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The day-long event will be hosted at The Detroit Athletic Club on October 22
DETROIT, Sept. 18, 2026 — The Detroit chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) will host The Detroit M&A Summit on October 22 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Detroit Athletic Club.
The Detroit M&A Summit is an immersive day-long event designed to engage and connect Michigan’s business owners, investors, dealmakers and advisors. Bringing together private equity leaders, corporate executives, investment bankers, business owners, family offices, entrepreneurs, advisors and lenders, the Summit will offer candid insights from recent deals, practical strategies, and real-world perspectives on sourcing, structuring and closing successful deals.
“Attendees will be among the first to hear stories and bold new visions from Iconic Detroit brands like Jax Kar Wash and Buddy’s Pizza as well as learn from serial entrepreneurs like David Trott who built a vertically integrated real estate empire,” said Kurt Harvey, event co-chair and co-founder of Freshbank Partners. “Other panelists and speakers include regional and national thought leaders and experts who will explore current market dynamics, sector-specific trends, valuation and financing considerations, and post-transaction value creation.”
Set against the backdrop of Detroit’s resurgence as a hub for innovation and growth, the Summit creates a collaborative environment where relationships are built, ideas are exchanged and deals begin. This event is open to the public and will include lunch and a networking happy hour at the conclusion of the programming.
Featured Speakers:
- A Fireside Chat with Mike Duggan – Bringing Business Back to Detroit and How We'll Keep It — During this fireside chat, Mike Duggan, partner at Honigman and former Mayor of Detroit, will sit down with Danielle Bass, partner at Honigman and Chairwoman of ACG Detroit, to talk through what it actually took to bring business back to Detroit, and what it will take to keep it here.
- Built to Last, Yet When to Sell? Michigan Business Founders Help You Navigate the Complexities — In a panel moderated by Vince Mercader, national valuation market leader at BDO, Anthony Ahee, co-founder and CEO of Together Women's Health, Liz Blondy, founder of Canine to Five, and Naimish Patel, co-founder and former CEO of Tru Family Dental, will come together for an honest conversation about how they navigated growth, partnerships and when they knew it was time to sell.
- Funding Michigan's Deals: Private Equity, Independent Sponsor, Family Capital, and Private Credit Perspectives — Founder and CEO of Purple Squirrel Advisors Carrie Schochet will moderate a discussion with Steve Carrel, partner and investment committee chairman of TRP capital Partners, Dave Hiemstra, founder and managing Partner of Penstock Equity, Lorron James, CEO of James Group Inc., and Blake Kenny, managing director, originations at Great Rock, as they share their perspectives on how capital partners can help Michigan businesses achieve growth.
- Buddy’s Pizza & Jax Kar Wash: Iconic Detroit Roots, Bold New Chapters — During this fireside chat, Lydia Mansoor, vice president at First Merchants Bank, will be joined by Jax Kar Wash CEO Jon Zimmerman and Saber Ammori, founding partner of Ammori Equity Partners and a local investor in Buddy's Pizza, as they share how strategic investment, operational excellence and a commitment to Detroit roots are shaping the next chapter for two beloved hometown brands.
- Building a Vertically Integrated Empire — In this fireside chat moderated by ACG Detroit president Mark Winter, David Trott, chairman of ATA National Title, alongside his business and tax attorney Bill Sider, a partner at Taft, will discuss how he built one of the largest and most vertically integrated specialized law firms in the country before serving in the United States Congress.
Event sponsors include Dykema, BDO, Howard & Howard, Varnum, Cohen & Co, Hylant, Plante Moran, Corporate Valuation Consulting, Famiglia Wealth, First Financial Bank, Mitsubishi HC Capital America and Wipfli.
To register for the Detroit M&A Summit, visit https://www.acg.org/detroit/events/acg-detroit-detroit-ma-summit-engaging-and-connecting-michigans-investors-innovators.
About ACG Detroit
Established in 1984, ACG Detroit has more than 400 members and is the region’s premier networking and professional development organization focused on middle-market M&A growth. ACG Detroit’s mission is to cultivate a collaborative community that empowers middle-market M&A dealmakers, investors, executives, owners, and advisors. This is accomplished through the curation of impactful networking, learning, and relationship-building opportunities, while accelerating business growth and transformative dealmaking. Globally, ACG serves 59 chapters comprising more than 100,000 middle-market professionals.
Sep 18 2026
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