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October 17, 2024

Announcing the Chicago Smart Business Dealmaker Award Winners and 2024 Dealmakers Hall of Fame Class

By SBN Staff

The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year Awards recognize exceptional individuals in Chicago. See who we recognized!

January 18, 2024

Hafeezah Muhammad On People and Analytics In Deals

Hafeezah Muhammad's company Backpack Healthcare recently acquired two companies. At the 2023 Chicago Smart Business Dealmakers Conference, she talked about how the business has supercharged its

October 13, 2023

Midwest Values Bouy Businesses When Fundamentals Are The Focus

The Chicago Smart Business Dealmakers Conference kicked off with insights and strategies for navigating the post-exit landscape, as well as the speakers' perspective on what's been a tricky M&A

September 29, 2023

Chicago M&A Honorees Named

The Smart Business Dealmakers Dealmaker of the Year awards recognize exceptional individuals who are shaping the landscape of business and innovation in Greater Chicago. The 2023 class of winners —

July 21, 2023

Luke Haverhals' Company Is Working To Solve The World's Biggest Problem

Luke Haverhals, founder and CEO of Natural Fiber Welding, says he's an accidental entrepreneur. As the former chemistry professor at the United States Naval Academy tells it, he was fortunate to be in

May 19, 2023

Biju Kulathakal On Launching Halo, Fundraising

Halo Investing is a platform for structured notes or, as the company's Co-Founder and CEO Biju Kulathakal puts it, defined outcome investing. "It's a financial product that's a $3 trillion market

April 21, 2023

How Redback's Famous IPO Almost Wasn't

Dennis Barsema on his experience with Redback, the issue that almost prevented him from taking the company public, and how his path eventually led him to teaching future entrepreneurs.

April 6, 2023

Suzanne Yoon On Launching Kinzie Capital Partners

Kinzie Capital Partners Founder and Managing Partner Suzanne Yoon on launching the firm.

March 24, 2023

FHN Facilitates Service for Underbanked Consumers

Jennifer Tescher on her company’s investments strategies and goals for assisting their partners during harsh economic times.

March 10, 2023

No "Risky Bets" When Investing In CEOs

The Edgewater Funds Senior Partner David Tolmie on what he looks for in an executive, investment red flags, preparing for exits and negotiating deal terms.

December 16, 2022

Entrepreneur Focus: Jennifer Tescher

Financial Health Network President and CEO Jennifer Tescher on her company, its mission and the challenges it faces.