Chris Brimsek

While short-term interest rates may decline, market expectations suggest that long-term rates will continue to rise. Theoretically and fundamentally, short-term rate movements exert limited influence on long-duration assets such as early-stage therapeutic programs and real estate development. Below 1mo SOFR (blue), 10-year forward curves (grey), and fed median dots (blue). Source: Chatham Financial

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Company culture is often viewed as a "nice to have" however, that could not be further from the truth. Company culture impacts employee retention, buyer and seller alignment and ultimately the valuation of the business.

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I had a great conversation recently with Peter Lehrman on the Axial Masters in Small Business M&A podcast discussing how the lower middle market has evolved over the past couple of decades.   Over the last 25 years, the ecosystem has changed dramatically. Many funds outgrew the lower middle market, while additional equity sources like independent sponsors, family offices, new LMM funds, and large funds moving ‘downstream’ have expanded the participant pool.    Purchase multiples and equity contribution percentages have increased, adding pressure to returns, and the credit markets have evolved as well, impacting leverage rates and deal activity.    We talked about what this shift means for private equity value creation today. At Broadwing Capital, implementing platform growth tools in alignment with founders and management teams are more important drivers of return than financial engineering.    I also shared the investment thesis behind our recent acquisition of CloudScale365, Inc. and how we think about growth, culture, and stakeholder impact post-transaction.   Thanks to Peter for the thoughtful discussion. If you are interested in where the lower middle market is heading, it's worth a listen.   https://lnkd.in/gTaMcGAc

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I’m stepping more directly into interim and operating CFO work. Over the past decade, I’ve consistently been brought into sponsor-backed and growth-stage platforms at inflection points — acquisitions, liquidity pressure, lender negotiations, audit remediation, capital raises, or operational scale. I build institutional-grade financial infrastructure fast. That means: • Liquidity visibility and covenant discipline • Clean audits and lender credibility • Transaction-ready reporting (QoE, data rooms, integrations) • Repeatable forecasting and KPI frameworks I work where capital and operations intersect — ensuring companies are positioned to access funding, execute deals, and scale without losing financial control. I’m open to select interim and fractional CFO mandates where execution speed and clarity matter. If you’re a sponsor, CEO, or investment partner navigating one of those moments, let’s connect. — Ken Anthony Stanford MBA | CPA | Growth Infrastructure CFO

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I weigh in on the 2026 M&A Outlook featured by @Mergers and Acquisitions - themiddlemarket.com: as dealmaking becomes more tech-enabled, the edge will come from trusted data, sharp judgment, and the ability to cut through the noise.

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Thrilled to share a signature milestone: Aphias Capital's partnership with SNZweig -- our inaugural investment -- the market-leading professional services and advisory firm serving the AEC (architecture, engineering, construction) industry. Congratulations to Amanda, Luke and our Essential Services team on this investment. Proud to join their conviction and leadership and help execute on the DCM front. Excited for amazing things ahead for SNZweig! #lmm #lowermiddlemarket #privateequity #dcm #debtcapitalmarkets #architecture #engineering #construction #AEC #professionalservices #advisoryservices #essentialservices

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