Small Business.
Acquisitions.
And Entrepreneurship.
Empowering, educating, and promoting the entrepreneurial ecosystem for the Charlotte of tomorrow through casual networking, high-quality programming, and practical member education.
We Couldn't Do it Without You
We are forever grateful to our Founding Sponsors for their investment in our community.
What Does It Mean to Be a Founding Sponsor
Our Founding Sponsors have been with us since the beginning and meet two core criteria: (1) donating $10,000 and (2) providing meaningful benefits to our members.
We’re a group for members by members: every dollar counts.
A Home for Searchers and Entrepreneurial Business Owners
Whether you have just started searching, have already searched and exited, or you do not know even know what "ETA" is, this is your home. There's no snake oil here. We are not here to sell you anything. We are simply here to help.
Freedom
"Eyes always on the horizon," our Founder says. While there is nothing 'wrong' with a W-2 job, ETA provides the highest probability lowest risk-adjusted return to independence. We support those willing to take the journey.
Integrity
Our Integrity is unassailable. Only the best, honest, and vetted professionals are asked to speak at our meetings. You'll only receive the best encouragement, inspiration, and advice when you attend one of our events.
Community
Search can be lonely. Not anymore. Here you will find a group of like-minded individuals who are "in the foxhole" with you--or have been there before. Here: you're not the product. You're home.
Sean Planchard
Sean is an imperfect Christian who lives out his mission to love others through serving, learning, earning, teaching, and sharing each day Building something new, Sean is the CEO of his own SMB (closed March 2025), Of Counsel at SMB Law Group, a prolific investor in venture-backed startups and brick & mortar businesses (two exits already), and the Founder / Executive Director of The Charlotte ETA Group (a nonprofit). Sean is a serial creator who strives to deliver true value and joy for others each day by living his Ikigai: the intersection of what generates wealth and good for the world while also bringing him joy and income, too. Before setting out to "bet on himself" (with God as his foundation), Sean collected plenty of "gold stars" (of which he is quite proud, but he adamantly maintains do not define him). Among these, Sean:
- is a former McKinsey consultant
- graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in the top 25% of his class where he served as President of the Student Government
- served as Fulbright Scholar in Madrid Spain
- was nominated as one of the best teachers in Teach For America's 2011 Dallas-Forth Worth corps, and
- graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder as the top graduate in the Political Science school, summa cum laude, With Distinction, and Phi Beta Kappa
Above all, Sean is driven by his values of Faith, Family, and Integrity. He is happiest reading at his home in Charlotte, NC and advising and leading those he loves, drinking wine (long-term goal to be a master sommelier), and practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Our Leaders
Sean is an imperfect Christian who lives out his mission to love others through serving, learning, earning, teaching, and...read more
Drake leads FinTeam, a fractional CFO and bookkeeping firm that helps small businesses financially flourish...read more
Paul graduated from the University of Chicago Law School, with Honors, in 2015, and then spent 9 years as a real estate lawyer at the firm...read more
I believe in the power of entrepreneurship to change lives and communities. Helping business owners, both current and future...read more
Michael started his career at a secondary private equity group focused on purchasing limited partner interests in fund-of-funds...read more
I, Jonathan Pottow, am the founder & president of Jonathan Alistair Fine Jewelry, est. July of 2020...read more
Steve Boland is a Vice President and Private Client Manager with Bank of America Private Bank; he has been with the company since 2019...read more
Mubarak Shah, CPA, has been an entrepreneurial CPA for the last decade with extensive experience in the M&A world...read more
Mubarak Shah, CPA, has been an entrepreneurial CPA for the last decade with extensive experience in the M&A world...read more
Mubarak Shah, CPA, has been an entrepreneurial CPA for the last decade with extensive experience in the M&A world...read more
Finally.
You found your people.
ETA can be a lonely road. Not anymore. Our community is open to everyone, and we do our best to share the highest quality content and foster the strongest connections to support your search journey.
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Find support and advice for specific questions
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