Road To Carry

Road To Carry Accelerator

Become a serial acquisition entrepreneur backed by real capital—in just 8 weeks.

You've spent years executing deals and building value for others. It's time to launch your own thesis with support from experienced investors.

In 8 weeks you will build an active acquisition thesis, develop a live deal pipeline, and put your pitch directly in front of active capital allocators deploying 8-figure checks.

Next Cohort Starts in June 2026

Applications Open for June Cohort

Cohorts are capped and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Accepted applications will be invited to a 30-minute interview.

Not ready yet? Stay in our network

The Accelerator is Supported By

The Capstone: Your Pitch in Front of Tier-One Capital

At the end of the program, we collect your investment thesis and distribute it directly to our network of capital allocators for 1:1 meeting requests.

9.3 / 10

Average Cohort Rating

$20,000+

In estimated value
according to past participants

5+ Months

Of time saved
according to past participants

Alumni benefits include preferred participation in curated in-person and virtual events, as well as continued engagement with our investor partners.

For Talented Mid-Career Private Equity, Corporate Development, M&A, and Operations Professionals

0–4 Years

In Training

4–6 Years

B-School ETA Funnel

6–15 Years

Mid-Career Professionals with Established M&A or Operating Experience

15+ Years

Starting to build the track record to raise funds

ETA has historically been dominated by MBAs and partner-level professionals. Today, investors have a growing appetite to back the historically underserved mid-career segment—professionals with real M&A execution or operating experience, sourcing ability, and the hunger to build.

For those who are ambitious and committed, capital providers are actively looking to back you.

The Curriculum: Launching and Scaling a Serial Acquisition Platform

Taught by Experienced Investors and Serial Acquisition Entrepreneurs

Edwin Yun

Founder, Road To Carry

Trey Knighton

Founder, GPE Advisory

Dan Millen

Partner, Reef Pass Investors

Robert Brown

Managing Partner, Reef Pass Investors

Pedro Russell

Finance Lecturer of ETA, MIT Sloan & Investor with Shore Capital Partners

Greg Bright

Principal, Pacenote Capital

Greg Geronemus

Managing Partner, Footbridge

Brian Axelrad

Partner & Head of ETA, Kilpatrick Townsend

Peter Fidler

Managing Partner, RF Investments

Matthew Mooney

Partner, Profitability Partners

Raymond Gong

Partner, Profitability Partners

Gus Haglund

Founder, DealTeam

Part 1

Core Modules

Module	Description / Focus
Structuring the Platform	Puts & Takes Across Search, HoldCo, and Indy Sponsor Models
Industry Selection	Identify Attractive Industries and Develop a Differentiated Acquisition Thesis
Brand-First Origination	Develop a Compelling Personal Narrative and Sourcing Strategy. Understand How to Use Branding, Outreach, and Relationship Networks to Generate Deal Flow
Equity Fundraising	Understanding Different Types of Investors, Crafting Investor Narrative, Managing LP Relationships.
Diligence and Deal Structuring in SMB	Key Diligence Areas, Advisors & Cost, LOI & SPA Negotiations in SMB Acquisitions.
Debt Financing	Evolution of Debt Financing With Scale, Key Terms Across Various Financing, Crafting Lender Narratives.
Post-Close / Building the Business	First 100 Days, Team Structure & Hiring, Compensation and Incentive Structures.
Building Exit Ready Platforms	Tactical Considerations For Creating an Exit-Ready Platform from Day 1

Part 2

Exclusive Investor Info Sessions

Throughout the 8-week accelerator, participants will attend private, off-the-record sessions with active capital allocators deploying 8-figure equity checks.

Representative Investors

Part 3

Guest Speakers & Events

Closed Door Conversations with Experienced Acquisition Entrepreneurs

In-Person Peer and Investor Networking Events

Pitch Preparation Sessions

Curriculum and presenters are subject to change based on cohort needs and guest speaker availability.

Program Logistics & Investment

Program at a Glance

Duration8 Weeks (Hybrid Delivery)
Format100% Online + In-Person Networking Events
CommitmentPart-time / Async Compatible
CapacityCohorts are vetted and capped for quality

Program Investment

Early Enrollment Fee

$5,000

Merit scholarships are available for select participants as determined by our investor partners.

Professional development fees may be tax-deductible.

Apply Now

Cohorts are capped and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Accepted applications will be invited to a 30-minute interview.

Alumni Perspectives

Alumni benefits include preferred participation in curated in-person and virtual events, as well as continued engagement with our investor partners.

