

Private Equity Podcast: Karma School of Business
BluWave
Private equity insights for and with top business builders, including investors, operators, executives and industry thought leaders. The Karma School of Business Podcast goes behind the scenes of PE, talking about business best practices and real-time industry trends. You'll learn from leading professionals and visionary business executives who will help you take action and enhance your life, whether you’re at a PE firm, a portco or a private or public company.
BluWave Founder & CEO Sean Mooney hosts the Private Equity Karma School of Business Podcast. BluWave is the business builders’ network for private equity grade due diligence and value creation needs.
To learn more, visit: https://bit.ly/3oPBjs8
BluWave Founder & CEO Sean Mooney hosts the Private Equity Karma School of Business Podcast. BluWave is the business builders’ network for private equity grade due diligence and value creation needs.
To learn more, visit: https://bit.ly/3oPBjs8
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 3, 2023 • 53min
AI Roundtable: Tangible Takeaways to Help Leverage Artificial Intelligence
In this special episode, we have exclusive audio from our recent webinar: Activating AI: Empowering Your Business for Success. The panel of experts from this webinar includes: Alex Castrounis, Founder and CEO, Why of AI Nik Kapauan, Principal, Access Holdings Ken McLaren, Partner, AI, Frazier Healthcare Partners Keith Thomas, National Practice Lead, Security Operations, AT&T The panel, moderated by Karma School of Business host, Sean Mooney, includes the following topics: 4:40 - What pre-cursor activities to perform before diving in to AI 10:20 - Things that companies should keep in mind to remain secure 13:50 - Expert opinions on best in class tools 27:23 - Most addressable use cases for everyday companies 34:07 - Considerations that companies should take when implementing tools off the shelf 39:03 - Things that may take shape in the near future 46:55 - Answering FAQs To view the on-demand webinar, go to www.bluwave.net/demystifying-ai-webinar-registration/. For more information on this podcast, go to www.bluwave.net/podcast. www.whyofai.com www.accessholdings.com www.frazierhealthcare.com www.att.com

Jul 25, 2023 • 41min
Brit Yonge, Corsair Capital | An Expert Perspective on Strategy and Resilience in Private Equity
Join us for an in-depth conversation with Brit Yonge, an Operating Partner at Corsair Capital, to hear his expert perspective: 1:29 - Brit's path to private equity 6:23 - How Brit formed his values from serving the US Military 13:45 - Characteristics for evaluating a great company 21:56 - Working with management teams to build great companies 25:44 - Persevering through an uncertain economy 32:15 - Personal/professional growth books and topics from Brit For more information on Corsair Capital, go to www.corsair-capital.com. For more information on this podcast, go to www.bluwave.net/podcast.

Jul 18, 2023 • 9min
Q2 Snapshot: Key Findings from BluWave's Private Equity Insights Report
Listen as Sean Mooney discusses private equity findings from the Q2 2023 BluWave Insights Report. The report uncovers how private equity firms are taking action, securing safety and finding success. In this episode, Sean discusses: 1:02 - Why value creation is surging 3:33 - Cooling activity on human capital 4:32 - Growing activity across other value creation sectors 5:12 - The trend toward data and AI 6:30 - An update on 2023 predictions To download the full report, go to www.bluwave.net/insights-report/.

Jul 13, 2023 • 33min
Cici Zheng, ParkerGale Capital | Private Equity Advice on Pricing, Human Capital and More
We're joined by Cici Zheng, a Partner from ParkerGale Capital to give her operations-focused perspective on many different private equity topics. Listen to the conversation as we discuss: 2:30 - Cici's path to private equity 8:19 - What traits show a company has potential 13:06 - Focusing on all facets of a company 17:18 - The strategy behind working with portco management teams 20:31 - Navigating uncertain economies 24:05 - Getting buy-in from portco sales teams on pricing changes 27:31 - Cici's advice to her younger self To learn more about ParkerGale Capital, go to www.parkergale.com. To learn more about BluWave and this podcast, go to www.bluwave.net/podcast.

