How I Built a $12M HoldCo Through Chaos, Grit, and Two Acquisitions | Mark Rossano Interview

My guest today is Mark Rossano, Co-Founder & CEO of C6 Capital Holdings, a firm focused on building real-world solutions in energy and agriculture infrastructure.

In this episode, we explore Mark’s journey from Morgan Stanley and global oil trading to building a holding company that owns hydroelectric power plants and sustainable fertilizer companies.

In Today’s Episode We Discuss:

00:00:00 - Intro: meet Mark Rossano
00:01:06 - From Wall Street to Oil Trading & Global Energy
00:03:18 - Launching a Fund & Personal Tragedy
00:05:45 - Why Energy & Agriculture Infrastructure
00:08:00 - How Mark Met His Partner Fernando
00:10:15 - The Early Pain: Fundraising & Doubters
00:13:09 - Power Prices, Fertilizer & Macro Contrarian Views
00:15:02 - First Close: Winning Investors Over with Track Record
00:16:50 - Structure & Scale of the Portfolio
00:20:56 - Why Sulfur Is the Hidden Commodity Crisis
00:22:25 - Deal Sourcing: How They Find Hydroelectric Assets
00:24:50 - Why Mark Buys Minority Stakes & Not Full Control
00:26:09 - Their “Anti-Private Equity” Approach
00:29:04 - Why Engineers Partner with Mark’s Firm
00:32:07 - Lessons from Running Real Businesses vs. Modeling
00:36:17 - Macro Insights That Drive Capital Allocation
00:40:56 - How Mark Avoids Bad Investments
00:44:16 - Big Mistakes Founders Make (Sales, Leverage, Assumptions)
00:50:17 - Fund Structure & Deployment Strategy
00:54:00 - The Psychological Side of Building During Chaos
00:58:03 - Making Tough Calls & Turning Off Emotions
01:02:15 - Best Investment Advice & Favorite Books

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This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions.