI is very well positioned with a complete, modern platform. We’re excited to work alongside this experienced team and to support PCMI’s expansion.”
“PCMI is the demonstrated category leader, consistently delivering essential, high value solutions to customers. As consumer demands evolve, the need for flexible software will continue to increase across the F&I value chain” added Oscar Loynaz, Vice President at Equality.With this investment, PCMI will continue its focus on product expansion and client acquisition in North America and globally.
First Analysis acted as the exclusive financial advisor to PCMI for the transaction. Winston & Strawn LLP acted as legal advisor to PCMI. Goodwin Procter LLP acted as legal advisor to Equality Asset Management.About PCMI Corporation
PCMI offers a modular package of software solutions for the administration of F&I Products, Service Contracts, and Extended Warranties. PCMI’s SaaS platform, Policy Claim and Reporting Solutions™ (PCRS), supports and automates the full lifecycle of all aftermarket products and provides the most flexible environment for administrators, insurers, OEM’s, agents, and dealers to launch new products. Our global team enables continuous around-the-clock innovation and customer-focused support. Please visit www.pcmicorp.com for more informationAbout Equality Asset Management
Equality Asset Management is a growth-focused private equity firm. Equality provides equity capital and strategic and operating support to companies with long-term growth potential in the technology and tech-enabled healthcare sectors. With decades of investment experience and operating experience, the firm has earned a reputation for value-creation, serving as steadfast partners to Founders and CEOs. Equality is based in Boston. For more information, please visit www.equalityassetmanagement.com.Media Contacts:
PCMI
Mark Nagelvoort (mark.nagelvoort@pcmicorp.com) – 847.653.6916 ext. 100
Laura Scahill (laura.scahill@pcmicorp.com) – 847.653.6916 ext. 115Equality Asset Management
Tara Ciongoli (tciongoli@equalityam.com) – 617.290.2510
Beatrice Broderick (bbroderick@prosek.com) – 857.301.6949 -
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MINDOULA ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC INVESTMENT FROM EQUALITY ASSET MANAGEMENT
Silver Spring, Maryland — Mindoula, a leading population health management company focused on transforming behavioral healthcare in the U.S., today announces it has secured a strategic investment from Boston-based growth equity firm, Equality Asset Management.
Mindoula’s technology-enabled platform identifies, engages and serves patients with complex behavioral health, medical and social challenges across the complete continuum of care. The company specializes in populations with behavioral health challenges and comorbid medical conditions, specialty populations such as victims of interpersonal violence, as well as those who benefit from behavioral treatment in a primary care setting or within their communities.
“As we continue to execute on our mission to transform behavioral healthcare, we are excited to bring on a partner who shares our vision,” says Mindoula Founder and CEO Steve Sidel. “We are impressed by the deep investment experience, healthcare expertise, and collaborative approach of Tom Roberts and the entire Equality team, and we look forward to our growth together.”
Since its founding in 2013, Mindoula has rapidly grown its partnerships with health plans, health systems, primary care practices and hospitals, to improve population health, enhance patient care, and reduce the total cost of healthcare in pre-acute, post-acute and acute settings, as well as in transitions of care.
“Mindoula’s accelerating growth is a testament to the company’s mission-driven and passionate management team, its best-in-class technology platform and around-the-clock synchronous support model,” says Tom Roberts, Founder and CEO of Equality Asset Management. “We look forward to actively partnering with Mindoula to support its continued rapid growth and its mission to address behavioral health challenges for patients in significant need across the continuum of care.”
Zeigler acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Mindoula for the transaction. Cooley LLP acted as legal advisor to Mindoula. Ropes and Gray LLP acted as legal advisor to Equality. Existing institutional investors, AXA Venture Partners and Morgan Noble Healthcare Partners, also participated. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
About Mindoula
Mindoula is a leading population health management company that scales the human connection through technology to address mind, body, and life challenges. Mindoula identifies, engages, and serves populations that might otherwise be overlooked or left behind, and delivers tech-enabled, team-based, 24/7 support across the continuum of care. Mindoula’s adaptive data science approach, multi-platform technology stack, virtual Collaborative Care Program, and virtual + in-person care extension solutions enable its enterprise partners to achieve improved outcomes and significantly reduce costs by integrating behavioral, medical, and social determinants of health. Headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, Mindoula currently operates in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Nevada, Louisiana, New Jersey, Michigan, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and California with national expansion plans to meet the growing need for integrated whole person care. For more information, please visit www.mindoula.com.
About Equality
Equality Asset Management is a growth-focused private equity firm with a mission to help build exceptional companies. Equality provides equity capital and strategic and operating support to companies with long-term growth potential in technology and tech-enabled healthcare. Equality typically invests $25 million to $150 million of capital per company for growth equity or to support shareholder recapitalizations. The firm is based in Boston.
Media Contacts
Mindoula
Aileen Kantor (Aileen.Kantor@mindoula.com) – 301.537.8996
Equality Asset Management
Beatrice Broderick (bbroderick@prosek.com) – 857.301.6949
Tara Ciongoli (tciongoli@equalityam.com) – 617.290.2510
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(June 8, 2018)
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Disclaimer
The investments referenced on this site were led by Tom Roberts, Gabriel Gomez, and Ned Schwartz while at Summit Partners, Advent, Drive, General Atlantic, and Norwest, and are not portfolio companies of any fund managed by Equality Asset Management. A full list of all investments in our investment team members’ track record, including information regarding their roles with respect to such investments, is available upon request.