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Minds Capital Podcast

Minds Capital Podcast

Written by: Will Smith & Niklas James
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Your connection to the growing world of independent sponsors and deal-by-deal private equity.© 2026 Will Smith & Niklas James Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • $2m to Start as an Independent Sponsor
    Aug 19 2026

    Drew Bagin and his partner raised $2m in seed capital for the General Partnership before doing their first deal as an independent sponsor. Then they built a tightly regional strategy focused on Maine and New England. 5 platforms later, the regional focus manifests in a differentiated sourcing network & value creation, and a fire protection platform approaching exit.

    References and how to contact today's guest:
    Drew Bagin | LinkedIn

    Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

    Connect with Minds:

    • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
    • Connect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas James
    • Visit Minds Capital

    Credits:

    • Edited by Anton Rohozov
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Behind The Scenes: Our Unique Angle In An Increasingly Crowded Space
    Aug 5 2026

    The 3 founding partners of Minds Capital sit down for the 75th episode to provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse of their operations & strategy, and also share market observations rangnig from rollup frequency, first-time sponsor pitfalls, underwriting AI, and supply & demand imbalances on the capital side within the independent sponsor ecosystem.

    References and how to contact today's hosts:
    Niklas James | LinkedIn
    Will Smith | LinkedIn
    Max Lummis | LinkedIn

    Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

    Connect with Minds:

    • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
    • Visit Minds Capital

    Credits:

    • Edited by Anton Rohozov
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 8 mins
  • "An Independent Sponsor Can Be My Favorite Kind of Buyer"
    Jul 29 2026

    Dara Shareef is an executive at Benchmark International, a global lower-middle market M&A brokerage. Dara is an avid speaker on panels and podcasts, and he brings a nuanced perspective on independent sponsors as a buyer group, tactics to win deals, and best-in-class process management post-LOI. He is a believer in content marketing as a way for dealmakers to build trust, transparency, and inbounds.

    References and how to contact today's guest:
    Dara Shareef | LinkedIn

    Minds Capital invests equity into deals by independent sponsors and searchers. For independent sponsors with a deal under LOI, visit Minds Capital to start a conversation. Our website also contains more information about this podcast and for prospective investors.

    Connect with Minds:

    • See past + future interviews on the YouTube channel
    • Connect with hosts Will Smith and Niklas James
    • Visit Minds Capital

    Credits:

    • Edited by Anton Rohozov
    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
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