Dealmakers' Forum

Sean Buda is a growth-focused, strategic, and creative leader known for achieving business outcomes through integrated marketing and business development. As the VP of Marketing at KCF Technologies, a global provider of Machine Health SaaS solutions, he spearheads brand strategy, GTM initiatives, advertising, digital marketing, social media, PR, trade shows, business development, and sponsorships.  Prior to his role at KCF Technologies, Sean accumulated over a decade of experience at American Honda Motor Company, where he held various key positions in sales, marketing, product launches, and technology development.  In addition to his professional journey, Sean is passionately committed to community service. He actively fundraises for organizations such as Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation, Pelotonia (Fund Cancer Research), and the National MS Society. He has participated in events like the Courage Classic and the Southern California MS150.

Bill has led Offen Petroleum since 1997. Under his watch, Offen has grown over 250x from selling 9M gallons in 1997 to ~2.5B today. He has successfully steered the Company from private family ownership through private equity acquisitions. Bill is also a Board member of the Colorado Wyoming Petroleum Marketers Association (“CWPMA”) and the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (“SIGMA”).

Don Kafka is the Founder of ToolWatch Corporation. Kafka founded ToolWatch in 1991 with a vision to create the construction industry's first and most comprehensive system for tracking and managing a company's tools and equipment. Under his leadership, ToolWatch has rapidly grown to become the world's leading provider of construction resource management solutions.

Mark Lemmons is a technologist and product leader based in Colorado with over 25 years of experience at the intersection between software and media management. Prior to joining Xyleme in 2022, he co-founded Shotzr, a venture backed AI startup that sold to Shutterstock in 2021. Earlier he was CTO at Deluxe Media, the then MacAndrews & Forbes owned media services company that powers digital home entertainment, VFX and localization for studios and media companies worldwide. 

Chris Osborn is a co-founder and partner at Industria Partners, a boutique investment banking and strategic advisory firm focused on the industrial, infrastructure, energy, and climate markets. As an experienced CEO, investment banker, private equity investor, and company founder, Chris serves and has served as board chairman or managing partner across multiple industrial, real estate and energy-related companies. Previously, he was Chairman and CEO of First National Bank Colorado, and a Principal at Thoma Cressey Equity Partners in Chicago. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the UC Health System, as Colorado board member of NACD and board member and/or founder of several private companies and charities. Chris began his career at Norwest Banks Structured Finance Group and Green Manning & Bunch. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley.

Lisa drives digital strategies for companies in AI and Machine Learning for the Aerospace, Agri-Food, Biologicals, Energy and Water. Her global advisory services focus on  building sustainable supply chains in Agri-Food, Energy and Water. She has led and participated in 44 M&A transactions valued at $20B+. She provides asset technical due diligence, data science advisory and ESG strategies. [Scope 3, GHG] From a boots-on-the-ground perspective, Lisa manages 300+ whole field biological research using precision tools.  She has held leadership roles at Booz Allen, GE, HP and Trimble. She holds a B.S. Computer Science, Penn State and attended the MBA program at the University of Chicago. She is CEO LaserAg, LIBS Spectroscopy lab equipment; a board member for AgBiTech Biologicals [Paine Schwartz Partners]; Columbia Fruit [Goldman Sachs] and board advisor to Gamaya. 

Matt is the Founder & CEO of MG Stover & Co., a full-service fund accounting & administration firm built by former auditors and fund operators to deliver world class solutions to the alternative investment industry. MG Stover supports a wide range of clients which includes: hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, family offices and broker-dealers. MG Stover is the largest fund administration firm for digital asset funds. Matt started his career in public accounting with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a FINRA Series 27 license. Matt is also a Director for the global charitable organization, Help For Children.

Cole has over 10 years of business intelligence and analytics experience. He has led teams to implement and maintain various technologies including Alteryx and Tableau Servers. Cole has also acted as a Solution Owner in various industries, including highly regulated financial clients.   As a Professional SCRUM Master, Cole has managed many solutions-based projects from inception to completion. In addition to project leadership, Cole has experience across various tools, including Tableau and Tableau Server, Alteryx and Alteryx Server, Snowflake, Salesforce Administration and Reporting, Tableau CRM, Power BI, and Microstrategy.  

Chris Picardi began his career at KeyBank in 2011 and currently serves as a Senior Vice President and Sales Leader in the Colorado Commercial banking group where he focuses on M&A transactions. Prior to KeyBank, Chris was an Institutional Sales Associate for D.A. Davidson’s Equity Capital Markets Division.  Chris graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Finance and Real Estate and earned a Masters of Business Administration degree with a focus on Finance from the University of Colorado Denver.  Chris is a Board Member and serves on the Executive Committee of the Young Americans Center for Financial Education, a non-profit whose mission is to teach young people about finances, economics and business, enabling them to become financially literate and ensure long-term stability for themselves and their families.

Eric has over 30 years of experience in mergers & acquisitions, strategic consulting, and senior operations experience. Prior to joining Excellere, he held a variety of senior positions within both PE-backed and large public companies, where he was responsible for operational effectiveness, executing acquisitions and divestitures, acquisition integration, and developing growth strategies. In addition, he also has advised companies in the areas of strategic planning, marketing, and enterprise value enhancement. Eric spent nearly 15 years in middle-market investment banking, where he was responsible for all areas of client origination, valuation, and M&A transaction management and execution, advising more than 200 clients across a broad range of industries.  He currently serves on the board of ParcelShield Holdings and previously served on the board of TL Life Sciences Solutions prior to its sale.  Eric earned a degree in Business Administration with majors in Finance and Economics from the University of South Florida.