Dealmakers' Forum & Beer Tasting Reception

Peter Calamari, a Managing Director at Platte River Equity since 2008, focuses on investments in the Industrials sector. With 20 years of experience in industrials and service-based companies, Peter was previously a Principal at Vestar Capital Partners and an analyst at Merrill Lynch. He has served on several non-profit boards in Colorado, including the Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation and the Public School Permanent Fund. Peter holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Economics from Yale University.

Jay Coughlon is a co-founder and the managing partner of Fruition Partners. He brings 25 years of private equity investing and platform leadership experience. Previously, Jay was a co-founder and managing partner of Lariat Partners, which he co-founded in 2013. Before that, Jay was a managing director and member of the investment committee at KRG Capital, a Denver-based private equity firm with over $3 billion of capital under management.  Jay started his career at Banc of America Securities in middle-market Financial Sponsor Leveraged Finance. Jay graduated from Marquette University with a degree in accounting and international business.

Matt is a Founder and Managing Partner at Excellere, where he oversees investment sourcing, evaluation, and execution, as well as value creation initiatives for portfolio companies. With over 30 years of experience in private equity, Matt has partnered with entrepreneurial businesses across various industries, including healthcare services, pharmacy products, and industrial services, supporting their growth strategies. He serves on the boards of ADVENT, MedLogix, and SePRO. Before Excellere, Matt held roles at Stone Arch Capital, George K. Baum Merchant Banc, and Bank of America’s private equity subsidiary. He has an MBA from The University of Chicago and a BS in Finance from the University of Utah.

Eric Wolf, Co-Founder and Partner of Liftout Capital, has over 20 years of private equity experience, focusing on portfolio company growth alongside management teams. Previously, he co-founded Bow River Capital, a $3 billion private equity firm, where he played a key role in its Investment Committee and chaired multiple companies. Eric also serves on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement Rocky Mountain and holds a B.S. in accounting from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is an inactive certified public accountant in Colorado.

Patrick is the national co-leader of CBIZ Transaction Advisory Services, bringing over 25 years of experience in advising middle-market private equity and corporate clients. He specializes in assisting clients with M&A activities, offering extensive expertise in buy-side and sell-side financial and accounting due diligence, as well as other transaction-related projects.