ACG Cleveland: Navigating M&A from Both Sides of the Table Lunch & Learn hosted by WiT

Jessica Cannata is a manager of tax mergers & acquisitions at Plante Moran, where she advises middle-market businesses and individuals on complex tax planning and compliance matters. A Certified Public Accountant based in Cleveland, Jessica brings deep technical expertise along with a practical, relationship-driven approach to serving her clients.

Beyond her work in public accounting, Jessica is the co-founder of EB Academics, an online community created to support middle school English Language Arts teachers through collaboration, resources, and professional development. Her commitment to education is further reflected in her earlier career as a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist at Piller Child Development in Phoenix, Arizona.

Jessica’s unique career path—spanning healthcare, education, and finance—underscores her versatility and passion for helping others succeed. Across every role, she is driven by a desire to make a meaningful, positive impact in the communities she serves.

Sarita Gavhane is a Principal at Edgewater Capital Partners with more than 15 years of experience leading and executing complex middle-market M&A and private equity transactions. Her background spans healthcare and technology investment banking, mezzanine lending, and private equity, giving her a differentiated, full-cycle perspective on value creation across the capital structure.

At Edgewater, Sarita plays a central role in sourcing, evaluating, and executing new investments across the firm’s core industry verticals, including specialty industrials, engineered components, advanced materials, and life sciences. She works closely with management teams to drive strategic growth initiatives, operational improvement, and long-term value creation. She also leads the firms' efforts to create awareness of, and recruit more women into, the private equity industry. 

Sarita currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Edgewater portfolio companies Prolytix and Evantic. She holds degrees from Boston College and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Nora T. Mahoney has experience with securities regulation, corporate governance, commercial litigation and broker dealer registrations. Nora is primarily responsible for the execution of capital raisings and private placement assignments across a variety of industries, as well as M&A advisory for business owners, specifically focused in B2B Services and Manufacturing.

Prior to joining Carleton McKenna, Nora worked for Attorney General Mike DeWine and then practiced Commercial Litigation with a national law firm where she was involved in pre-trial practice for securities litigation.

Nora was awarded her Juris Doctor and Masters from Vermont Law School and serves as a Board Member for First Federal of Lakewood and as an executive Board Member for the Union Club of Cleveland. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for Baldwin Wallace University, from which she received her Bachelors in Biology and Sustainability. She is a member of the Association of Corporate Growth, a member of Leadership Cleveland’s Class of 2023, and has received several accolades from both Cleveland Magazine and Crain’s Business.

Debbie May is a founder, former CEO, and experienced dealmaker who built and successfully sold Wholesale Supplies Plus, a national leader in its category.

Over the course of her career, Debbie scaled founder-led companies, navigated succession planning, and led a thoughtful ownership transition through a strategic sale. Her firsthand experience preparing a company for exit — including leadership transition, deal readiness, and post-sale life — gives her a practical, real-world perspective that resonates with women navigating transactions from either side of the table.

In addition to her operating and transaction experience, Debbie has been invited to provide expert testimony before the U.S. Congress on industry standards and business practices of the soap and cosmetic industry, reflecting the depth of her leadership and subject-matter expertise. Her exit journey was later featured in Smart Business Dealmakers, where she discussed timing, value preservation, and preparing both the business and leadership team for life after ownership.

Having fully transitioned out of day-to-day operations and active management, Debbie now speaks at select events and coaches small business owners seeking to scale. She shares candid, experience-based insights with founders and deal professionals focused on value creation, successful exits, and intentional transitions. She also serves on nonprofit boards and dedicates time to philanthropic efforts aligned with entrepreneurship, education, and community impact.

Lizabeth Roth is a Vice President at Copper Run, where she advises clients in the middle market on strategic M&A transactions. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, she focuses on transaction execution and proprietary deal sourcing, helping clients pursue growth through acquisitions across industries including distribution, manufacturing, and services. Lizabeth brings a strong analytical foundation to her work, holding a Juris Doctor from Cleveland‑Marshall College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Baldwin Wallace University. She is a licensed Ohio attorney, holds FINRA Series 63 and 79 licenses, and is a board member of the Association for Corporate Growth Cleveland chapter