OUR TEAM AND PARTNERS
ELI PATINO - PRINCIPAL
Originally from Minnesota, Eli moved to Eastern North Carolina when he joined the Marines in 2003. After serving in the military for 4 years, Eli would go on to work as an IT Contractor for the Department of Defense to support Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) for nearly six years. After his contract ended with the DoD, Eli would begin work as a staff accountant for a growing multi-car dealership company in Jacksonville, NC. Longing to own and operate a successful enterprise himself, Eli started a self-funded search for a well-established and enduringly profitable small business in Eastern NC. After almost two years of searching and many companies analyzed, he was able to acquire a wonderful, durable, and straightforward business in the spring of 2017. Eli is now working with other searchers in various steps of the search process to advise on all things ETA.
Eli holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Campbell University and a Master's of Science in Finance and Investment Management from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington
JULES BRENNER - OPERATING PARTNER
Jules founded his search fund MSP with the goal of leveraging years of experience in sales, manufacturing, and engineering in order to acquire and grow an established manufacturing and industrial operations. In his previous projects, he was the first sales hire at ampUp, where he built a sales team to sell software for electric vehicle charging equipment. Prior, he was the first sales hire at XOS Trucks, an electric truck manufacturer, where he sold over 7 figures of electric trucks. Before XOS, Jules worked at Vengo Labs, a compact vending machine manufacturer, and was the founder of a high-end tutoring business in New York City. Prior to those projects, Jules was Project Manager at Duro UAS, an underwater vehicle manufacturer, where he managed a team of 30 engineers.
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Jules also co-founded NYU's first Baja Car Racing team, where he was the manufacturing lead for the 30-person team. Some of his additional projects include the design and manufacture of 3D printed tooling, Pro Bono consulting at NYOrtho (an established manufacturer of medical equipment) and manufacturing a mini jet engine.
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Through MSP, Jules was successfully able to acquire American Sheet Metal out of Anaheim, CA in the Summer of 2022 in which he is now the current owner and CEO.
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Jules received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering with Minors in Aerospace and Business from New York University.
ETHAN BROWN - OPERATING PARTNER
Ethan Brown is the owner of Texas Nurse Connection (TNC), a nurse staffing agency founded in 2000. He acquired TNC in September 2022 after an 18-month search. Diligence was supported via Pursuant Capital, debt sourced via Live Oak Bank, and equity obtained from Succession Coast Capital along with other equity investors. During the search, Ethan learned that one of his competitive advantages was his community of fellow searchers and operators, whose support was key to getting the deal over the finish line!
Prior to acquiring TNC, Ethan worked as a Planning Manager for a supply chain focused SaaS company. With a degree in operations management from Texas A&M, he is well-versed in process improvement, people management, and change management. Ethan is excited about the opportunity to lead TNC into the next chapter.
JASON MARTINEZ - SEARCHER
Born and raised in Miami, Jason would join the Marines after high school in 2005. While in the Marines Jason worked in the IT field in various roles both stateside and overseas. Along with having an excellent background in all things IT, Jason has a high degree of interest in all things finance and investing. After leaving the Marines in 2009, Jason would go directly to work as an IT defense contractor with General Dynamics Information Technology supporting the very same Marines he once served alongside with. This position required him to deploy overseas on a few more occasions to support the customer in an ever-changing war effort. After working with GDIT Jason would continue his professional experience with STG Inc., working alongside the U.S. Army in a stateside position. Jason also owns several real estate investments with a solid background in market analysis, business accounting and finance.
Jason holds a Bachelors of Science in Information Technology and Security with a Concentration in Management from Campbell University. He also holds multiple certifications from vendors such as CompTIA, Cisco, and the Linux Professional Institute.
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