Leadership

Jason Hendren started a business, grew it, sold the majority to private equity, ran it as the CEO, sold it again, stayed on as the CEO, bought some complimentary businesses, and then retired for a few weeks.  Jason is the author of Things I Wish I Knew Before I SOLD TO PRIVATE EQUITY. 

 Jason started his career as an Industrial Engineer working in manufacturing.  Shortly after obtaining his MBA, he became the operating partner of a startup business that he eventually acquired and grew into a nationally recognized manufacturer of energy-efficient lighting.  After a decade of growth, Jason sold most of his equity to a private equity group and remained the CEO.  In the years that followed, Jason was heavily involved in the company’s M&A activities, including selling the business again to another private equity group.  Jason was integral in the acquisition and integration of two prestigious brands in the lighting industry while evaluating dozens of other potential acquisitions. 

 Jason applies the lessons he’s learned to help business owners grow their enterprise value and ultimately exit from their businesses.  His experience as a selling entrepreneur and acquiring investor gives him the perspective to advise owners on the moves they should make before, during, and after a sales process.  Jason is an Exit Planning Advisor and CEO coach who helps entrepreneurs build their business’s equity value and prepares them for an effective exit.  Exit Planning for Entrepreneurs is Jason’s half-day boot camp that he does to train CEO groups all over the country.  

 Jason earned a BSIE and MBA from the University of Central Florida, where he supports first-generation scholarships, entrepreneurship programs, and the Football Shareholders Society.