Jun 29, 2023 • 37min
David Hellier, Bertram Capital | Harnessing Data to Innovate, Differentiate and Evolve
We're joined by David Hellier, a partner at Bertram Capital, to discuss: 1:31 - His background and what brought him to private equity 5:40 - How private equity is evolving 9:18 - David's story about throwing out the first pitch 11:09 - Overcoming adversity and being differentiated 16:23 - Running private equity like a business 22:37 - How data and AI will impact productivity 27:50 - Finding opportunity admidst uncertainty 34:08 - David's life hack For more information on Bertram Capital, go to their website: bertramcapital.com For more information about this podcast, go to bluwave.net/podcast

Jun 8, 2023 • 21min
Filling a Need: Unraveling the History and Growth of the Private Equity Industry
In this captivating episode, we delve into the history of private equity, exploring its origins, confronting industry stigmas, and witnessing its evolution into a dynamic force. Join us as we: (0:54) Uncover the ideas that gave birth to the first private equity firms, laying the groundwork for an industry that would reshape the business landscape. (5:37) Challenge the prevailing stigma personified by 1980s Wall Street movies, to explore how the industry has and continues to evolve. (10:05) Highlight the shifting focus of private equity towards the people involved and the value they can create, from investors to management teams. (13:18) Touch on the importance of being the best in private equity, engaging the right third party resources to help. (15:20) Revisit the current state of PE and predict where it's going. For more information on the Karma School of Business podcast, go to www.bluwave.net/podcasts. For more information about BluWave, go to www.bluwave.net.

Jun 1, 2023 • 36min
John Huhn, Compass Group Equity Partners | Unlocking Success: The Power of Persistence in PE
A managing partner from Compass Group Equity Partners, John Huhn, joins the Karma School of Business Podcast to discuss: 1:04 - John's background and path to private equity 9:28 - The most important traits to look for when evaluating a potential investment 13:50 - What makes Compass unique and how they approach value creation 21:34 - Advice to successfully manage a rocky economic period 26:52 - Important aspects of the portco-PE firm relationship 31:30 - John's advice to his younger self And much more. To learn more about Compass Group, go to https://www.cgep.com/. To learn more about BluWave, go to www.bluwave.net.

May 9, 2023 • 35min
Brian Adams, Excelsior Capital | Real Estate vs. Buyout: Private Equity Investor Perspectives
Brian Adams, Founder and President of Excelsior Capital, joins the Karma School of Business podcast to discuss real estate investing and compares it to private equity investing. Brian dives into a broad scope of topics, including: 1:44 His path to real estate investing 5:55 Advantages and benefits to real estate investing 10:36 How to evaluate a good investment 17:39 How the current economic landscape is impacting the real estate investing industry 21:48 The long term outlook for real estate investing 30:29 What lessons Brian would teach his younger self

Apr 26, 2023 • 43min
Hernan Saenz, Bain & Company | A Glance into the Future of the Planet, the Power of Circular Transformation and the Role Private Equity Can Play
The Karma School of Business is joined by Bain and Company Global Head of Performance and Improvement, Harnan Saenz to take a deep dive on the future of the economy as it relates to sustainability, viewed through the lens of private equity. The conversation topics include: 2:30 "Remanufacturing" and forces applying pressure to traditional operations 5:21 What is the circular economy? 13:13 The current policies set up by the government related to the circular economy 16:03 Barriers to a circular economy 25:21 How can tech be leveraged to support the circular economy? 27:13 Measuring progress toward circularity 29:25 The role of private equity in promoting circularity 30:28 Incorporating circular principles into investment strategies 33:01 Investment opportunities and most promising sectors 35:46 Challenges a PE firm might face when investing in a circular economy 37:13 How can firms work with portcos to improve sustainability? 39:39 How PE can collaborate with governments and other stakeholders to promote the circular economy

Apr 13, 2023 • 17min
HR, Tech Take Center Stage in Q1: Private Equity Industry Update
We share top private equity insights from our Q1 2023 Insights Report where we evaluate proprietary data from over 500 leading private equity firms across thousands of projects. We compare year over year activity from the BluWave Activity Index to share how private equity is reacting to the current economic state. Join BluWave Founder and CEO, Sean Mooney, as he discusses: 1:07 - Comparing the economy in 2023 to 2008 2:52 - The breakdown between due diligence and value creation 6:25 - How private equity is being strategic in diligence during the unsteady economic environment 8:35 - What is fueling the increase in value creation activity 11:58 - The top three functional areas in the BluWave Activity Index 16:06 - How to get additional insights and trends Click here to get the report: http://bit.ly/3obXJXu