What took me 12 months of learning/talking to others could have been compressed in this program; I wish I had this one year ago.

Former Head of Origination at Vista Equity

Overall the content was unique, differentiated that you won’t find anywhere else.

SVP of M&A at Holding Company

Do it. It provides structure, helps you think through what investors are looking for, how to structure the fund, provides a network, and helpful resources to get going.

Former VP at Mid-Market PE Turned Full-Time Acquisition Entrepreneur

I came out with much more clarity: what pool of capital is right for me, kickstart investor conversations, what concrete next steps are, having an ecosystem around you who are supportive and collaborative.

Former Investor at CD&R

My biggest hesitation was that as a non-MBA operator, I was closed out from raising money in an ecosystem that felt like it was made for MBAs. My peers, instructors, and investors made it clear that I more than deserve a seat at the table.

VP of Ops at a PE-Backed Company

If you have a genuine interest in this path but don't know where or how to start, do it. You will make valuable connections and learn.

VP at Mid-Market PE

You meet some amazing people and learn about how viable (and attractive) this path is.

VP of M&A at PE-Backed Company

Without a doubt, it is the network and the individuals that I met and the connections I was able to make. I think in many ways this is what has brought me a lot closer to making this a reality.

Founder/CEO of $20M HVAC Platform

Confidence that the capital is out there. Now met several LPs who are in the ecosystem for the strategy I'm pursuing.

SVP at Real Estate PE

I’ve considered this direction for years but hadn’t yet taken concrete steps, and this felt like the right opportunity to do so. The program gave me the tools, network, and confidence to move forward.

Investment Banker

Best & fastest way to understand how LPs underwrite rollups so you are ready to follow that path, including access to those LPs.

Former VC Partner Turned Operator

10/10 experience, well worth the $$

Former PE Professional Turned Operator

Being in close proximity to successful individuals who have 'completed deals, exited' is the best learning experience that you can get.

Former PE Professional Turned Full-Time Acquisition Entrepreneur

Relationships and confidence and a sense of urgency by seeing all these people move on serial acquisitions.

Former VP at LMM PE, HBS Grad

Best thing that came out of camp was a better understanding around what investors want and that they are willing to talk. I think a lot of early stage acquirers always question 'do they want to talk?', 'is my idea good enough?' but coming out of the program and just hearing how they like to engage was really impactful for the future.

Former PE Professional Turned Full-Time Acquisition Entrepreneur

What took me 12 months of learning/talking to others could have been compressed in this program; I wish I had this one year ago.

Former Head of Origination at Vista Equity

Overall the content was unique, differentiated that you won’t find anywhere else.

SVP of M&A at Holding Company

Do it. It provides structure, helps you think through what investors are looking for, how to structure the fund, provides a network, and helpful resources to get going.

Former VP at Mid-Market PE Turned Full-Time Acquisition Entrepreneur

Former Investor at CD&R

VP of Ops at a PE-Backed Company

If you have a genuine interest in this path but don't know where or how to start, do it. You will make valuable connections and learn.

VP at Mid-Market PE

You meet some amazing people and learn about how viable (and attractive) this path is.

VP of M&A at PE-Backed Company

Without a doubt, it is the network and the individuals that I met and the connections I was able to make. I think in many ways this is what has brought me a lot closer to making this a reality.

Founder/CEO of $20M HVAC Platform

Confidence that the capital is out there. Now met several LPs who are in the ecosystem for the strategy I'm pursuing.

SVP at Real Estate PE

Investment Banker

Best & fastest way to understand how LPs underwrite rollups so you are ready to follow that path, including access to those LPs.

Former VC Partner Turned Operator

10/10 experience, well worth the $$

Former PE Professional Turned Operator

Being in close proximity to successful individuals who have 'completed deals, exited' is the best learning experience that you can get.

Former PE Professional Turned Full-Time Acquisition Entrepreneur

Relationships and confidence and a sense of urgency by seeing all these people move on serial acquisitions.

Former VP at LMM PE, HBS Grad

Former PE Professional Turned Full-Time Acquisition Entrepreneur

Where Our Alumni Worked

Cohorts Are Vetted and Capped for Quality

To ensure a high-conviction cohort for our investor network, we review each application and cap each cohort.

Apply to launch your serial acquisition journey today. Learn from and meet experienced investors.

Applications Open for June 2026 Cohort

Cohorts are capped and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Accepted applications will be invited to a 30-minute interview.

Not ready yet? Stay in our network